What Is the NMJL Card, and Why Does It Change Every Year?

If American mahjong has a heart, it's a single folded card.

The National Mah Jongg League (NMJL) card is the official list of winning hands for American mahjong, and it changes every single year. For new players it can feel overwhelming. For seasoned players, the new card's arrival is one of the most exciting days on the mahjong calendar.

Who Makes the Card?

The National Mah Jongg League was founded in 1937 and has published the card for close to 90 years. It's the reason American mahjong has a shared standard at all. Whether you play in Palm Beach, Park City, or Portland, if you're playing NMJL, you're playing from the same list of hands.

What's on It?

The card groups its hands into sections. The 2026 card has nine:

• 2026 (the year hands, where the white dragon, or "Soap," does double duty as a zero)
• 2468 (even numbers)
• Any Like Numbers
• Quints (five of a kind, made possible by jokers)
• Consecutive Run
• 13579 (odd numbers)
• Winds & Dragons
• 369
• Singles & Pairs (no jokers allowed)

Each line shows the tile pattern, color-coded to show how many suits you'll use, plus the hand's point value. An X means the hand can be exposed (you can claim discards to build it). A C means it must stay concealed until you win.

Why Does It Change?

Keeping it fresh is the point. A new card every year means:

• No one can coast on a memorized list
• Veterans and beginners are on more level footing each spring
• The game rewards players who study, adapt, and stay curious

A hand you loved last year might be gone, while a hand you'd never tried becomes your new favorite. That's the magic (and the mild agony).

When Does the New Card Come Out?

New cards arrive each spring, and they're ordered directly from the NMJL or through retailers. There's no universal switch-over date. Most tables and leagues simply move to the new card once everyone has one in hand, typically in April. Once your table switches, last year's hands are retired.

Some players also enjoy alternative cards from other publishers, especially in the late-season stretch when the old card feels stale. They can be a fun change of pace, but most American mahjong clubs, lessons, and tournaments play from the NMJL card.

How to Read It Without Panicking

• Learn the colors first. One color means one suit. Three colors means three suits.
• Read the fine print in parentheses. "Any 2 suits," "these nos. only," "any consec. nos." all matter.
• Start with one or two sections that feel natural, then expand.
• Notice the hot tiles. On the 2026 card, 6s and Flowers turn up in a huge share of hands, which changes what's worth keeping in the Charleston.

Learn the Card by Playing It

The best way to learn the card isn't to memorize it cold. It's to use it: read racks against it, make discard choices against it, and practice pivoting between sections.

Bird Bam is built around the current NMJL card. Practice with the Daily Rack to build pattern recognition, sharpen your opening decisions with Discard Practice, and work through mid-game decisions in Pivot Practice. Knowing which hands your rack can pivot between, and when to commit, is the skill that separates good players from great ones.

Practice the card with Bird Bam →