How to Choose a Mahjong Line / Hand

Mahjong is all about finding and matching patterns. The goal of the game (and how you win) is to match 14 tiles to a single line/hand on the NMJL Card.

After the deal, players should rack and organize their tiles. Organizing tiles by suit then in number order will help players identify patterns in their tiles. At first, choose a section of the NMJL Card instead of a single line or hand.

For example, if after the deal you note that you have mostly even numbers, look to the 2-4-6-8 section. Once you have chosen a section, start to collect tiles that fit into that section, holding any flowers and dragons at first.

As you pass and receive tiles during the Charleston, continue to review the lines in your selected section. Again, the goal here is to identify patterns in your tiles that match the pattern in a single line on the card.

As a general rule of thumb, once you have 6-7 tiles towards a single hand (including Jokers and Blanks, if you play with Blanks) then lock in on that hand for the rest of the game.

The sooner you can commit to a single section and then to a single hand, the more likely you are to win the game, as now you can focus on what you need to complete the selected hand. Watch for discards so you can claim the tiles you need.

Also watch other players' exposures. If you notice that much of what you need for the hand you have chosen has been exposed by other players, you may need to pivot to another hand.

A pivot hand is a backup line in mahjong that uses many of the tiles on your rack. Choosing a hand to pivot to is a strategic move to help in case the tiles needed for the hand you selected get exposed by other players, are dead discards, or are simply not coming up in the wall. Remember, if you are pivoting during the game, any tiles you have exposed MUST be in the new hand you select.

If you cannot find a mahjong line to pivot to, you can start playing defense. Watch what other players are collecting and hold tiles you think they need to complete their hand.