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What is a winds and dragons in American Mahjong?

Definition

Winds and Dragons is the section of the card whose hands are built mostly from the four winds and three dragons rather than from suit tiles.

It is where a deal full of winds and dragons, which looks hopeless to a beginner, actually belongs. Jokers help here because most of the sets are pungs and kongs.

Read the full guide: How to Read the Mahjong Card: The Notation, Decoded.

See it on real tiles: the coach reads any hand and names its direction, free, at the free read. Members get the coach on call for their own games.

More terms: Pung, Kong, Quint, Pair, Charleston, Blind pass, Courtesy pass, Joker.