Winds and Dragons Hands in American Mahjong, Worked Examples

Quick answer

A Winds and Dragons hand is built mostly from the four winds and the three dragons rather than the numbered suits.

How to recognise it in a deal

A deal heavy in winds and dragons, which looks hopeless to a beginner, is pointing here. Jokers help because most of the sets are pungs and kongs, and the numbered tiles are the ones to pass.

Winds and Dragons in the glossary, or have your own deal read free to see which direction it favours.

18 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.

September 14 (4 wind/dragon tiles, early, keep options open)

September 11 (6 wind/dragon tiles, promising, needs shaping)

September 8 (5 wind/dragon tiles, early, keep options open)

September 7 (3 wind/dragon tiles, early, keep options open)

September 5 (4 wind/dragon tiles, early, keep options open)

August 31 (5 wind/dragon tiles, early, keep options open)

August 29 (5 wind/dragon tiles, early, keep options open)

August 22 (5 wind/dragon tiles, promising, needs shaping)

August 17 (4 wind/dragon tiles, promising, needs shaping)

August 4 (4 wind/dragon tiles, early, keep options open)

August 2 (5 wind/dragon tiles, promising, needs shaping)

July 28 (5 wind/dragon tiles, early, keep options open)