Quick answer
A Pairs hand is made of pairs and singles only, which means no joker can be used anywhere in it. The card pays this group for that difficulty.
How to recognise it in a deal
Several natural pairs already in the deal are the honest reason to try one. Without them every missing tile has to be drawn or called naturally, and a Pairs hand attempted on hope is a fast route to a dead rack.
Pairs Hands in the glossary, or have a dealt hand read free to see which direction it favours.
13 dealt hands that went this way
Each one is a real deal, read tile by tile. Reading several in a row is how the shape stops being a card section and starts being something you recognize on your rack.
November 3 (3 pairs, which jokers can't fill, promising, needs shaping)
October 28 (3 pairs, which jokers can't fill, promising, needs shaping)
October 22 (2 pairs, which jokers can't fill, early, keep options open)
October 16 (3 pairs, which jokers can't fill, promising, needs shaping)
October 10 (3 pairs, which jokers can't fill, promising, needs shaping)
October 4 (3 pairs, which jokers can't fill, promising, needs shaping)
September 28 (2 pairs, which jokers can't fill, early, keep options open)
September 22 (4 pairs, which jokers can't fill, promising, needs shaping)
September 12 (5 pairs, which jokers can't fill, strong, stay the course)
July 12 (4 pairs, which jokers can't fill, promising, needs shaping)
July 9 (4 pairs, which jokers can't fill, promising, needs shaping)
July 6 (4 pairs, which jokers can't fill, promising, needs shaping)
June 19 (3 pairs, which jokers can't fill, promising, needs shaping)
Other categories
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