Quints Section

A section on the NMJL card featuring hands that require one or more quints, groups of five identical tiles, made possible by using Jokers to extend beyond the four natural copies.

What Are Quints Hands?

The Quints section on the NMJL card contains hands that require at least one quint, a group of five identical tiles. Since a standard Mahjong set contains only four copies of each tile, building a quint requires at least one Joker to serve as the fifth tile.

Quints are among the most powerful groupings in American Mahjong. A quint takes up five of your 14 tile slots, leaving only nine tiles to fill with other groups. Hands in this section typically pair a quint with pungs, kongs, pairs, or Flowers to reach the 14-tile total.

The section usually contains 3 to 6 hands each year. Because quints are inherently difficult to assemble (needing all four natural copies plus at least one Joker), hands in this section tend to carry higher point values, often 35 to 50 points or more. Some Quints hands also require a sextet (six of a kind), which demands two Jokers.

Jokers are the lifeblood of this section. Without Jokers, quints are impossible. Players eyeing the Quints section must prioritize Joker collection above almost everything else.

Strategy for Quints Hands

Pursuing a Quints hand requires aggressive Joker management and a willingness to commit early:

• Joker hoarding, Never pass Jokers during the Charleston if you are considering the Quints section. Even if you ultimately pivot away, Jokers retain value in every hand.
• Target tiles with natural concentration, If you start with three copies of the same tile, that tile is a strong quint candidate. You only need one more natural copy plus a Joker (or two Jokers and fewer natural copies).
• Call aggressively, Most Quints hands allow exposures. Call the tile you are building your quint around whenever it is discarded. Waiting for a self-draw is too slow.
• Joker exchange, Opponents' exposed groups containing Jokers are opportunities. If you hold the natural tile matching an opponent's exposed group, you can exchange it for their Joker on your turn.
• Beware Joker scarcity, With eight Jokers in the set and four players competing, Jokers are always in demand. If opponents are also building quint-heavy hands, Joker scarcity can stall your progress.

Defensively, a player chasing quints will almost never discard Jokers. If you notice an opponent holding many tiles without discarding Jokers, they may be building toward this section.