Card Notation
The system of symbols, letters, and numbers used on the NMJL card to represent tile combinations, suits, and special conditions for each winning hand pattern.
Understanding Card Notation
The NMJL card uses a compact notation system to describe each winning hand in a small amount of space. Learning to read this notation is essential for every American Mahjong player.
The core symbols include:
- Numbers (1-9), Represent numbered tiles in the suit indicated by the color of the text
- F, Flower tile
- N, E, S, W, Wind tiles (North, East, South, West)
- R, Red Dragon
- G, Green Dragon
- 0, White Dragon (Soap)
- D, Any Dragon (when the specific dragon is flexible)
- X, Wildcard representing any number (context-dependent)
- C, Concealed indicator, meaning no exposures allowed
Repeated symbols indicate the group size. 111 means three of the same tile (a pung), 1111 means four (a kong), 11111 means five (a quint), and 11 means a pair. A single 1 means one tile of that value.
Putting It Together
A complete hand on the card combines these symbols into a 14-tile pattern. For example:
FF 111 3333 111 (in two colors) reads as: two Flowers, a pung of 1s in one suit, a kong of 3s in a second suit, and a pung of 1s in the second suit. The colors tell you which suits are which.
Every hand also shows a point value (25, 30, 35, 50, or 100) indicating how much the winner scores. Higher values generally correspond to more difficult or concealed hands.
New players should practice reading hands from the card before their first game. Start with a few hands in a familiar section like 2468 or Like Numbers and trace each symbol to the physical tiles it represents. With practice, reading the card becomes second nature.