Definition
The winds are the sixteen tiles marked north, east, west, and south, four of each, used as honor tiles in many card lines.
On the card they appear as N, E, W, and S.
At the table
A deal full of winds looks like junk to a beginner and gets passed away tile by tile, which is exactly how the Winds and Dragons section stays underplayed. Winds group only with themselves, so they are either central to your hand or dead weight, with very little in between. Count them before you pass one. Four winds and a couple of dragons is a direction, not a mess.
Read the full guide: American Mahjong Tiles, Explained: All 152, Suit by Suit.
Lesson 1, Meet the Tiles, teaches this in its step "Winds". The lesson is free. Start Lesson 1, free.
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.
Want the coach on call? The Club adds the coach for your own tiles and for each morning’s hand, all 10 lessons, and every new NMJL card taught the week it lands, for $14.99 a month, cancel anytime. See what the Club includes.
Related: Soap, Suit, Craks, Bams, Dots, Dragons. All 52 terms.