American Mahjong · 5 hands
2026 Year Hands in American Mahjong: How They Work, Scoring and Odds
In American mahjong, the year category is built from the digits of the year — on our House Card, 2026. The 2s and 6s are suit tiles, and the zero is the white dragon, called Soap. Our House Card has five 2026 hands, worth 25 to 35 points.
| Card value | 30 |
|---|---|
| No jokers (doubles the value) | ×2 = 60 |
| Won on a discard: discarder pays double | 120 + 60 + 60 = 240 |
| Self-drawn: everyone pays double | 120 × 3 = 360 |
On this page
What counts as a 2026 hand
- Only 2s, 6s and Soaps, plus flowers, winds or dragons when the line prints them
2026printed as one block is four single tiles: a 2, a Soap, another 2 and a 6, with the 2s and the 6 in one suit- A
0is always Soap, whatever suit it sits in; a dragon printed in the dots color is Soap too, so the two compete for the same four tiles - Colors decide the suits (see reading the card);
Xhands may call discards, theChand stays concealed - Jokers can fill any group of three or more, never a single or a pair
Every 2026 hand on our card
- Flowers, 2s, Soaps and 6s in one suit — a kong of flowers, a kong of 2s, three Soaps as the zero, and a pung of 6s.
- 2-0-2-6 as pungs — every digit is a pung, and the three number pungs each sit in a different suit.
- 2026 once plus two kongs — the singles in one suit, the kongs of 2s and 6s in another.
- 2026 twice and a dragon kong — a pair of North winds, the year in two suits, and the dragon of the third suit.
- NEWS, 2026 twice and a dragon pair — concealed and worth the most: every tile is a single or a pair.
How jokers work in 2026 hands
The pung and kong lines take jokers in every group, flowers and Soaps included:
| Card value | 25 |
|---|---|
| No jokers (doubles the value) | Uses jokers — no bonus |
| Won on a discard: discarder pays double | 50 + 25 + 25 = 100 |
| Self-drawn: everyone pays double | 50 × 3 = 150 |
The singles in 2026 can't. That makes the Soap supply the tricky part of the fourth line: two 2026 blocks already use two of the four Soaps, and when the third suit is dots the dragon kong is Soap as well.
| Card value | 30 |
|---|---|
| No jokers (doubles the value) | Uses jokers — no bonus |
| Won on a discard: discarder pays double | 60 + 30 + 30 = 120 |
| Self-drawn: everyone pays double | 60 × 3 = 180 |
The concealed line has no group of three at all, so it never takes a joker. See jokers in the beginner's guide for swapping and dead jokers.
How 2026 hands are scored
Each hand pays its card value, and a hand built with no jokers at all is worth double. On a discard, the player who discarded pays twice the value and the other two pay once; on a self-drawn win, all three pay twice. The tables are worked out by the game's own scoring code.
| Card value | 35 |
|---|---|
| No jokers (doubles the value) | ×2 = 70 |
| Won on a discard: discarder pays double | 140 + 70 + 70 = 280 |
| Self-drawn: everyone pays double | 140 × 3 = 420 |
2026 odds
How close your deal is
Year hands need specific tiles — four Soaps, eight 2s and eight 6s across three suits — so deals rarely start near one. Before the Charleston, a 13-tile deal is within 6 tiles of the nearest 2026 hand only 0.98% of the time and within 7 tiles 5.6%; after the Charleston, within 6 tiles rises to 8.5%.
| 2026 | At the deal | After the Charleston |
|---|---|---|
| 5 or fewer away | 0.08% | 3.7% |
| 6 or fewer away | 0.98% | 8.5% |
| 7 or fewer away | 5.6% | 16% |
| 8 or fewer away | 19% | 28% |
| 9 or fewer away | 47% | 46% |
Source: 20,000 random 13-tile deals (jokers and flowers included), before the Charleston.
Source: 1,500 games of computer-vs-computer play on this site (normal level, Charleston included). Each computer has its own slight taste for categories.
How often 2026 wins
When the computers play normally, 2026 hands were 3.4% of all wins, collecting 133 points on average. 45% of those wins were self-drawn and 0% used no jokers.
| Category | Share of wins |
|---|---|
| Like Numbers | 40% |
| Consecutive Run | 31% |
| Winds & Dragons | 9.5% |
| 2468 | 6.5% |
| 369 | 4.0% |
| 2026 | 3.4% |
| 13579 | 3.1% |
| Addition | 0.72% |
| Quints | 0.57% |
| Singles & Pairs | 0.57% |
Source: 1,500 games of computer-vs-computer play on this site (normal level, Charleston included). Each computer has its own slight taste for categories.
Is it worth forcing 2026?
We had the player whose deal was closest to 2026 play nothing but 2026 hands — Charleston, discards, calls and wins — while the other three played normally, and compared the result with the same kind of deal played normally.
| At the deal | Hands | Made it | Someone else won | Wall game | Avg. result forcing it | Avg. result playing normally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 or fewer away | 89 | 27% | 62% | 11% | +5 | +32 |
| 7 | 271 | 14% | 71% | 15% | −16 | +6 |
| 8 | 606 | 9.2% | 77% | 14% | −26 | +7 |
| 9+ away | 534 | 3.7% | 82% | 14% | −37 | −2 |
Source: 1,500 games of computer play on this site. In each, the player whose deal was closest to 2026 played only 2026 hands; the other three played normally. Money is the card value as paid in the game.
The answer: forcing 2026 cost money in every group.
- From a deal within 6 tiles, forcing 2026 worked 27% of the time for an average result of +5; the same kind of deal played normally averaged +32. Only a small number of deals start this close (see the Hands column), so this row is the least certain.
- From within 8 tiles, forcing it worked only 12% of the time (−20 against +8 playing normally). Someone else won first 74% of the time, and 14% of these games ran out of tiles — a chaser who needs specific Soaps and 6s often never finishes at all.
- With only four Soaps in the set, a 2026 hand can stall on a single tile. Normal play keeps 2468 and Like Numbers open alongside it.
Tips for 2026 hands
- Count your Soaps first. Every line needs at least one real Soap, and the two lines with 2026 twice need two real Soaps for the singles.
- Keep 2s and 6s in all three suits through the first Charleston; the colors you end up with decide which line fits.
- Watch for the dots trap in the fourth line: choose a third suit that turns the dragon kong into Green or Red.
- The concealed line is all real tiles. Only aim for it when you already hold NEWS or most of two 2026 blocks — jokers you draw are no help there.
When to switch: lots of 4s and 8s with your 2s and 6s point to 2468; a handful of Soaps with dragons and winds points to Winds & Dragons. The quickest way to learn which is closer is to play a few hands of free American mahjong online — the helper shows your closest hands as you go.
FAQ
What is a year hand in mahjong?
A year hand is a line on the American mahjong card built from the digits of the year. On our House Card that is 2026: 2s, 6s and the white dragon (Soap) as the zero.
Is the white dragon the zero in 2026?
Yes. Every 0 on the card is the white dragon, also called Soap. Soap is also the dragon that goes with dots, so the two uses share the same four tiles.
Can you use jokers in a 2026 hand?
Yes, in any group of three or more identical tiles, including flowers and Soaps. The four singles in each 2026 block and every pair must be real tiles.
How many points is a 2026 hand worth?
On our House Card, 2026 hands are worth 25 to 35 points, doubled if you use no jokers.
Is this the official NMJL card?
No. The National Mah Jongg League publishes a new copyrighted card every year. This site uses its own original card with the same kinds of categories, so the exact lines differ.
Related categories
2468 5 hands
Winds & Dragons 6 hands
Try it at the table
American Mahjong — Play American Mah Jongg free in your browser against three computer players. The Charleston, jokers, joker exchanges and a full card of hands, with a helper that shows your closest hands. No sign-up.