A Spring Bouquet for 2026!

 

Unlike this image, the NMJL card is not generated by AI.

But it does have SIX-FLOWER hands....

What a nice surprise to get the card on the first day of spring as the flowers are starting to bloom, and bloom they do on this card.  There are four hands on the card that require six flowers - two hands include a sextet and two hands include two pungs.  There are also six hands that include one pung of flowers, and several that have a pair of flowers.  All these options will make for some interesting decision making when it comes to keeping, discarding, passing or calling flowers!  

A great way to learn the new card is to do a side-by-side comparison, which I like to do every year first thing.  It helps wrap my head around what's new, what's old, and what's ancient history (hint: Sextet).  There hasn't been a sextet on a card in over 20 years, so it's nice to see it back in circulation.  The great thing about the League card is its reference points to the past, our shared history of family and friendship and hands that last through time.

2026 - We have some comback hands here, so new players won't have to grapple with the completely unfamilar, but the serious player may have to put away the wine and focus.  

The first hand on the 2025 card, the four-flower, three-suit hand, has changed to a three-flower hand, and instead of ending with two like pungs, it ends with 222 6666.

The "pattern" hand:  222 0000 222 5555 (pung-kong-pung-kong) has changed to the alternate pattern, 222 000 2222 6666  (pung-pung-kong-kong).  This alternate patern is seen throughout the card, replacing the pattern hands in 2468, consecutive run, 13579, and 369.  Where it once was PKPK, it now is PPKK.

The third and fourth hands in the category have been removed and replaced with new and interesting hands:  2026 DDD 2222 DDD (any two suits with matching dragons, kong two or six) and a NEWS hand in a pair/pair/pung/pung/NEWS pattern.  

No closed hand in this category this year.

2468 - There are two comeback hands in 2468 - the three-flower hand (hand 5 on the 2025 card) and the pattern hand (first hand) now in the PPKK format.  All the other hands have changed.

The second hand is an old friend, "the gate," which has been on the card multiple times.  This year it's in two suits:  Pair of flowers, matching kongs of 2's and 8's with 44 and 66 in the middle in a second suit.

Making a debut in the third position is an East-West with evens hand:  EE 22 444 666 88 WW (four pairs!)  

In the fourth position is a hand with a kong of 2s and three matching dragons and a kong of 8s with 3 matching dragons, these numbers only.   Not hard to see a switch with the 2026 dragon hand, so if you go dead on the soap....

The much-beloved (and overplayed) four flower/like pung hand has fled the scene, and in its place a new and more complex hand:  2468 followed by like kongs in any even number with a single matching dragon.  (six singles!)  The like kongs with single matching dragon also show up in any like numbers, so keep those dragons close at hand.

A six-flower hand has been added, this one with two pungs of flowers (called separately) a 2468 grouping and a kong of any even number.

The closed hand is an oldie - first seen in 1964, last seen in 2022 - FF 246 888 246 888.  This one meshes nicely with the new 2468 pairs hand, as you will see.

Any Like Numbers - None of the hands on the 2025 card have made it to the 2026 card, but that may not be such a bad thing.

In first position in 2026 is a hand with two like kongs with a flower sextet in the middle.  Yes, you must call all six together.  

It may help to know that the hands in second and third position have two like kongs as well, and they are both open hands.  

Position 2 has a kong with single matching dragon, a pung of the same number with a single matching dragon, and another kong of the same number with a single matching dragon.  This is one of the many hands with no flowers at all.

Hand number 3 has two flowers, a kong, a pair and a kong of any like number, with a pair of any dragon at the end.  Yes, three pairs, but only 25 points.  Not so easy, but easier than the "split kong," I would say.

There are no closed hands in this category.

Quints - Mahjongg pundits will be happy to know that all the quints require more than one joker.  Like 2025, the 2026 quints have a like number hand (a quint, a kong and a quint), a consecutive hand (pair of flowers, quint pair quint of any three consecutive numbers in one suit) and an "any" hand - this one is new and unusual.  It's two quints of ANY number in one suit with a kong of an opposite dragon.  Got it?  So you can have 11111 88888 DDDD or 33333 77777 DDDD.  Of course the numbers CAN be consecutive as well.  Remember, "any" means "any," so this hand may prove to be extremely versatile.

Consecutive Run - Good old consecutive run, the refuge of beginners and seasoned players alike.  Not to worry, the classic hands (1-5 and 5-9) are still present, although with a different pattern, another unusual twist - pair/pung/pair/pung/kong.  Usually the pairs are either at either end or at the beginning, so this is something new.  

The pattern hand is here - pung/pung/kong/kong, any four consecutive numbers in one or two suits. 

The old faithful block hand - pair of flowers and three kongs of consecutive numbers in one or three suits, make for a good, teachable section.  Beginners need not worry that the card is out of their reach.

The matching dragon hand is sort of back, this time it's a three-flower hand with a pair/pair/pung/kong pattern, in one suit and a knitted hand where the second pair and the dragons match - FFF 11 22 333 DDDD or FFF 11 22 333 DDDD.  Hmm...I can see switching this hand, swapping flowers for jokers and ending up with a Quint...

The "floating pair" hand has left this category and taken up residence in 13579 and 369.

The three-flower hand from 2025 is gone, replaced by a three-flower hand which has the singles in the middle instead of at the beginning; one or three suits.  So instead of FFF 123 4444 5555, we get a one-suit FFF 1111 234 5555 or a three-suit FFF 1111 234 5555.  

Under that hand is a hand that was popular in the early and mid-2000s, the much missed 11 22 111 222 3333.  This works well with the closed hand below.  There are also hands in odds and 369 with a similar pair/pair/pung/pung/kong pattern.

We also have the second sextet hand which is two kongs of two consecutive numbers in one suit with a sextet of flowers in the middle.  This is cool because if you put up a sextet with a kong you could still be doing a few different hands.

The closed hand has shifted and the pair of flowers at the beginning is now a pair at the end of a fourth consecutive number.  Think 1 22 333 1 22 333 44.  If you can't get that pair you can switch to the much-missed hand described above.

13579 - The odd numbered hands have gotten a nice refresh.  As always, the classic hand (13579 in one or three suits) is there in the same pattern as the classic consecutive hand,  pair/pung/pair/pung/kong.  So this year instead of the 7s and 9s matching, the 5s and 7s match, and, like before, exposing a pung of 3s and a pung of 7s will give your hand away, so watch for that.  

The pattern hand again appears in position two, this time in the pung/pung/kong/kong configuration.  

There is one other repeat hand in the category and that is the "sandwich" hand, where you have bookends of 1111 and 9999 with pairs of 33 55 77 in the middle.  While in 2025 the hand was two suits, in 2026 it is one or two suits, making it compatible with the classic hand.  Another reason not to expose too early. This hand is in the 7th position.

In the third position we have a North-South odd number combination - bookended pairs of NN SS with a kong/pair/kong of either 1-3-5  or 5-7-9.  

Fourth position is the "floating pair" hand, previously in consecutive run.  This time the pair can be a 1, 3, 5, 7 or 9 with matching kongs.

Next is a matching dragon hand - three flowers followed by pair/pair/pung/kong in 1-3-5 or 5-7-9, kong of matching dragon.  This same pattern is in consecutive, making the hand switchable.

Another favorite from the '90s and '00s is back and that's 11 33 111 333 5555, also in a 5-7-9 arrangement.

There are two closed hands in this category.  The first one is a definite challenge hand with a point value of 35, as it has four pairs and it's specific numbers: 

FF 11 33 55 111 111 or FF 55 77 999 555 555. Don't drink wine if you want to do this hand!

The second closed hand is more flexible and making its card debut:  FF 135 777 999 in one suit with a pung of an opposite dragon.  

Winds-Dragons - Some repeat hands here - the top line, which can be played with either kongs of N/S and pungs of E/W or pungs of N/S and kongs of E/W, and serves as the foundation of the category.  
The all-dragon hand has been changed to a no-flower hand, a run of any 4 numbers in one suit with two pungs and a kong of any dragons.  This hand has been made a little easier, as there are no pairs, and no, the kong doesn't have to match the suit of the run (although it can).

Winds and like numbers have gotten a makeover with pungs of N/S and kongs of any like odd number or pungs of E/W with any like even numbered kongs.  Again, no pairs, so it looks like winds and dragons category will be much played!

The NEWS hand with the dragon pungs is out, I'm sure it will come back one day as it has so many fans.  Taking its place is a six-flower hand, this one with two pungs of flowers, a kong of any wind and a kong of any dragon.  Hmmm...three flowers and four dragons, now where have I seen that before?

Next we have a quirky hand, brand-new, which requires a run of 1234 in any one suit (these numbers only) and one N, two EE, three WWW, four SSSS.  Cute!

The next-to-the-last hand is a flower-wind-dragon hand with a pair of flowers, kongs of N/S or E/W followed by two pairs of any two dragons.

The closed hand is a repeat hand, the winds with the year.  In 2025 it was open with two options.  In 2026 it is limited to pairs of N/S and pungs of E/W with the 2026 in the middle.  This hand has been made more challenging by being closed, but the value is still 30.  

369 - The top hand is the same although the pattern has changed to PP/KK, still any one or three suits.

The old faithful block hand (two flowers, three kongs) is gone, replaced by a hand in the same pattern as hands in consecutive and 13579:  33 66 333 666 9999.

The like numbers with dragons hand is out, replaced by FFF 33 666 99 plus a kong of any dragon.  The hand is listed as one or two suits, meaning the dragons can match the 369 or be opposite.  Hmmm...three flowers and four dragons, now where have I seen that before?

Sadly, the three-flower hand with the matching 1s and 9s and 369 singles in the middle is no longer on the card.  But instead there is a NEWS hand, with a pair of 3s and a pair of 6s in one suit, a pung of 6s and a pung of 9s in a second suit, followed by NEWS.  Those winds are really getting around this year!

In fifth position we have another "floating pair" hand.  This hand is similar to the like kongs 3, 6 or 9 hand on the 2025 hand, but the flowers are removed and the pair can be a 3 a 6 or a 9, with matching like kongs in the other two suits.  Lots of like kongs on the card, which is fine with me.

The closed hand is another new one:  FF 333 666 999 369. 

Singles and Pairs - All the hands have been changed, with the exception of the big hand, which is still two flowers and the year in three suits.  

The wind hand is a new hand and manages to use winds, like numbers and dragons all in one hand.  NN EE WW SS 1D 1D 1D  

The 2468 hand uses three pairs of eights - 2 4 66 88 2 4 66 88 88.  A couple of jokers will open this up into the closed hand in 2468.

The 369 hand is tricky and also new - think two 3s, two 6s, two 9s.  FF 3369 3669 3699.  

For those who long for the familiar, there is a hand that has appeared at least 20 times since 1990 - pairs of seven consecutive numbers.

The odd pairs hand last appeared in 2022 - 11 357 99 11 357 99.

And, as stated, the big hand is a constant - two flowers followed by the year in three suits, 75 points.  

And there you have it.  There's a lot of new hands, some repeats and some old favorites.  Certainly enough to last for a year of satisfying playing, if one plays their tiles right!