LEARN

How to read the card

The card gives you a choice of hands to build. You can get to know it one row at a time, starting with tiles you already recognise.

Build one complete row

The card lists the hands you can win with. Your 14 tiles must match one row exactly. These lessons use our Learner card so you can practise reading the notation.

Read each row from left to right. FF 222 444 666 888 means a pair of flowers, then pungs of 2s, 4s, 6s and 8s.

Count the matching tiles

Number of tiles	Name
2	Pair
3	Pung
4	Kong
5	Quint

A joker can replace a tile in a matching group of three or more. It cannot replace a single or complete a pair.

Match colours to suits

Same colour, same suit. Different colours, different suits. You choose which suits to use. A green group does not automatically mean Bams.

Flowers, winds and a soap used as zero have no suit. Dragons match their suit: red with Craks, green with Bams, soap with Dots.

Check number choices

Keep the printed numbers unless the row's instructions allow a choice. A row allowing any consecutive run can start at another number, but every number moves together and group sizes stay the same.

For example, 1111 222 333 4444 can become 2222 333 444 5555 when the row allows it. The instructions beside each row will help you check your choices.

Read the symbols

Symbol	Meaning
F	Flower. All flowers match.
N, E, W, S	North, East, West, South. NEWS is four separate winds.
D	Dragon matching that colour's suit.
R, G	Red dragon, green dragon.
0	Soap used as zero, with no suit.
A on the Learner card	Any one wind. Use the same wind for every A in the row.
C beside a row	Concealed: no exposures while building, but you may call the winning tile.
Value beside a row	Base value used to calculate payments.

Find a section that suits your tiles

Look for evens in 2468, odds in 13579, and 3s, 6s and 9s in 369. Like Numbers uses the same number across suits. Consecutive Run uses numbers that follow each other.

Other sections include 2026, Winds and Dragons, Singles and Pairs, and Quints. Take a closer look at any row that seems promising for your tiles.

2 Bam — Read the year one digit at a time. Each zero is a white dragon, called soap.

White dragon (soap) — Read the year one digit at a time. Each zero is a white dragon, called soap.

Remember

Check group sizes, suit colours, number choices and C. Match all 14 tiles to one row.

Try a year hand

Here are two ways to use 2026 on the Learner card.

Taught in Call your winning tile, Reading the card, Choose a hand.

Teaches on the Learner card · reviewed 2026-09-14