What are Year hands in American Mahjong?

Year hands are NMJL hands themed around the digits of the current calendar year. For the 2026 card, the Year hands use 2s, 0s, and 6s. The exact arrangement of pungs, kongs, and pairs is set by the NMJL card and changes annually.

Why is the White Dragon used as a 0 in Year hands?

A standard mahjong set has no zero tile, so American Mahjong uses the White Dragon to represent 0 in Year hands. The White Dragon is sometimes called the "Soap" because the tile face looks like a bar of soap. In Year hands it is treated as 0; in Winds and Dragons hands it is a regular dragon.

How do Year hands change each year?

When the NMJL releases a new card each April 1st, the Year hands shift to use the digits of the new year. The 2026 card features 2s, 0s, and 6s; the 2027 card will use 2s, 0s, and 7s; and so on.

Year hands in American Mahjong

Q: Are Year hands good for beginners?

Yes. Year hands are often where new players start because the structure tends to be more forgiving than Quints or Singles and Pairs, the digits are easy to remember, and Joker requirements are usually moderate.

Every NMJL card has a Year section at the very top, with hands themed around the digits of the calendar year. If you're playing with the 2026 card, the Year hands use the digits 2, 0, and 6. When the 2027 card arrives, the Year hands shift to use 2, 0, and 7.

These are often the first hands new players try. The digits are easy to remember, and the structure tends to be straightforward.

What Year hands look for

The digits of the current year, organized into groups. For 2026, that's 2s, 0s, and 6s. The 0s are usually represented by the White Dragon tile, since a standard mahjong set has no zero. For 2027, you'd be looking for 2s, 0s, and 7s. The exact arrangement (pungs, kongs, pairs, plus how many of each digit you need) is set by the card.

Some Year hands use just a couple of the year's digits. Others spread across all of them. Some keep everything in one suit. The variations refresh annually.

Why the category exists

Year hands appear on every NMJL card and tie each year's card to its calendar year. They're also a common starting point for new players. The structure tends to be more forgiving than Quints or Singles and Pairs, and the digits are easy to track.

The fact that White Dragons stand in for 0s creates a small wrinkle that's worth knowing about. The White Dragon (sometimes called the "Soap" because it looks like a bar of soap on the tile face) is treated as 0 in Year hands but as a regular dragon in Winds and Dragons hands. New players sometimes find this confusing at first; it becomes second nature after a few games.

How they play in practice

Year hands are friendly hands for newer players. The structure is usually clear, the digits don't change suddenly mid-game, and Joker requirements tend to be moderate.

The Charleston pattern is interesting. A Year hand player will keep tiles that match the year's digits and pass everything else. So if you're playing the 2026 card, you'd hold 2s, 0s (White Dragons), and 6s, and pass 1s, 3s, 4s, 5s, 7s, 8s, and 9s. This gives your opponents a strong read on what you're up to, most hands at the table are easy to identify when someone is committing to a Year hand.

You may share the year's digits with other players. Because Year hands are popular, especially among newer players, multiple people at the table may be chasing them. That can make tile flow tighter, fewer 2s, 0s, and 6s in the wall when you really need one. Watch the discards to see how many other players might be working on similar patterns.

Where to find them on the card

The Year section is at the top of every NMJL card. The actual hand patterns for the year are NMJL's copyrighted content, so you'll need an official card to see them. Order one from the National Mah Jongg League for $14, and our card-reading guide can help if you've never read the notation.

When a Year hand is the right pick

Year hands are a good fit when:

Your starting tiles include several of the year's digits.
You're new to the game and want a hand with clear structure.
You drew a White Dragon early, it's worth holding for Year hands.

You might pick a different category when:

Your starting tiles don't include the year's digits.
You see other players already committing to Year hands and you'd rather pursue something less crowded.

Try a Year hand against bots

The most relaxed way to learn Year hands is to play one. You can play American Mahjong free against computer opponents, pick a Year hand from the current card, and play through it slowly. Bots wait for you, so there's no time pressure. After a few games, the digit-tracking part of Year hands becomes natural.