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!                                                                                                                                                                                

Ready to Win on the 2025 card!

 

The 2025 card is here and there are a few things you should know before we do the yearly hand comparison.

• If you ordered your card before February 19, your card is in the first mailing, which as of today, 3/29/25 is making its way across the country.  All orders received before 2/19 should be in hand at the end of two weeks.
• All cards in the first mailing have a misprint.
• The large print cards show a hand in consecutive run in all green.  This hand should be in three colors, as it is a three-suit hand according to the parenthetical.
• The standard sized cards show a three-suit hand in the 2468 category in all blue.  This hand should be in three colors, as stated in the parenthetical.
• The League has asked that players make corrections on their cards, and replacement cards will be sent in a few weeks.

Now on with the comparison!  I received my cards yesterday, which coincided with my weekly game, so I have played on it, and, as you can see from the coins in the 2025 bag, I won a few games (four dots on my new card).  I can tell you from these first few games that the new card is somewhat more complicated than the 2024 - the word I heard most around the table was "challenging."  And while beginners may take awhile to wrap their heads around the new combinations, seasoned players will find it will keep them on their toes, and they will have to play a very careful game.  This card ain't for sissies!

As is my custom, I'll take each category and compare the hands, so even if you don't have the new card yet, if you read this and follow along with the 2024 card, you will get the idea of what has changed.  

2025
Of course all the hands in this category differ in that they use 5s instead of 4s. This is a rare instance where 2s and 5s are together in hands that are not consecutive, making switching a little less fluid.  There are still four hands in the category.  

• The first hand on the 2024 card has become the second hand on the 2025 card, although the pattern has changed from pung-pung-kong-kong to pung-kong-pung-kong.  This is true for all "pattern" hands, and of course the last number is now 5555 instead of 4444.
• Second hand with four flowers is gone. 
• The third hand has changed from a two-flower to a four-flower hand.  The kongs have become pungs, any 2's or 5's.  Keep this hand in mind, as like pungs with four flowers are sprinkled around, making this hand switchable.
• The closed hand is no longer in the year category.  It has been moved to Winds, is now open, and the 2025 is at the end.

There are two completely new hands in the year category of 2025, and they are tricky.  The third hand is open:  2025 222 555 DDDD (any 3 suits).  In this hand, if you play 2025 in bams or craks and you use soaps for your dragon, you MUST keep a joker to complete your kong.   
The closed hand is even trickier:  FF 222 000 222 555.  You may want to note that all the hands in this category have pungs of 2's so you will have somewhere to go if someone exposes the 5s that you need...

2468

This category has been expanded to include 8 hands instead of 6.  This is because there is no "addition hand" category.  There are, however, addition hands sprinkled throughout the categories, so they are not gone completely.

• The pattern hand in 2468 is the same as on the 2024 card, except that the pattern has changed to pung/kong/pung/kong as above.  One or two suits.
• Hand number 2 on the 2024 card has been eliminated.
• Hand number 3 has been altered.  Instead of pair/pair/pung/pung/kong, it's now pair/pung/pair/pung/kong of matching dragons.
• Hand number 4, which is a multiplication hand, has moved to the second line on the 2025 card and is now a completely new addition hand with two flowers, three suits:  FF 2222 + 4444 = 6666 and FF 2222 + 6666 = 8888.
• Hand number 5, "the gate," has been eliminated.
• The closed hand in 2024 has been eliminated.

There are two hands in this category on the 2025 card that are more or less old favorites - one is the "dangling 8s," although the configuration is different than in the past.  I always remember it being 2222 44 6666 88 88 but this time around it's  222 4444 666 88 88 so use caution.  The configuration of the 2s, 4s and 6s mimic the pattern hand, so exposing will not be a giveaway.  The other more or less familiar hand is FFF 22 44 666 8888, one suit.

There is a new three-suit hand.  It has two flowers, two kongs of any like even numbers with a kong of dragons in the middle.  There are like number kongs in many places on the card, so this hand has good switchability.

There is another new three-suited hand with four flowers, four singles and like even pungs. Note:  This is the hand that has the misprint on the standard sized card.  The large print card does not have a misprint in this category.  The hand should read:  FFFF 2468 222 222.  The shape of this hand is identical to the four flower hand in 2025, so switchable within the category and without. 

The closed hand has been seen before, 22 44 66 88 in one suit with like pungs of any even number in the other two suits.  Even more switchability.

 

ANY LIKE NUMBERS

As previously noted, the math hands are gone - good riddance to lucky sevens in one suit - and so we come to Any Like Numbers.  Sorry to say, if you were a fan of this category in 2024, you will have a rude awakening.  All the hands have changed and become more challenging.  There are still three hands but two are worth 30, so that should tell you something.

• First hand is now two flowers with a kong of a number and a single matching dragon (oy); another kong of the same number in a different suit with a single matching dragon (oy, oy) and a pair of the same number.  Yikes.
• Second hand is now four flowers, pair of a number, pung of same number in second suit, pung of same number in third suit, pair of same number in the same suit as the first pair.  What the...????  Ok, four flowers, two pungs of like numbers, two pairs of the same number.  This will take some getting used to.
• Third hand is closed; two flowers, three pungs of any like number with a pung of any dragon.  It sounds simple, but I wonder if it is....

QUINTS
There's only three Quints on the 2025 card, and the first two are similar to the hands on the 2024 card, but with some tweaks.

• First hand has changed.  While still two flowers with three consecutive numbers, the hand is now in three suits, with a pung of the first number, kong of the second and Quint of the third.  Only one joker is needed!
• Second hand has changed.  While there is still a kong of any wind in the center, the quints are now any two consecutive numbers in the same suit.
• Third hand on the 2024 card has been eliminated.  The hand is now a like number hand with two flowers, quint/pair/quint of any like number in any 3 suits.  

CONSECUTIVE RUN

• The first hand from 2024 is back, but now uses a pyramid pattern; pair/pung/kong/pung/pair.  
• The second hand from 2024 is eliminated.
• The third hand is back with a pattern change.  The hand is now four flowers, kong/pair/kong of any 3 consec. nos. in any 3 suits.  NOTE:  If you have a large print card, the hand that is all in green should be in three colors, as the parenthetical notes it is in 3 suits.
• The fourth hand from 2024 has been changed to become a closed hand for 2025, using a pattern of FF 1 22 333 1 22 333.
• The fifth hand from 2024 has also been altered.  It is now the fifth hand in the category and the pattern has changed to FF 11 222 3333 DDD, one suit only.
• The sixth hand from 2024 has been changed.  There are no five-flower hands on the 2025 card.  This hand now uses three flowers, with 123 4444 5555 in 3 suits.  Tip:  Due to pattern changes, this is the only hand on the card with two consecutive kongs.
• The pattern hand, which is in position 7 on the 2024 card has moved to position 2 on the 2025 card, with the pong/kong/pung/kong pattern, still 1 or 3 suits.
• The closed hand on the 2024 card has been eliminated.

New in consecutive run on the 2025 card are two hands which are debuting.  

• 111 222 3333 DD DD - any 3 suits, any 3 consec nos, pairs opp dragons.  This pattern appears again in the 135 and 579 section, so there is some switchability there.
• 112345 1111 1111 - longtime players may recognize this pattern from Quints of yesteryear, only then it was 11234 with two quints that matched the pair.  This hand may confuse beginners as it may be hard to wrap your head around the "floating pairs" concept.  The instructions say any 5 consec nos, pair any no. in run, kongs match pair.  The pair can be, say, 456678 in bams, and then the kongs must be six craks and six dots.  There's some hope if you go dead on the pairs, as there are a couple of like kong hands to switch to.  Good luck!  Oh, and the value is 30.

13579

Listen up, there have been some changes to this category.

• Hands numbered 1 and 2 you will be pleased to know are still in their respective places.  However, the patterns have changed to conform to the pyramid in hand 1 and the pung/kong/pung/kong in hand 2.
• Hand number 3 from 2024 has changed shape and now has no flowers. It is a kong/pung/kong/pung pattern, with the last kong being matching dragons.
• Hand number 4 from 2024 has been eliminated.  
• Hand number 5 from 2024 has been eliminated, but there is a "math" hand in the category.  It is FFFF 1111 + 9999 = 10.  The kongs of 1s and 9s match and the "10" is a 1 in a second suit with a soap.  This is in the 4th position in 2025.
• Hand number 6 from 2024 has been eliminated, replaced by the hand in the same pattern as in consecutive run:  pung/pung/kong of either 1s, 3s, 5s or 5s, 7s, 9s in one suit, followed by two pairs of dragons in the second and third suit.  Kind of switchable, depending on the sequence of numbers.
• The closed hand from 2024 has been replaced with a new closed hand, an old favorite, FF 11 33 111 333 55 or FF 55 77 555 777 99.  Sanity prevails!

Three new odd-number hands make their debut in 2025, although someone may remember these from the past.  If so, it was the distant-distant past.  This brings the total odd-numbered hands to 9 lines, two more lines than 2024.

• One hand is a "sandwich" hand - any two suits - kongs of matching 1s and 9s with pairs of 3s, 5s and 7s in the second suit. The three pairs earn it a 30 point value.  There are now two hands in the category with kongs of matching 1s and 9s.
• A three-flower hand mirrors the three-flower hand pattern in consecutive run - FFF 135 7777 9999 or in three suits, FFF 135 7777 9999.  Looks switchable to a consecutive 7-8-9 hand if you can't make your singles.
• Last but not least for our NEWS fans, NEWS is appearing in this category for the first time.  Previously hands like this have had a kong of dragons in the middle or a kong of flowers, but this time it's 11 333 NEWS 333 55 or
  55 777 NEWS 777 99, any two suits of course.  And two pairs and four singles earn it a 30 point value as well.

WINDS - DRAGONS

A reliable mix of old and new, with some shape shifting.

• Hand number 1 on the 2024 card is identical.  
• Hand number 2 has changed.  While it still uses any 3 dragons, instead of using pung/kong/pung it uses pair/pung/kong.  Instead of using four flowers it uses a pair of flowers followed by any 3 consecutive numbers in any one suit.  The numbers do not have to match any of the dragons.  This is new but could be interesting. Need I say the numbers are singles and can't be called?
• Hand number 3 from 2024 has been eliminated.  
• Hand number 4 from 2024 has changed to a three-flower hand with a pair of norths, pair of easts, pung of wests and kong of souths.  Small difference.
• Hand number 5  has been switched up.  Instead of using pairs of consecutive numbers between kongs of winds, it is now like numbers in a single/pair/pung combo.  We are back to North and South with odds and East and West with evens, so the hands would look like this: 
  NNNN 1 11 111 SSSS or EEEE 2 22 222 WWWW, again using any like odds with NS or evens with EW.
• Hand number 6, the NEWS hand, is back in a different guise - four flowers, two pungs of any two dragons with NEWS in the middle.  Another small difference.  Makes the hand a little easier, I think.
• The closed hand has been eliminated and a new closed hand added: 
  NN EE WWW SSS DDDD.  For this hand, the kong can be any dragon.  Again, sounds simple, but we shall see!

As stated previously, the last year hand in 2024 has been moved to the winds-dragons category.  The hand is now open, and the 2025 is at the end instead of the middle.  Because it has two pairs and four singles, it retains the 30 point value.

369

This category lost one line, and though there are changes, they are not drastic.

• The first hand remains, although in the new pattern - pung/kong/pung/kong
• The second hand from 2024, which was quite the go-to, has been eliminated. 
• The third hand from 2024 remains, although it's been dressed up as an addition hand!  Think 3 + 6 = 9.  It's the same hand, right?  1 or 3 suits.
• The fourth hand from 2024 is tweaked to be kongs of like 3s, 6s or 9s, and pungs of dragons, instead of the other way around.  Kongs of like numbers, we've seen those before.
• The fifth, sixth and seventh hands in 2024 have been eliminated.

There are two 369 hands making their debut, and one hand making a comeback.  The comback hand has pairs:  33 66 99 in one suit, followed by like kongs of 3, 6 or 9.  Interestingly, the hand only has a 25 point value, even though it has three pairs.  But here's another "like kong" opportunity/switch. 

The debut hands are:

• FFF 3333 369 9999 - 3s and 9s in one suit, singles in a second suit.
• FF 333 D 666 D 999 D - Three suits, matching dragons.  This is a pretty closed hand with a 30 point value.

SINGLES AND PAIRS

We come to the last category, singles and pairs.  As is customary, no hands are repeated in the singles and pairs category.  Some of the hands are making a first ever appearance, while others are old favorites.  All are 50 points, with the exception of the last "big" hand, which is 75.

• First hand is a winds hand.  NN EW SS followed by four pairs of consecutive numbers in one suit.  This is a new hand, as in prior years it was pairs of each wind followed by pairs of three consecutive numbers in one suit.
• Second hand is a 2468 hand.  Two flowers, 2468DD in two suits.  I think we've seen this before.
• Third hand is new for 369:  336699 336699 33.  Nice.
• Fourth hand is an old favorite - two flowers with repeating pairs of consecutive numbers in three suits; i.e., FF 1122 1122 1122.  
• Fifth hand another old favorite - pairs of odds followed by two pairs of any like odd numbers.
• Sixth hand is the good old big hand, two flowers, 2025 repeated in three suits.

And there you have it!

There are some changes on the back worth mentioning.  As more information has been added, the print has gotten smaller!   Under Game Begins, rules for Jokers have been moved to the center panel. A sentence has been added:  A player's turn begins when they either pick or claim a tile. A discarded tile may only be claimed to complete a Pung, Kong, Qint or Sextet in an exposed hand.  

Under Claiming a Discard -  (Changed text in bold)

• Under Rule 2 a line has been added:  A claim is made when a called tile is taken and made part of an exposure.
• Rule 5 has been clarified:  When two players want the same tile for Exposure, player next in turn to discarder has preference except when other player has claimed the discard by either placing the called tile on top of their rack or exposing tiles from their hand.  
• Rule 6 has been clarified:  When two players want the same tile for Mah Jongg, player next in turn to discarder has preference except when other caller has claimed the discard by either placing the called tile on top of their rack or exposing tiles from their hand.
• Rule 7 has been added:  A player may change the NUMBER and TYPE of tiles displayed in an exposure up until the player has discarded.   This means that if you put out three tiles but you need four, you may add another tile to your exposure before you have discarded.  In addition, if you accidentally put out an incorrect tile as part of the exposure, you can take the incorrect tile back and put the correct tile in its place.  Once you have discarded if the incorrect tile is still in the exposure, your hand can be decalred dead. However, an important clarification - once you pick up a tile from the table, and put it on top of your rack, you MUST use that tile in your exposure.  You cannot put it back on the table.  Rule 7 applies to only to tiles tiles that have been exposed.

A new section has been added:  Rules for Jokers.  Rules 1 through 4 have been moved from the "Game Begins" section of the 2024 card.  Rule 5 and 7 appear on the center back panel of the 2024 card.  Rule 6 has been added and Rule 8, which appeared on prior cards, has returned.

• Rule 6 - Any tile within a grouping such as NEWS, 11223 or tiles that represent a year may be called only for Mah Jongg.
• Rule 8 - When Mah Jongg is declared without a Joker, double the value is paid by all.  Exception: Singles and Pairs.

So there is the yearly overview.  As always, feel free to comment with your thoughts on the new card, and if you see any errors or omissions in this post, let me know and I will correct.  It's always interesting to transition to a new card - I did love the 2024 card (although I didn't realize how much until the last couple of weeks) and saying goodbye to some beloved hands has been sad.  But I believe this new card will stretch the brain in a new direction and teach this old dog some new tricks.  Happy mahj!

2024 Card Overview

                                                 

This blog post is dedicated to the late Grace Gustin, and her favorite flower.

My goodness, is it that time again?  I haven't posted for a year?!?  Well, it doesn't mean I wasn't playing or doing all things mahjongg. I did a lot of teaching this year, and my students have expressed a lot of trepidation regarding the change to the new card, and asked how to transition.  My advice is when the new card comes, take the old card and go line by line to compare. This is what I do, and it helps to process the changes.  So join me as I do this year's side-by-side comparison.  
If you haven't received the new card, you can follow along with the 2023 card and see what to expect.

SPOILER ALERT:  Although there is no image of the card used, this blog post describes all of the new hands on the 2024 card. You do not need to have the new card to follow along, but if you want the experience of seeing the hands for the first time when you open your envelope, stop reading now and continue after you receive your card.  

2024

The "pattern hand" has changed from pung/kong/pung/kong to pung/pung/kong/kong and this shows itself in the first hand on the card.  Change the 3s to 4s and you have a familiar hand.  

The second hand on the 2023 card has been tweaked.  You still have two flowers and the year, but the kongs are like numbers, either 2s or 4s.  This will come in handy as like number kongs appear in two other categories; like numbers and consecutive.

The dragon hand and the closed hand in 2023 are gone, replaced by a hand with four flowers, four 2s, four soaps and a 24 in a second suit.  Note: There is no other hand with four soaps and four 2s, but there is a hand in winds and dragons which could have an exposure of four flowers and four soaps.

The closed hand is a winds hand in the pyramid pattern; NNEEE2024WWWSS.

2468

Hand numbers 1 and 2 in 2023 are gone, but don't fret.

Hand number 3 in 2468 in 2023 is now hand number 1 in 2024, with a change in pattern to pung/pung/kong/kong.  

Hand number 4 in 2468 is now hand number 2, with a change in pattern to pair/pung/pair/pung/kong, a little easier to play with only 2 pairs.

Hand numbers 5 and 6 are gone.

There is now a matching dragon hand; 22 44 666 888 DDDD, one suit, in a pattern to be repeated in consecutive run and 13579. Note: A common thread throughout the card is number pung with dragon kong.

Multiplication is back with two three-suited, four-flower hands: 4x6=24 and 6x8=48.

An old hand, known as "the gate" has returned: Two flowers, kongs of 2s and 8s with pairs of 4s and 6s in the middle.  The hand can be made in 1 or 2 suits.

The closed hand is sui generis: FF 222 44 666 88 88; four pairs at 35 cents.  This is definitely a challenge hand, so beginners beware.

Any Like Numbers
The first hand in like numbers has been tweaked so instead of a kong of flowers, two kongs and a pair, it is now a kong of flowers, two pungs and a kong.  Note: Like pungs appear in like numbers, consecutive run and twice in 369.  

The like numbers with dragon hand is now open in a pair/pung/pair/pung/kong pattern  Note: There is a hand in winds and dragons with dragon pungs.

A third hand has been added in like numbers: FF 1111 NEWS 1111.  Note: There are two NEWS hands this year.

Addition Hands

While a hand has been added in like numbers, one has been taken away from addition.  There are three addition hands this year instead of four, all beginning with a pair of flowers and ending with a kong of 7s.  The numbers are 1+6, 2+5 and 3+4.  Hopefully they will be played more than the 2023 addition hands, which seemed forlorn and forgotten.  

Quints
The first quint hand on the 2023 card has been tweaked, so  instead of using a kong of winds and two quints of matching numbers, you need non-matching numbers; the example given is 1s and 8s.  So a kong of any wind, and two quints of any non-matching number in 2 suits.  Note:  The non-matching numbers may or may not be consecutive.  Think about it...

The other two quints from 2023 are gone, replaced by three very different quint hands.  The first is two flowers with any consecutive run in 1 suit: quint/pair/quint.

Then you have a hand that is a tweak on a consecutive run hand on the 2023 card, 11 22222 11 22222, any run in any 2 suits.  The consec run hand on the 2023 card reads 111 2222 111 2222, so it is familiar, yet different.

Then, surprisingly, there is another "any" hand - five flowers, kong of any dragon, quint of any number, any two suits.  Note: There are two five-flower hands on the 2024 card. 

Consecutive Run

There are three holdover hands in consecutive run this year, although the patterns have changed.  The classic "these Nos. only" runs are there, although they have done a sort of flip-flop in that the kong in the middle stays but the pairs and pungs that surround them have changed places; i.e., pung/pair/kong/pair/pung.

The "pattern" hand, which shows in second position in 2023 is now in 7th position in 2024 with the pung/pung/kong/kong pattern - still any one or two suits.

Another returning favorite is the "block" hand, formerly position 5, now position 3, with better clarifying language: (Any 1 or 3 suits, Any 3 Consec. Nos.)   

The other hands are gone, although the 111 2222 hand is reborn in Quints.

There are two dragon hands; one a consecutive number pyramid with a kong of opposite dragons, 11 222 DDDD 333 44, the other a one-suit hand with a kong of dragons, 11 22 333 444 DDDD.  Can someone spell s-w-i-t-c-h?

There is still a flower hand in position 6, but the new hand, instead of four flowers and two pairs, has five flowers, a chow, and two like pungs.  A chow is a grouping of three single tiles in consecutive order, like 123 or 456. The like pungs must be the fourth consecutive number in the second and third suits.  Note: A chow is considered singles and cannot be called for exposure.  Due to the five flowers and singles, it is valued at .30. 

Sadly, the closed hand from 2023 consec. is gone.  It will be missed. It is replaced by a blast from the past, 111 222 111 222 33, a pattern repeated in the closed hand in 369.

13579

There are two holdover hands in odds, but with pattern changes.  The hand in first position has changed to the same pattern used in consecutive, still in one or three suits, only now it's pung/pair/kong/pair/pung.

The "pattern" hand is now pung/pung/kong/kong, a nice go-to if you have the tiles.

Sadly, the "block" hand with 135 and 579 in three suits is gone, but I will always remember it fondly as the "Grace" hand, and will probably still play it in her honor. 

The matching dragon hand has changed to: pair of flowers, pair of 1s, pung of 3s, kong of 5s, pung of matching dragons.  This can also be done in 579.

The opposite dragon hand is now on line 6, with a pair/pair/pung/pung in one suit and a dragon in the second suit.  This can be done in 135 or 579.  Again, pung of a number, kong of a dragon, this time opposite dragon.  Goes well with the consecutive opposite dragon hand.

The four flower hand with pairs and like pungs is gone, replaced by a four flower, three-suited hand in the multiplication style: 3 X 5 =15 or 5 x 7 = 35.  

The three-pair hand with ones and nines is gone, replaced by a well-known three-pair hand using all the odds: 11 33 55 7777 9999.  

Note: Lots of kongs of 7s on this card, so act accordingly.

Lastly, the concealed hand, and even though it is four pungs and one pair, it's valued at 35 for its difficulty.  Picture this:  111 33 555 or 555 77 999 in one suit.  Not so hard, right?  Then you need like pungs of the pair - "these numbers only," so you must have two like pungs of 3s in the second and third suit or the 7s if you're doing 579.  Another challenge hand for sure, valued at .35

Winds and Dragons

The only hand to survive intact in Winds and Dragons is the first hand, a very utilitarian hand in that you can use pungs or kongs of the respective winds.  

A couple of hands have been tweaked, i.e., the last two hands.  The hand with two kongs of dragons still contains two kongs of dragons, but starts with a pair of flowers and uses NEWS in the middle, as opposed to NN E W SS, which makes it an easier hand and valued at .25.  

For those who lobbied for an all-dragon hand, there is a four-flower hand with pung/kong/pung of any dragon.  This replaces the hand with pungs of dragons on the third line in winds on the 2023 card.

The wind hand with the year in the middle is gone.

The four-flower hand has changed to a two-flower hand followed by NN EEE WWW SSSS. 

The hand with winds and consecutive run now is a "sandwich" hand, with kongs of winds and pairs of any 3 consecutive numbers in one suit; i.e., 

NNNN 11 22 33 SSSS or EEEE 11 22 33 WWWW.  More difficult, so worth .30. 

The concealed hand has changed from two consec nos in two suits to two like numbers in two suits, a recent hand brought back for an encore.

That's it for the NEWS.

369

In 369 the top hand and the block have stayed, with the pattern for the top hand changing to the pung/pung/kong/kong pattern.

The second hand has morphed and become a closed hand, so instead of a pair/pair/pung/pung/kong pattern, you have a three-suit hand with a pung/pung/pung/pung/pair pattern, same as the closed consec. run hand.

All the other hands are gone.

There are two new dragon hands: 333 DDDD 333 DDDD, again number pung with dragon kong, matching OR opposite.  The number can be like 3s, 6s, or 9s with matching dragons.    The second dragon hand in the category calls for four flowers, a pair of 3s, a pair of 6s, a pung of 9s in one suit and a pung of opposite dragons.  Note:  Think twice about exposing a pung of 9s and a pung of an opposite dragon, as there would be no other hand...

There is also a hand with like pungs of 3, 6 or 9: FF 3 66 999 333 333.  Note:  Like pungs can be found in like numbers or consecutives and twice in 369, so don't jump to conclusions when you see them. 

There is also a sandwich hand thrown in there which uses pairs of sixes in three suits in between matching kongs of 3s and 9s.  This hand will be useful for switching in the category. 

Singles and Pairs

Out with the old, in with the new.  Not one of the singles and pairs hands has carried over to the 2024 card, and that includes the "big" hand.  There is still a pairs hand for every category, though, and 2468 has the top slot with an old favorite using two flowers, and 22 46 88 in two suits.

The 13579 hand is two flowers with pairs of 1, 3, 5 in one suit, and 5,7,9 in the second suit.

Seasoned players will jump for joy - the much beloved 998 99887 998877 hand is back, along with its companion, 112 11223 112233, in three suits. 

The 369 hand is brand new.  A pair of flowers followed by 33 66 99 in one suit, followed by 369 369 in the second and third suit.  Another challenge hand, but if the tiles speak, you must answer.

Lest you think dragons were forgotten, there is a pairs hand with five pairs of consecutive numbers in one suit, followed by two pairs of opposite dragons in the second and third suit.  Another brand new, never-before-seen hand.

And, lastly, there is a "big" hand, worth .75, a combo of winds and the year:
2024 NN EW SS 2024 in any two suits. 

So for you new or seasoned players, get ready for another year of play, and may your transition be an easy one!

2023 Card Overview

The cards are on their way!

The new card is here and at first glance I have to say it looks...well...hard!  The hands look familiar, but subtly changed in ways that will affect play for sure.  One thing that stands out is all hands with flowers have either two or four flowers.  On its face that seems traditional, but there are some new patterns to unravel.  Take out your 2022 card and see how 2023 compares:

2023 - (Three's make a difference!)

The "bonus" hand is gone from this section, relegated back to its proper place in singles and pairs, leaving us with four 2023 hands.  The good news is that 2's and 3's are used instead of 2's and 2's, which makes the hands more flexible.  The first hand on the 2022 card used kongs of greens and reds only.  For 2023 this hand has been moved to position 3 in the category, takes four flowers, with pungs of any dragons! The League has clarified that this hand must use two different dragons - not six of one dragon - and the 2023 can be the same suit as one of the dragons.  Dragon pungs appear again on the card!

The second hand in 2022 has been repositioned to hand 1 in 2023, and it is the reworked pattern hand.  This year's pattern is pung, kong, pung, kong, which appears in 2023 as a two-suited hand.  Of necessity the 2022 pattern hand had three suits (three different twos) and was pung, pung, kong, kong, so watch for that change!  

Hand 3 in 2022 has been moved to position 2 in 2023.  It has gone from being a four-flower hand to a two-flower hand, and the pungs have become kongs, of course with the numbers changed from 2022 222 222 to 2023 2222 3333, still three suits.  An easy switch to FF 1111 2222 3333 or FF 2222 3333 4444 in three suits if you go dead on the soap or the flower.

The closed hand in 2023 is a flipped-in version of the closed wind hand in 2022.  In other words, instead of pair-pung-pung-pair of winds surrounding 2022, we have pair-pung-pung-pair 2023 surrounding the much-beloved NEWS - a two-suited hand.  This means you must have a pair of two's in one suit and a pair of 3's in the other.  If you should happen to get a few jokers, you can always dump the winds and switch up to the pattern hand, or even consecutive...many options here.

2468 - (Everything old is new)

As stated, all three and six-flower hands have been eliminated.  The first 2468 hand on the 2022 card is no more, replaced with a four-flower variation on the "gate" hand.  This new hand is in one suit with four flowers, kongs of 2's and 8's and a single 46.  This has never been on the card before, as the traditional gate was always two flowers with pairs of 4s and 6s, always two suits (see 2021).

Position 2 on the 2023 card is identical to the hand in the same position in 2022. The pattern hand remains in position 3, but the hand is now in the pung-kong-pung-kong pattern, and in 1 or 2 suits as opposed to 2 or 3 suits.   

Hand no. 4 in 2023 combines the hands in positions 4 and 7 on 2022, reducing the category by one hand.  This gives room for the addition hands!  Hand no. 4 is now two 2s and four 4s in one suit, two 4s and four 6s in a second suit and pairs of 8s in the third suit.  This is also a brand-new hand.  

The six flower hand with 2s and 8s has been eliminated,  and another new hand is in position 5:  pungs of 2s and 8s in the same suit with kongs of opposite dragons.  We will see kongs of opposite dragons again on this card!

The closed hand of 2468 has been replaced by a one-suited hand with four pairs; two flowers, pung of 2s, pair of fours and sixes, pung of 8s and pair of dragons.  I'm beginning to see why the card looks hard!  

Any Like Numbers (Traditional yet modern)

All the like number hands have been changed. There are now two hands in this category.  The first one is a traditional hand; four flowers, two kongs and a pair of any like numbers in three suits.   The second hand is closed and is totally new.  It's two flowers followed by three pungs of like numbers, each with a single matching dragon. Single dragons have never been on the card before - a new twist to an old hand! 

Addition Hands - (It adds up to be likeable!)

Addition hands are back, but in a new way.   There are four hands, configured simply as two flowers with three kongs in three suits.  The first two kongs are like numbers and the last kong is the answer, which is an even number.  So think 1+1=2, 2+2=4, 3+3=6 and 4+4=8.  These hands cover many bases and can easily switch to like numbers, consecutives, and even 3-6-9.

Quints (Easy to understand)

Only three quint hands this year.  The first one is an "any" hand, only instead of any dragon, any wind any number, it's a quint of any number, a kong of any wind and a quint of a like number in a second suit.  This keeps the mystery when a kong of winds is exposed!  

The 2468 quint has been replaced with an old favorite in the same pattern, two 2s, three 3s, four 4s and five 5s, all in one suit, these numbers only.  I'm sure this hand will get made, as it only requires one joker.  

The like number hand in 2022 quints is eliminated, and the four-flower hand has changed from a one-suit to a two-suit hand.

Consecutive Run - (Popular hands galore)

There are still eight hands in this category, but only three of them are carryovers.  I am referring of course to the classic runs 1 through 5 and 5 through 9, which are in the pyramid pattern this year (pair, pung, kong, pung, pair).  

The pattern hand is in position 2 this year, one or two suits, in the pung, kong, pung, kong pattern, and the block hand, two flowers, three kongs in any run has moved from position 3 to position 5, one or three suits as usual.  

That's about all that remains the same in consecutive run.  The remainder of the hands have been pretty much gutted: No six-flower hand, no one-two-one-two-dragon, no sandwich hand, no closed hand with the single between two pungs and FFFF 11 22 333 DDD, everyone's go-to hand, has been removed!  But have not fear, let's see what we have instead.  

Replacing the dragon hand in position 7 is a much harder hand in the same pattern of kong of flowers, pair, pair, pung, pung.  The dragons have been removed, the hand is now in three suits, any 3 consec nos four flowers, two pairs, two like pungs:  FFFF 11 22 333 333. (Looks like like pungs is a theme this year!)

There is a dragon hand in position 3, a very old favorite hand in one suit only: FF 1111 2222 DDDD, last seen in 2017.

In position 4, a hand that borrows from a three-paired hand that appeared in 2019, 2020 and 2021 and that is any 5 consec nos. in 3 suits, but while prior cards used three pairs of consecs with two kongs, the new hand uses a single,  a pair,  a pung, and two kongs in any five consec. nos. 3 suits.  This works as a good switch from any 3 consec kongs with two flowers. 

In position 6 we have another pattern hand, this one with two repeating consecutive numbers in two suits: 111 2222 111 2222.  I'm always glad to see a hand like this, it can be a lifesaver, especially if you get jokers.

Lastly, in the 8th and closed position is a pattern that is the same as the closed hand in 2468, four pairs - two flowers, pung, pair, pair, pung of any 4 consec nos. followed by a pair of matching dragons.  It is the only 30 point hand in the category.

13579 (Old favorites!)

There seems to be a little more familiarity in this category in terms of carryover hands and returning hands.  There are now 8 hands as opposed to 7.  The first three hands are the same in 2023 as they were in 2022 - that being the classic hand in one and three suits, although now in pyramid pattern; the pattern hand, now in pung, kong, pung, kong, and the block hand; two flowers, three kongs of either 135 or 579 in three suits only.  

In position 4 on 2023 is a one-suit matching dragon hand that replaces the one ins 2022.  The new hand is:  FF 1111 33 5555 DD, repeated in 579.  

Position 5 is a 3-suited pyramid with opposite dragons in the middle surrounded by 11 333 and 333 55, repeated in 5-7-7-9, last seen in 2021.  

Position 6 has a hand in the same pattern as the hand in position 6 in consecutive, only this time it uses odds, so four flowers, pairs of 1s and 3s and pungs of 5's OR pairs of 5s and 7s and pungs of 9s.  The hands can pivot back and forth, so 11 33 555 555 can end up being 11 22 333 333, etc., etc.

Position 7 is a "sandwich" hand - matching kongs of 1s and 9s with pairs of 357 in the middle.  Much harder than the three-flower hand in 2022, with a single 357.

The closed hand, position 8, last seen in 2019,  is 111 3 555 555 7 999, two suits.  You will need like pungs of 5s.

On this card, there are seven exposed hands with like pungs; one in 2023, two in consecutive and four in 13579.  There are also three closed hands with like number pungs; one in like numbers, one in 13579 and one in 369.  Like number kongs appear in 2468, like numbers, addition, consecutive and 369. 

Winds - Dragons (No NEWS is good news?)

More choices in the wind hands this year.  

In position 1 there are two choices as opposed to one, i.e., NNNN EEE WWW SSSS or NNN EEEE WWWW SSS.  This opens up the category!

The hand in position 2 has wind pungs followed by a run.  The pattern has changed from 2022, which was kong, kong, single, pair, pung and is now pung, pung, pair, pair, kong.  So two pongs of NS or EW and any three consec nos.  A new configuration, so don't get confused!

There is no all-dragon hand on the card, but there are two dragon hands in windws and dragons.  The first is two kongs of NS or EW followed by two pungs of any 2 dragons.  This is in position 3, and in position 6 is a type of "sandwich" hand, with two kongs of dragons and NN EW SS sandwiched in the middle.  

There are two oldie but goodie hands with winds and flowers. 

In position 4 you will find two flowers, wind kongs with 2023 inbetween (see 2020), and in position 5, four flowers followed by N EE WWW SSSS, last seen in 2015.   

In the closed hand, position 7, the hand has been altered by changing the dragon pungs to consecutive pungs in two suits, i.e.,  NNN EW SSS 111 222.  This is a new hand.   

Something worth noting is there are now 11 hands in the 7 positions.  This gives a lot more to work with when it comes to winds!

369 (Tried and true)

Good old 369!  There isn't too much wiggle room in this category, so many hands will be familiar.  In position 1, the pattern hand, now pung, kong, pung, kong.  

In position 2, the block hand, now four flowers kongs of 3's and 9s and a pair of 6's, one or three suits.  

Taking position 3 is an old favorite:  pair of 3's and 6's in one suit, pungs of 3's and 6's in second suit and kongs of 9's in third suit.  

Hands 4 through 7 in 2022 have been eliminated.  

In position 4 we have a brand-new, never before seen hand with two flowers, pairs of 33 66 99 in one suit and pungs of dragons in the other two suits.  

In position 5 we have a like-kong hand, with a single-pair-pung intro.  So you have 3 66 999 followed by two like kongs of 3, 6 or 9.  In 2020 this hand was 336699 followed by the kongs, so it's a little tweak.

In position 6 we have a knitted hand, the only one on the card.  Matching kongs of 3 and 9, matching pungs of 6 and dragons.  

Lastly, in the closed position, we have a like-pung hand: 333 6 999 333 6 999 in two suits.  

On this card, there are seven exposed hands with like number pungs; one in 2023, two in consecutive and four in 13579.  There are three closed hands with like number pungs; one in like numbers, one in 13579 and one in 369.  Like number kongs appear in 2468, like numbers, addition, consecutive and 369. 

There are four hands that take an exposed pung of dragons:  2023, one in winds and two in 369. Three of those hands have two pungs of dragons.

There are three dragon-kong hands; 2468, consecutive, odds, winds.  Two of those hands have two kongs of dragons.  Take heed!  

Singles and Pairs - (Shake it up!)

There's a pairs hand for each category with the exception of winds.  

The odds hand has changed to the hand from 2020 -11 357 99 in two suits.

Also from 2020 is the much loved repeating pairs hand:  FF 1122 1122 1122.

369 dances to a new tune, and adds the touch of a single matching dragon.  Three pairs and a single in two suits is a new pattern, as we are used to seeing two flowers followed by three pairs and three pairs (2021).  This is now 33 66 99 D 33 66 99 D. 

The evens hand shifted a couple of tiles - it took away a 2 and added a 6, so instead of 22 46 88 it's now two flowers, followed by 2 4 66 88 in two suits.

For consecutive run lovers the seven-pair run in any one suit returns.

And, lastly, in its rightful place, the Big Hand, worth 75, FF 2023 2023 2023 - thank goodness!

I've played in one game since receiving the card, and while it is challenging, the satisfaction that you get from making a hand is well worth the effort!  Best wishes for another year of mahjongg joy!

Buying a Card 2023 Edition

I had written a post about this back in 2018, and while most things are the same, some things need to be updated. First and foremost, however is the timing. Now is the time to buy the 2023 card. The longer you wait, the later you will receive your card and you will be very upset when everyone has the card before you. The first mailing of the new card goes out the last week in March, and your order must be received by early February in order to make that first mailing, so don’t dally. 

Many of you have ordered from collectors who sell cards for the benefit of a charitable organization. These orders must be placed by the first week in February as well and the cards will be distributed in the first mailing as well. If you want your card in the first mailing, and you have not ordered from a collector, you must order directly from the National Mahjongg League website – www.nationalmahjonggleague.org. When you buy a card directly from the League, you become a member and will receive the bulletin in December. Be aware that there are reputable mahjongg retailers who also sell the card, but if you place your order with them, it will not come in the first mailing, and you will not become a member of the League. Retailers will often have links that will pop up and make you think you are buying from the League, but while you will be getting a League card, you will be getting it after all the members receive theirs. You also will be charged tax and shipping. The League does not charge tax or shipping for cards. 

You can also mail in a check, but do not mail it in to the 450 Seventh Avenue address. The League now uses a service to process the tens of thousands of checks they receive. If you have your bulletin, you can use your sticker order form, make your check out to the National Mah Jongg League, and send it to PO Box 50003, Newark, NJ 07101-1130. If you do not have the bulletin, include with your check your name and address, your email, whether or not you are a new member or this is a renewal, and the details of your order (number and size of the cards). If you are buying for yourself and others, specify whether you want all the cards to go to you, or delivered to each person individually, and give the order details. You do not need a self-addressed, stamped envelope. You are not charged tax or shipping. 

The price has gone up this year – it’s $14 for the standard size and $15 for the large print. This is a result of increased prices across the board for paper, shipping, mailing, staff and all the other work the League does, and to ensure that the quality of the card remains high. There have been many reports of counterfeit cards received by people who ordered from websites other than the League’s.  These cards are very poor quality and needless to say the counterfeiters do not donate any of their proceeds.

The League will also be increasing its charitable donations, which amounts to millions of dollars each year – all from the sale of the cards. We all know that people are struggling and these donations go a long way and help a lot of people, which has been the mission of the League for 86 years. 

So hurry up and order the cards! What are you waiting for?

2022 Card Unboxing

The 2022 card has dropped!

Thanks to the National Mah Jongg League for its work in getting out the 2022 card on time.  The making, printing and mailing of this card was not without its challenges, given the supply line and labor shortages that business are facing.  But for us players, the challenge is - 2022!  From a mahjongg player's perspective, 2022 is VERY challenging, given the fact that one must use three two's in the same suit to make the year.  There have not been many instances where three identical tiles had to be used in a year hand: 1888 (well...), 1999, 2000 and not until 2111 will it happen again (we should all live and be well - and playing)!  So let's start our review by looking at the very challenging year hands.

2022 - Lots of challenges

Note the wording on top - "Jokers may not be used in a 2022 grouping"

The first hand is straightforward but specific.  A pair of flowers, kong of greens, kong of reds with 2022 in the middle. G's and R's are used instead of  D's.  2022 in any one suit.  

The pattern has switched to pung, pung, kong, kong, so the second year hand on the 2022 card is switched up to the new pattern using a pung of two's, pung of soaps, and two kongs of two's in the other two suits.  Folks. that's 11 2's.

If that one isn't challenging enough, the third hand is a four-flower hand, 2022 with two pungs of twos in three suits, so only 9 two's.  Thank goodness for jokers! Just FYI, there are six hands with matching pungs, so if you have two pungs of twos exposed, it's not a giveaway by any means.

There are two closed hands in 2022 - the wind hand is a holdover from 2021, and the pattern has changed from pungs of NS and pairs of EW to pairs of NS and pungs of EW.  Another FYI, pungs of winds only appear on closed hands this year.

If you are looking for the big hand in singles and pairs, you won't find it there.  This year it is making a special guest appearance in the year section - and an extra 10 points added to its value, given the challenge. Nine two's and no jokers!  Good luck with that!

2468 - Lots of choices

Some familiar hands here and some not so familiar.  This year the five-flower hands have been eliminated, and three-flower and six-flower hands are back.  

The first hand in the category is now a three-flower hand with pairs of 2s and 4s, pung of 6 and kong of 8 - one suit only, as usual.  

The pattern hand has switched to pung, pung, kong, kong and can be made in two or three suits.  It's on one line, whereas in 2021 it took up two lines.

The  hand with matching dragons (3rd hand on 2021 card) has changed patterns - pair, pung, pair, pung, kong, and is also in one or three suits, effectively putting 10 hands in this category as opposed to 8.

The gate hand has been eliminated (pairs of 4 and 6 in the middle) and the new "dangling eight" hand is now:  2222 44 6666 88 88 pairs 8s only.

A six-flower hand now appears: pung of flowers, kong of 2s, pung of flowers, kong of 8s - two suits only.  This pattern appears three times on the card.

The last two hands in 2468 are eliminated, replaced an by old favorite three-suit hand:  22 444 44 666 8888.  

The closed hand is a new one and ties in to the pairs hand in the category.  Both hands use a pair of flowers, and while the closed hand uses 246 888 (twice, in two suits) the pairs hand uses 22 46 88 (twice, in two suits).  If you are doing the pairs and get jokers or can't get a pair of 2s, you can open it up to the closed hand.  

Any Like Number - Lots of dragons

This category has gotten a little bit of a makeover, but you can't go wrong with kongs and pungs of like numbers.  

The NEWS between kongs of like numbers has been replaced by a kong of an opposite dragon.  However, the NEWS hand has not disappeared completely - you can now find a similar hand in the winds category - with the flowers removed and NEWS replaced by NN EW SS.

The four-flower hand has become a six-flower hand - pung of flowers, kong of number, pung of flowers, kong of like number in second suit. 

The matching dragon hand is changed to 111 DD 111 DD 1111 (three suits).  Note the matching pungs...

Quints - Lots of difference

Every quint hand from 2021 has been changed.

The "any" hand is now a quint of any dragon and any number and a kong of any wind.  While five dragons will be a giveaway, the winds will no longer be.

A one-suit category hand occupies the second slot: 22 444 6666 88888.

A consecutive/like number hand returns from 2020 - 1122 33333 33333

A four-flower one-suit consecutive in the last slot: FFFF 11111 22222

Consecutive Run - Lots of familiarity - but not too much.

This category provides the comfort level that we all know and love. 

The first hand is the classic run 1-5 and 5-9 with a change in pattern - pair, pair, pung, pung, kong.

Taking the second slot is a six-flower hand, similar to that in like numbers except the second kong is a consecutive number.  Switchable!

The pattern hand has also changed and switched positions - it's now on the fifth line, pung, pung, kong, kong and now can be in one or two suits.   

The matching dragon one-suit hand and the five-flower run on the 2021 card have blended into one hand - FFFF 11 22 333 DDD which takes the seventh slot.

The block hand remains - pair of flowers, kongs of three consec. nos, 1 or 3 suits.

The 11 222/11 222/3333 hand now has a kong of dragons at the end - 3 suits.  (Note the matching pungs...)

The three pair hand has been eliminated, replaced by the good ole "sandwich" hand - 1111 22 22 22 3333 - any 3 nos, kongs match suit, pairs in three suits.  

The closed hand is now a gate hand of sorts:  111 2 333 111 2 333 this pattern has appeared in the past in 369 and 135, but rarely in consecutive.

13579 - Lots of "everything old is new again"

The top hand in this category is identical to the hand as it was in 2021.  The pattern has not changed, and it remains in one or three suits. 

The matching dragon hand from 2021 has moved from the second slot to the fifth slot - take away the flowers and add two 1's.  

Taking the second slot in the category now is a block hand - pair of flowers and three kongs, but....three suits only.  You heard that right - FF 1111 3333 5555 and FF 5555 7777 9999 a hand that hasn't been seen in decades.  This hand switches nicely with the block hand in consecutive.

The pattern hand is in - modified pattern - pung, kong, pung, kong.

The opposite dragon hand is out, but you will see it in 369.

The hand with three pairs is out, replaced by a very unusal, never-before-seen hand:  FFF 1111 357 9999 - two suits, 1's and 9's match, singles in 2nd suit. Fun!

A two-pung hand is in slot 6 - pair/pung/pair/pung/kong in 135 and 579.  Note the matching pungs...

The closed hand is a hand that spans the category: FF 1 33 555/5 77 999 two suits - very tricky as it contains three pairs and two singles. 

Winds - Dragons - Lots of things turned on their head

Much of this category has been revamped.  There is still a block hand of winds - kong N, kong E, kong W, pair S, a flower hand, FFFF NNNN EW SSSS, and the closed hand has been retained.  

The much loved flowers with three dragons - has returned - pung/kong/pung/kong. 

The wind hands with odds/evens and red/green have been removed, replaced by a winds with like numbers (1111 NNEWSS 1111) and winds with consecutive numbers:  NNNN SSSS or EEEE WWWW followed by a consecutive run: 1 22 333.  This is definitely NEWS!

369 - Lots of matching pungs

Much of this category has been retained.  

The pattern hand at the top is now pung/pung/kong/kong.  

The block hand has changed - take away a 6 and add a flower. 

The popular hand with like kongs 3 and 6 and two pungs of 9s remains unchanged.

The matching dragon hand has shaved off two 3s and added two flowers.

The opposite dragon hand has the dragons in the center - 33 666 DDDD 666 99

There is a brand-new hand in an unusual pattern:  FF 333 66 999 3333.  Any two suits, kong 3, 6 or 9.  

The closed hand is the same pattern as 13579 - FF 3 66 999 3 66 999 in two suits.

Singles and Pairs - Lots of old friends

The pairs hands are mostly returning favorites, each one matched with a category. 

The top hand is pairs of winds with pairs of dragons in three suits.

The second hand is pairs of odds with pairs of like odds in opposite suits.

The third hand is like numbers:  FF 11 22 33 11 22 33.  This is a new configuration of an old hand that used three pairs of two consecutive numbers.

This is followed by a familiar run - pairs of any seven consecutive numbers.

The even number pairs hand is easily switchable with the closed hand in 2468 - using two flowers and two sets of 224688 in two suits.

Last but not least is a cha-cha - 336 33669 336699.

Of course, the eye is drawn to the bottom right looking for the "big" hand - which we have already seen has been placed in the "year" catagory, still jokerless, but not really considered singles and pairs, as there are 3 2s in each 2022  And it wouldn't do not to have a BIG hand now, would it?  Let's see - 85, picked yourself, bet on...you might want to think about raising the pie!

What do YOU think about this year's card?