Definition
Bams are the suit of tiles numbered one to nine that show bamboo sticks, with the one bam usually drawn as a bird.
One of the three suits with craks and dots.
At the table
The one bam is a bird rather than a stick and does not look like it belongs, but it is still a one. From the two up, a bam shows its number as sticks you can count, so a bam discard can be read from across the table.
Also called bamboo.
Read the full guide: American Mahjong Tiles, Explained: All 152, Suit by Suit.
See it on real tiles. The AI coach reads a dealt hand, free, and names the direction it goes for, what to keep and what to pass, at the free read.
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Related: Soap, Suit, Craks, Dots, Winds, Dragons. All 52 terms.