Desktop/laptop users: please click here if you do not see a Nav Frame at left  Mobile users: touch here to display only this frame. FAQ 16. Frequently-Asked Questions about the 2018 National Mah Jongg League card

2018 and NEWS

Can I use a joker in a 2018 since the tiles are bunched together like a kong?
No. 2018 is not a kong. A kong is four identical tiles. 2018 is four singles. Read FAQ 19E (click here) and read the back of your NMJL card. Look for the word "NEVER" (in all capital letters, bold text, and underlined just like that).



Can I use a joker in a NEWS since the tiles are bunched together like a kong?
No. NEWS is not a kong, same as a 2018 is not a kong (as explained above).

If a 2018 is not a kong, why aren't there spaces between the digits?
I suppose the League thinks it looks more natural without the spaces. It doesn't really matter, does it? Accept that a 2018 is four singles (not a kong), and move on.

Can I claim a discarded tile to expose a 2018?
Not unless it's for mah-jongg. Read FAQ 19-E (click here) or click FAQ 19 in the nav frame at left.

Can I claim a discarded tile to expose a NEWS?
Not unless it's for mah-jongg. Read FAQ 19-E (click here) or click FAQ 19 in the nav frame at left.

222 000 1111 8888 (Any 3 Suits)
(2018 #1)

Do the twos have to be dots, to match the zeroes?
Read the red note above the 2018 section on the card. When used as zero, soap can be used with any suit. The twos don't have to be dots; they can be any suit that isn't used for the ones and eights. "Any" always means "any." Read FAQ 19-J and FAQ 19-BY. And see the NMJL's FAQ. 

So I could use bams for the twos and Green Dragons for the zeroes?
No, of course you can't use Greens for the zeroes! Read the top left corner of the card - only Soap/White can be used for zeroes.* This rule is also repeated on the back of the card. When you see a zero on the card, that always means Soap (White Dragon). But yes, you could use bams for the twos (the parenthetical says "any 3 suits").



*It says on the back of the card that only soaps can be used for zeroes. Does that mean jokers can't be used in a pung or kong of zeroes?
Perhaps it could be worded better, but no. Jokers may be used for zeroes, provided that there are three or more zeroes being bunched together. See the back of the card:

Jokers may be used to replace any tile in any Pung, Kong, Quint, or Sextet only.

Do I have to use bams for the ones and craks for the eights?
No. The color-coding is not to be taken as standing for particular suits. Read the back of the card, and read Frequently Asked Question 19-BY and FAQ 19-J.

Can I make the ones the same suit as the twos, or the eights the same suit as the twos? The parenthetical doesn't say I can't.
The color-coding says you can't (the hand is shown in three colors, so you have to use three suits).

FF 2018 1111 1111 (Any 3 Suits; Kongs 1, 2, or 8)
(2018 #2)

Does the 2018 have to be in dots?
No. Color does not dictate suit. The parenthetical "any 3 suits" means the 2018 can be any suit.

Three suits. Can for instance...2018 be cracks, 1111 cracks, 1111 bams?
How do you figure that's three suits? That's two suits.

But there's a soap in the 2018, so I am using dots (since soap goes with dots).
Zero is suitless. Read the red text above the 2018 hands on the card.



The parenthetical says "Kongs 1, 2, or 8," but it shows ones. I mean: huh???
It means you don't have to use only ones. You could use twos instead. Or eights.

FF 2018 2222 2222
FF 2018 1111 1111
FF 2018 8888 8888

Can I use a kong of twos, say, and one of eights?
No. The intent of the card is clear: you have to make matching (like-number) kongs.

22 000 NEWS 111 88 (Any 1 Suit)
(2018 #4)

Those red zeroes confuse me. Does this mean I should use red dragons for the zeroes?
No, of course you can't use Reds for the zeroes! Read the top left corner of the card - only Soap/White can be used for zeroes.* This rule is also repeated on the back of the card. When you see a zero on the card, that always means Soap (White Dragon).

Can I use a joker in a NEWS since the tiles are bunched together like a kong?
No. This is explained above.

Can I claim a discarded tile to expose a NEWS?
No. This is explained above.

22 44 666 888 DDDD (Any 3 Suits)
(Evens #3)

Do the pairs have to be bams?
No. It says "Any 3 Suits" in the parenthetical. That means the pairs can be any suit. The color-coding is never to be taken as standing for particular suits. Read Frequently Asked Question 19-BY and FAQ 19-J.

FF 1111 DDDD 1111 (Any 3 Suits)
(Any Like Numbers #1)

Do I have to use ones for the number kongs?
No. Read the section name. Clearly the intent is for these to be ANY LIKE NUMBERS. An even number, an odd number, any number.

Do I have to use Reds for the dragon kong?
No. It says "Any 3 Suits" in the parenthetical, not that it really needs to. The color-coding is never to be taken as standing for particular suits. Read the back of the card, and read Frequently Asked Question 19-BY and FAQ 19-J.

It does say ANY three suits. Do the dragons have to be opposing dragons to the like numbers since they are in different colors?
Yes, of course the dragons have to be "opposing," since the hand is 3 colors. If the dragons were not "opposing," then you'd only have 2 suits. It's supposed to be 3 suits.

It states any 3 suits, but doesn't use the word "different." 3 colors are used to show hand. Can dragons used match one of the suits used for numbers? For instance, 4 bams of #6, 4 green dragons and 4 cracks of #6.
It's a 3-color hand, and it even says 3 suits, so you have to use 3 suits. If you have bams and craks and greens, that's not 3 suits. It can't be three suits if your dragon matches the suit of one of your number kongs.

FFF 1111 FFF 1111 (Any 2 Suits)
(Any Like Numbers #2)

Do I have to use bams and craks?
No. Any 2 suits, the parenthetical says. The color-coding is never to be taken as standing for particular suits. Read the back of the card, and read Frequently Asked Question 19-BY and FAQ 19-J.

Do I have to use ones for the kongs?
This section of the card is named ANY LIKE NUMBERS, remember.

If I call a discarded flower to make a flower pung, and I have a complete flower pung in the hand, can I expose both pungs at once?
No! Why on earth would you want to do that?

11 DD 111 DDD 1111 (Any 3 Suits)
(Any Like Numbers #3)

Do the two pairs have to be bams and Green?
No. The color-coding is never to be taken as standing for particular suits. Read the back of the card, and read Frequently Asked Question 19-BY and FAQ 19-J.

Do I have to use ones for all the sets?
No. This section of the card is named ANY LIKE NUMBERS for a reason.

FFFF 3333 9999 12 -or- FFFF 3333 9999 12
(Addition Hands #1)

There are two versions of this hand. My question is about the one on the left, all in blue: does it have to be made in dots only?
No. The color-coding is not to be taken as standing for particular suits. Read the back of the card: 1 color = any 1 suit. Also read Frequently Asked Question 19-BY and FAQ 19-J.

But there's no parenthetical saying "Any 1 Suit"!
There isn't enough room, and that parenthetical is not necessary, since the color-coding is clear. Read the back of the card: 1 color = any 1 suit. It clearly shows a 1-suit version and a 3-suit version of the hand. Also read FAQ 19-AJ.

This question is about the one on the right, in three colors. Does the "12" have to be made in dots only, since it's blue?
No. The color-coding is not to be taken as standing for particular suits. Read the back of the card, and read Frequently Asked Question 19-BY and FAQ 19-J.

NNNNN DDDD 11111 (Quint Any Wind & Any No. in Any Suit, Kong Any Dragon)
(Quints #1)

Do I have to use Norths and Greens and One Craks?
No. Look in the parenthetical. It contains the word "any." "Any" always means "any." You can use any one wind (not only Norths.) You can use a quint of any number in any suit. You can use a kong of any dragon (even if it's the same suit as the number quint). In other words, this hand can be made in one or two suits.

Do the dragon and the number have to be in different suits?
No. Look in the parenthetical. There's that word "any" again. Based on the wording of the parenthetical, the hand can be one or two suits.

SSSSS DDDD 33333
EEEEE DDDD 88888

You can read FAQ 19J for more about this concept. And see the NMJL's FAQ. 

FF 33333 66 99999 (Any 1 Suit)
(Quints #2)

Does the number pair have to be sixes? Could it be threes or nines instead?
Yes, the number pair has to be sixes. No, you can't pair up the threes or nines instead. Read FAQ 19-AJ.

1123 11111 11111 (Any 3 Consec. Nos; Pr. Any No. in Run; Pr & Quints Match)
(Quints #3)

This hand contains a "run," an ascending or descending sequence of consecutive numbers. This run is ascending, and is made up of two singles and a pair.

Do the quints and the pair have to be the first number in the run, as shown on the card?
No. The pair can be the first, second, or third number in the run. You have to read the parenthetical, and read the parenthetical very carefully. The phrase "Pr. Any No. in Run" means that the pair can be... wait for it... any number in the run. That means that the pair does not have to be only the first number in the run. The word "any" always means "any." You can read FAQ 19J if you're still confused about what "any" means (or look up the word "any" in... any dictionary). And the quints have to be the same number as the pair (that's what "Pr. & Quints Match" means). For more on this hand, see http://www.nationalmahjonggleague.org/faq.html.

Do the quints have to be in craks and dots, since they're red and blue on the card?
No. The color- coding is never to be taken as standing for particular suits. Read the back of the card, and read Frequently Asked Question 19-BY and FAQ 19-J.

1123 11111 11111
4556 55555 55555
7899 99999 99999

Can I use a joker in the 1123 kong? And can I call it for exposure?
It is not a kong! The term "kong" applies only to "like tiles." This "grouping" (the aforementioned "run") is a pair and two singles, not a kong. Read FAQ 19E (click here).

If it's not a kong, why aren't there spaces between the pair and the singles?
How should I know? And what difference does it make? So what if there's no space between obvious pairs and singles? Spaces on the card are usually not significant or meaningful.

11111 22 33 44444 (Any 1 Suit, 4 Consec. Nos.)
(Quints #4)

The parenthetical doesn't say "any 4 consecutive numbers." Does that mean I have to use ones through fours?
No. It's obviously just an oversight. The hand can be made with any four consecutive numbers, with the middle two numbers being pairs.

CONSECUTIVE RUN

Can I use zeroes in Consecutive Runs? For instance 000 1111 222 3333 or 777 8888 999 0000?
No. The only place on the card where you are permitted to use zero is where the card shows a numeral "0" (2018 and Singles And Pairs). Read FAQ 19-BH.

11 22 33 4444 5555 (Any 3 Suits, Any 5 Consec. Nos.)
(Consecutive Run #4)

Do the three consecutive pairs have to be bams?
No, as explained above.

Do I have to use the numbers one through five only?
No. Read the parenthetical.

Can I put the kongs before the pairs, like 1111 2222 33 44 55?
No.

FF 1111 2222 3333 -or- FF 1111 2222 3333 (Any Run)
(Consecutive Run #5)

So I was reading the parenthetical...
Hallelujah!

Wise guy. My question is, what does it mean, "any run"?
A is an ascending or descending sequence of consecutive numbers. The parenthetical is saying you can use any 3 consecutive numbers (there wasn't enough room to say all that).

1111 222 3333 DDD (Any 2 Suits, Any 3 Consecutive Nos., Pung & Dragon Match)
(Consec #6)

Do I have to use ones, twos, and threes?
No. See the parenthetical. It says "Any 3 Consec Nos."

Does the middle number pung have to be the same suit as the dragon pung?
Yes. The color coding says so.

What does "Pung" mean?
That word is defined on the back of the card.

What does "Pung & Dragon Match" mean?
It means the dragon must match the suit of the middle number threesome (pung). "Matching Dragons" is explained on the back of the card.

FF 111 222 111 222 (Any 2 Suits, Any 2 Consec. Nos.)
(Consecutive Run #7)

It has to be ones and twos in bams, and ones and twos in craks?
No. Read the parenthetical.

Could I do, say, ones and twos in dots, and then fives and sixes in craks?
No. The two numbers you use for one suit have to match the two numbers you use for the other.

13579 ("Odds")

It does not say 'these nos only' in parenthesis so could 111 333 3333 5555 be replaced with 333 555 5555 7777? Likewise 3rd had down, could FF 1111 3333 5555 be FF 3333 5555 7777? etc
No. When there's no parenthetical, the card means what it says. Read FAQ 19-AJ.

1111 333 5555 DDD - or - 5555 777 9999 DDD (Any 2 Suits)
(Odds #4)

Does the middle number pung have to be the same suit as the dragon pung?
Yes. The color coding says so.

It does not say 'these nos only' in parenthesis so could I make 3333 555 7777 DDD?
No. When there's no parenthetical, the card means what it says. Read FAQ 19-AJ.

11 33 55 7777 9999 (Any 3 Suits)
(Odds #6)

Do the pairs have to be bams?
No. The color-coding is never to be taken as standing for particular suits. Read the back of the card, and read Frequently Asked Question 19-BY and FAQ 19-J.

FF DDDD NEWS DDDD (Any 2 Dragons)
(Winds-Dragons #4)

Can I use a joker in a NEWS since the tiles are bunched together like a kong?
No. This is explained above.



I have a different question about NEWS...
That question, also, is answered above.

NNNN 11 11 11 SSSS (Any Like Odd Nos)
EEEE 22 22 22 WWWW (Any Like Even Nos)
(Winds - Dragons #5, #6)

Can I play this hand in two suits?
No. Look at the colors of the numbers. The winds are suitless (or "neutral"), so their color doesn't count. Not counting the winds, there are three colors. Read the back of the card. Left pane, just beneath where it says "STANDARD BASED ON EIGHT FLOWERS AND EIGHT JOKERS." See the 1st and 2nd lines; the card says, "1 color—any 1 suit; 2 colors—any 2 suits; 3 colors—3 suits." That means that this hand is a three-suit hand.

Can I use any like number, rather than just all ones (in the case of the first hand)?
No. Read the parenthetical. It says any like odd numbers (or even numbers, in the case of the second hand).

Can I switch the winds, make it say for instance NNNN and WWWW?
No. Look at the pattern and see the logic: north and souths with odds, easts and wests with evens. East and Even both begin with E, if that helps.

33 66 99 3333 3333 (Any 3 Suits, Kongs 3, 6, or 9)
(369 #3)

What does "kongs 3, 6, or 9" mean?
It means that your two foursomes (kongs) don't have to be threes. You could use two kongs of sixes instead (or two kongs of nines).

33 66 99 3333 3333
33 66 99 6666 6666
33 66 99 9999 9999

So can I have, for instance, a kong of sixes and a kong of nines? Or, say, a kong of threes and a kong of nines?
No. The kongs must use like numbers, in different suits. Read FAQ 19-AU.

3333 666 9999 DDD (Any 2 Suits, Pung & Dragon Match)
(369 #5)

Does the pung of sixes have to be the same suit as the dragon pung?
Yes. That's what it says on the card. This hand has counterparts in Consec (#6) and in Odds (#4).

SINGLES & PAIRS

Singles & Pairs ... Drew the winning tile so everyone paid double ($1.00); but of course, it was a joker less hand, do you get credit for that also to make it $2.00?
Sorry, no.

Or would it be only $1.00 since there is no choice but to have no jokers?
Read the back of the card (upper left corner). And if you want to know more, read FAQ 19-F.

NN EE WW SS 11 22 33 (Any 3 Consec. Nos.)
(Singles & Pairs #1)

Does this mean the numbers have to be 3 consec . No’s . BUT what suit ?
You get to decide which suit (or should I say it's the Mah-Jongg Goddesses who decide).

or each number can be a different suit?
Count the colors. On the back of the card, it says: "1 color—any 1 suit; 2 colors—any 2 suits; 3 colors—3 suits." This hand is printed in one color. That means that this hand is a one-suit hand.

FF 22 44 66 88 22 22 (Any Like Even Prs. In Other 2 Suits)
(Singles & Pairs #2)

What does "any like even prs." mean?
It means that for the two pairs at the right, you don't have to use twos. You can use fours, or sixes, or eights.

Could I use a pair of, for instance, fours and a pair of eight?
No. They have to be "like" (alike). Read FAQ 19-AU.

What does "other 2 suits" mean?
That means that your two same-number pairs cannot be in the same suit as your 22 44 66 88.

FF 11 22 33 44 55 DD (Any 5 Consec. Nos.)
(Singles & Pairs #4)

What suit?.
It's one color. "1 color—any 1 suit," it says on the card. Card color does not dictate suit.

998 99887 998877 (Any 3 Suits. These Nos. Only)
(Singles And Pairs #6)

Can that be any three descending numbers?
No. Read the parenthetical. "These numbers only," it says.

That's a pung, a quint, and a sextet - so can I use a joker? And can I call for exposure?
No. There is no pung in the hand, no quint, and no sextet. The terms "pung" and "quint" and "sextet" apply only to "like tiles." Those "groupings" are "runs" in League vernacular (perhaps "reverse runs" or "decreasing runs"), made up of singles and pairs. Look at the title of this section of the card. It's called "Singles and Pairs."

In this section of the card, you cannot use jokers, and you cannot make any exposures, not only because all the hands are marked with a C but also because the hands in this section are all made solely of "Singles and Pairs." Read FAQ 19E (click here).
Also: every player should read everything on the NMJL card. Turn it over and look at the back. Left pane, last sentence of the last paragraph before the numbered rules. Look for the word "NEVER" (in all capital letters, bold text, and underlined just like that).



Can I call a discard if it's the tile I need to complete this hand for mah-jongg?
Yes.

Why aren't there spaces between every pair and every single?
How should I know? And what difference does it make? So what if there's no space between obvious pairs and singles?

Wow, you sure are a grump! Why do you answer these questions if you don't like answering questions?
I love answering questions. But yeah, you got me. I'm a grump sometimes.

FF 2018 DD 2018 DD (Craks & Bams Only)
(S&P #7)

Hey Tom, I thought you said, and I quote: "The color-coding is never to be taken as standing for particular suits." Care to retract that?
No. Look at the parenthetical: it's the words, not the colored ink, that specifies suits in this instance. Because the suits are specific here, the League could have written GG and RR instead of the DDs in this one.

Why do you suppose the League limited this hand to just those two suits (leaving out dots)?
Because if you needed two 2018s and a pair of soaps, you'd have to have four natural soaps, and that ratchets up the difficulty beyond 60¢ worth.

Can I make this hand in one suit (say, all craks)?
No. It's two colors (since the colors of flowers is just always blue), so it's clearly a two-suit hand. Besides, the parenthetical says bams AND craks, not bams OR craks.

To make it with bams and craks and soaps, doesn't that make it a three-suit hand?
No. Read the upper left corner of the card. The soaps are suitless when used as zeroes.



Can I use a joker in a 2018 since the tiles are bunched together like a kong?
No. This is Singles & Pairs, remember. You can't use jokers in singles or pairs. And 2018 is not a kong. A kong is four identical tiles. 2018 is four singles. Read FAQ 19E (click here) and read the back of your NMJL card. Look for the word "NEVER" (in all capital letters, bold text, and underlined just like that).



If a 2018 is not a kong, why aren't there spaces between the digits?
I suppose the League thinks it looks more natural without the spaces. It doesn't really matter, does it? Accept that a 2018 is four singles (not a kong), and move on.

Can I claim a discarded tile to expose a 2018?
Not to expose a 2018, no. But if you are waiting for that tile for mah-jongg, then by all means. Shout "mahj!" Read FAQ 19-E3.

Didn't find what you were looking for in this FAQ? Check these links...

Click here if you have a question about the old 2001 NMJL card.

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The official rulebook, and a newsletter. Every table should have the official 2018 revised rulebook.
Every year, the League issues rule clarifications in its newsletter. Every person who buys the card
directly from the League receives a subscription to the newsletter, which is mailed every January.

Tom Sloper's book, "The Red Dragon & The West Wind," contains the COMPLETE rules for American-style mah-jongg as well as the official Chinese rules used at international competitions.

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