How to Visualize a Winning Hand
Have you ever looked at your mahjong tiles and thought, How do these ever fit together into a winning hand? Here’s a simple way to picture it: your hand is like your own hand: four fingers and one thumb.
✋ The Four Fingers = Your Melds
A meld is a set of three tiles.
You need four melds in total. Think of them as your four fingers. They form the structure and strength of your hand.
Each meld can be:
- A Pung — three identical tiles (like 3 Red Dragons 🀄🀄🀄)
- A Chow — three in a sequence, same suit (like 4-5-6 Bamboo 🎍🎍🎍)
- A Kong — four identical tiles (optional but powerful!)
So, your four fingers are basically four groups of threes (or sometimes a four).
💡 Tip: When you draw a tile, always check if it helps you complete one of those “fingers.”
Do you now have a run? A triple? Or can you start one?
👍 The Thumb = Your Pair
Every winning hand also needs a pair, ie. two identical tiles.
That’s your thumb, the one that ties everything together and gives your hand its grip.
Without the thumb, the rest feels incomplete. Same in mahjong.
🀄 Putting It All Together
A standard winning hand = Four Fingers + One Thumb
→ 4 × 3 tiles (12) + 2 tiles (the pair) = 14 tiles total
That’s why every time you start your turn, you’ll have 13 tiles and draw one, hoping it’s the perfect piece that finishes your hand.
🌸 Try It Next Time You Play
As you arrange your tiles, hold out your hand for a second.
Look at your four fingers. Each one a meld.
And that little thumb? That’s your pair; the piece that gives you your winning “grip.”