scroll down to see how the Insiders responded.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

Which hand is this on the 2026 NMJL Card?

⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ A ⭕️ 13579, Line 1 (412 Votes)
⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ B ⭕️ 13579, Line 5 (418 Votes)
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 C ⭕️ 13579, Line 9 (2897 Votes)
🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ D ⭕️ 13579, Line 8 (486 Votes)

Explanation:

✅ Correct Answer C: 13579, Line 9
The fastest way to identify any hand is to begin with the Flowers and Dragons. From there, look at the dominant numbers. In this case, all the numbered tiles are odd. Only one hand in the 13579 Section uses opposing Dragons, which appear in this scrambled hand. You also see two Green Dragons and a Joker. Treat the Joker as the third Green Dragon when evaluating the pattern. This points directly to 13579, Line 9: FF 135 777 999 DDD, played as FF 135 777 999 DDJ. 

❌ Answer A: 13579, Line 1
This hand uses odd numbers, but it has no Flowers or Dragons. If you chose this, it may be because your eye went to a familiar hand on the Card. 

❌ Answer B: 13579, Line 5
If you selected this, you applied a solid strategy: check Flowers and Dragons first. This hand does use both. However, the Dragons match the suit used in the hand. In this hand, Soaps would match the Dots. Line 5 also requires four matching Dragons, but this scrambled hand has only two Green Dragons and a Joker, making it the wrong pattern. 

❌ Answer D: 13579, Line 8
This hand includes two Flowers, just like the scrambled hand, but it does not use any Dragons. That makes it an unlikely choice for this challenge.

Recognizing hands quickly is a skill that develops with practice, and it becomes essential once you start reading exposures during live play. The Winning Hand app's "Scrambled Hand" game is an excellent way to build this skill. It strengthens your ability to recognize hands and helps you learn the current NMJL Card more efficiently. 

When players call and expose part of their hand, or expose tiles that make a hand requiring pairs or singles impossible to complete, your ability to identify the hand, combined with strong table-reading skills, can help you determine whether the hand is dead. Declaring a hand dead gives you more picks, increasing your chances of winning. 

So, how’d you do? Feeling like a Mah Jongg Master or do you need some practice? CLICK HERE to sign up for our live practice sessions over Zoom!