How to choose a hand in American mahjong

Step 1: Look at your tiles first

Sort your tiles by suit and number. Then look for these things:

• Pairs and pungs. A pung is 3 tiles that are exactly alike. Tiles you already have 2 or 3 of are a strong start.
• Lots of one number, such as 5s in two or three suits.
• Lots of even numbers (2, 4, 6, 8) or lots of odd numbers (1, 3, 5, 7, 9).
• 2s, Soap and 6s. Soap is the white dragon. It stands for 0 on the card.
• Winds and dragons. Count how many you have.
• Flowers. Many hands use them.
• Jokers. Keep every one.

Here is a dealt hand of 13 tiles. It has two flowers, a pair of 2 Dots, a pair of Soap, a 6 Dot and a joker.

Step 2: Match your tiles to a section

Each section of the card is built around one idea. Find the idea that matches your tiles, and read only the hands in that section.

Some tiles fit more than one section. A 6 can go in Evens, 2026 or 369. That is fine. It means one tile helps several hands.

Singles & Pairs hands are made only of single tiles and pairs. They are concealed, which means you can't call discards for them, except your last tile for mahjong. They can't use jokers.

Here are three lines from our House Card, one from each of three sections:

If you are new to reading these lines, see how to read a mahjong card.

Step 3: Count what you have

For each hand you are thinking about, count how many of its 14 tiles you already have. Keep these rules in mind:

• Pairs and sets count most. They are the hardest part to build.
• Jokers fill any set of 3 or more. They never fill a pair or a single tile.
• Flowers fit many hands. Count them for any hand that uses them.

The best bet is the hand that needs the fewest new tiles. Don't pick a hand because it is worth more. A hand you finish is worth more than one you don't.

In the hand from Step 1, the 2026 line above, built in Dots and Bams, already has 9 of its 14 tiles:

• FF: two flowers. Done.
• 222 in Dots: two 2 Dots and the joker. Done.
• 000: two Soap. One more needed.
• 222 in Bams: one 2 Bam. Two more needed.
• 666 in Dots: one 6 Dot. Two more needed.

That hand needs 5 more tiles. An Evens hand like 222 444 666 888 FF would need about 8. So 2026 is the better bet.

Step 4: Use the Charleston

The Charleston is when players pass tiles to each other before play starts. Use it to clear out tiles you don't need.

• Pass tiles that none of your 2 or 3 hands use.
• Keep tiles that fit more than one of your hands.
• Never pass a joker.

In the hand from Step 1, the 7 Bam, the 4 Crak and the 8 Crak fit none of the 2026 hands. The North wind fits only the one 2026 hand with winds. Those are good tiles to pass.

When the Charleston is over, look again. Pick the hand that is closest now. Keep one other hand as a second choice.

Step 5: Be ready to switch

Watch the table as you play. If the tiles you need keep being thrown away, or another player exposes them on their rack, they are gone. There are only 4 of each tile.

When that happens, switch to your second choice. It is better to switch early than to keep going for a hand you can't finish.

Don't expose sets too early. Once a set is on your rack, you can't take it back, and you can only go for hands that use it.

Common mistakes

• Reading the whole card every turn. Look only at the 2 or 3 hands you picked.
• Choosing by value instead of closeness. The hand that needs the fewest tiles is usually the best one.
• Holding tiles for too many hands. You have only 13 or 14 tiles. Trying for 4 or 5 hands at once leaves you short for all of them.
• Going for concealed hands early. They are worth more, but you can call only your last tile, and Singles & Pairs can't use jokers. Try them when the deal gives you most of the pairs already.

For more habits that help, see mahjong strategy for beginners.