Section by section

2468: the even numbers

Nine hands, the most joker-friendly section on the card, and one that must stay hidden.

The card · lesson 3 of 10

The even section is where a rack full of 2s, 4s, 6s and 8s goes, and it is generous. Four of its nine hands are built only from pungs and kongs, which means a joker can land in any group.

222 444 6666 8888

One suit or two suits, 25. Every group takes a joker. The classic first hand.

2222 DDD 8888 DDD

Two suits, and the dragons match the suits. Also all pungs and kongs.

The hands that pay 30 each ask for something extra. One wants a pair of flowers and two pairs of numbers. One is a single suit with East and West as pairs, and only East and West. One wants two pungs of flowers around the four singles 2, 4, 6, 8.

EE 22 444 666 88 WW

One suit, East and West only, 30. Four of its six groups are pairs.

2468 2222 D 2222 D

Three suits. Like kongs of 2, 4, 6 or 8, each with its matching dragon as a single.

Two hands here are easy to misread. The like-kongs hand above wants the SAME even number as both kongs, in two different suits, each with the dragon of its own suit sitting beside it as a single. And the last hand of the section is concealed: you may not call for anything until the tile that completes it.

FF 246 888 246 888

Two suits, concealed, 30. Runs of 2-4-6 in both suits, so seven of its nine groups take no joker.

Tip

When your evens are spread across two suits, the plain kongs hand takes them as they are. When they are all in one suit with flowers, the one-suit flower hand is right there. Let the rack pick between them rather than deciding in advance.

Free to read. Its 2 quick drills are part of Mahjee Pro in the app.