Dragon
Honor tiles that come in three types: Red Dragon, Green Dragon, and White Dragon (also called Soap). There are 4 of each, totaling 12 Dragon tiles in a set.
What Are Dragon Tiles?
Dragons are one of two types of honor tiles in Mahjong (the other being Winds). There are three Dragon types:
- Red Dragon, Depicted with a red character or design
- Green Dragon, Depicted with a green character or design
- White Dragon (Soap), Often blank or with a simple border
With 4 tiles of each type, there are 12 Dragon tiles total in a standard American Mahjong set.
Dragons on the NMJL Card
On the NMJL card, Dragons appear in many hand patterns. They are often paired with specific suits or used in combination with Wind tiles. The card uses abbreviations:
- R = Red Dragon
- G = Green Dragon
- Soap = White Dragon (also printed as 0 in hands that use a zero, such as year hands)
The White Dragon only acts as a zero in hands where the card actually prints a 0; in all other hands it is simply the White Dragon (Soap), used in ordinary Dragon groups. Some hands require specific Dragons, while others allow any Dragon. Understanding Dragon patterns on the card is essential for hand selection.