The American Mahjong Hand Helper is a web-based tool that analyzes your mahjong hand and shows you all the winning patterns you can complete from the 2025 National Mah Jongg League (NMJL) card.

Simply select the tiles in your hand, and the tool will instantly show you:

• Which patterns match your tiles
• How many tiles away you are from completing each pattern
• What specific tiles you need to win
• Point values for each pattern

No! You can start using the Hand Helper immediately without creating an account. The Free tier gives you access to the 2025 and 2468 pattern categories.

However, creating an account allows you to:

• Upgrade to unlock all 9 pattern categories
• Access your account from any device
• Manage your subscription and billing

No, the American Mahjong Hand Helper is an independent tool created to help players learn and play American Mahjong. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the National Mah Jongg League.

We recommend purchasing the official NMJL card each year to support the League and ensure you have the authoritative reference.

To add tiles to your hand:

1. Look at the Tile Catalog section below your hand
2. Click on any tile to add it to your concealed hand
3. Click on a tile in your hand to remove it
4. You can add up to 14 regular tiles plus bonus tiles (flowers and jokers)

Tiles are organized by type: Dots, Bams, Craks, Winds, Dragons, Flowers, and Jokers.

Called/Exposed Tiles are tiles you've claimed from other players (Pungs, Kongs, etc.) that are now visible on the table.

To mark tiles as exposed:

1. Add the tiles to your concealed hand first
2. Click the tile in your hand to see the "Expose" option
3. Exposed tiles appear in the Called/Exposed section

Important: When you have exposed tiles, the analyzer will only show patterns that work with those exact exposed groups. Patterns marked with "C" (Concealed) will be excluded since they require a hidden hand.

Jokers in American Mahjong can substitute for any tile in groups of 3 or more (Pungs, Kongs, Quints, Sextets). The analyzer automatically considers joker substitutions when matching patterns.

Joker Rules:

• Jokers can ONLY be used in groups of 3+ tiles
• Jokers CANNOT be used for singles or pairs
• Tiles shown with a special border indicate "No Jokers Allowed" for that position

"Tiles away" shows how many more tiles you need to complete a pattern. For example:

• 0 tiles away = MAHJONG! You have a winning hand
• 1 tile away = You need 1 more tile to win
• 3 tiles away = You need 3 more tiles to complete the pattern

Use the filter dropdown to show only patterns within a certain number of tiles away.

Patterns marked with "C" are Concealed hands, which means you must win with all tiles in your hand hidden (no called/exposed tiles except the winning tile).

Concealed hands are worth bonus points! Look for the "C" badge next to the point value.

By default, concealed patterns are hidden. Use the "Show concealed hands" toggle to see them. If you have a complete concealed MAHJONG pattern, you'll see a special notification!

In American Mahjong, the White Dragon (sometimes called "Soap" or "0") can represent a zero in any suit. When you see the "0" tile displayed in blue, this indicates the White Dragon being used as a zero.

The analyzer automatically considers White Dragons as potential zeros when matching patterns that use 0s.

The Pattern Catalog is a complete browser of all 57 patterns from the 2025 NMJL card. You can:

• Browse all patterns organized by category
• Search for specific patterns by name
• Filter by category
• View suit variants of each pattern
• See point values and concealed status

Access the Pattern Catalog from the navigation menu at the top of any page.

The 2025 NMJL card includes 9 pattern categories:

1. 2025 - Special patterns featuring the year
2. 2468 - Even number patterns
3. Any Like Numbers - Same number across suits
4. Quints - Five of a kind patterns
5. Consecutive Run - Sequential number patterns
6. 13579 - Odd number patterns
7. Winds-Dragons - Honor tile patterns
8. 369 - Multiples of three patterns
9. Singles and Pairs - Small group patterns

Free tier includes access to 2025 and 2468 categories. Paid plans unlock all 9 categories.

Suit variants show all the different suit combinations for each pattern. Many patterns can be made with different suit arrangements (Dots, Bams, Craks).

Use the "Show Suit Variants" toggle in the Pattern Catalog to expand each pattern into all its possible suit combinations.

Creating an account is quick and easy:

1. Click the "Get Started" button in the top right corner
2. Enter your email address and choose a password (minimum 8 characters)
3. Select your pricing tier: Free, 2025 Card Unlock, or Pro Annual
4. Click "Create Account" to finish

That's it! You're now logged in and can access your account from any device. If you chose a paid tier, you'll be taken to checkout to complete your purchase.

To log in:

1. Click the "Log In" button in the top right corner
2. Enter your email address and password
3. Click "Log In"

Once logged in, you'll see your email address displayed in the top right corner.

To change your password:

1. Click on your email address in the top right corner
2. Select "Account Dashboard" or go to My Account
3. Click the "Security" tab
4. Enter your current password and your new password
5. Click "Update Password"

Your new password must be at least 8 characters long.

If you wish to delete your account:

1. Go to My Account from the user dropdown menu
2. Click the "Security" tab
3. Scroll to the "Delete Account" section
4. Click the delete button and confirm

Warning: This action is permanent and cannot be undone. All your data, including purchase history and subscription, will be deleted. If you have an active subscription, it will be cancelled automatically.

We offer three plans to suit your needs:

• Free - $0 forever
  • Access to 2025 and 2468 pattern categories
  • Up to 5 results per analysis
  • Basic pattern matching
• 2025 Card Unlock - $9.99 one-time purchase
  • All 9 pattern categories unlocked
  • Unlimited results
  • Full pattern catalog access
  • One-time payment, no subscription
• Pro Annual - $14.99/year
  • Everything in 2025 Card Unlock
  • Annual subscription for ongoing access
  • Priority support

To upgrade your plan:

1. Go to the Pricing page
2. Choose the plan you want (2025 Card Unlock or Pro Annual)
3. Click the upgrade button
4. Complete the secure checkout with Stripe

Your upgrade will be activated immediately after successful payment. You'll have instant access to all pattern categories.

We use Stripe for secure payment processing. Stripe accepts:

• All major credit and debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover)
• Apple Pay and Google Pay
• Bank transfers (in some regions)

Your payment information is securely processed by Stripe and is never stored on our servers.

To view your purchase history:

1. Click on your email in the top right corner
2. Select "Account Dashboard"
3. Click the "Purchase History" tab

You'll see a list of all your transactions including the date, product, amount, and status.

To cancel your Pro Annual subscription:

1. Go to My Account
2. Click the "Subscription & Billing" tab
3. Click "Cancel Subscription"
4. Confirm your cancellation

What happens when you cancel:

• You'll continue to have access until the end of your current billing period
• You won't be charged again
• After your subscription ends, you'll revert to the Free tier

We want you to be happy with your purchase! If you're not satisfied, please contact us at the email below within 7 days of your purchase to discuss refund options.

Please note that refund policies may vary based on the type of purchase and usage.

Pro Annual subscriptions automatically renew each year on the anniversary of your purchase date. You'll be charged $14.99 for each renewal.

The 2025 Card Unlock is a one-time purchase and does NOT automatically renew.

You can cancel your Pro Annual subscription at any time before the renewal date to avoid future charges.

If you're on the Free tier, you only have access to the 2025 and 2468 categories. Other categories will show as locked with "(Upgrade)" next to them.

If you've recently upgraded and still don't see all categories:

1. Try refreshing the page
2. Log out and log back in
3. Clear your browser cache

If the problem persists after upgrading, please contact support.

This message appears when you modify your tiles after running an analysis. Simply click the "Update Results" button or "Find Patterns" again to refresh the results with your current tiles.

If you're having trouble logging in:

1. Make sure you're using the correct email address
2. Check that your password is correct (passwords are case-sensitive)
3. Try clearing your browser cache and cookies
4. Try using a different browser

If you've forgotten your password, please contact support for assistance with resetting it.

Try these steps to fix display issues:

1. Refresh the page (Ctrl+R or Cmd+R)
2. Hard refresh (Ctrl+Shift+R or Cmd+Shift+R)
3. Clear browser cache and reload
4. Try a different browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge)
5. Check your internet connection

The app works best on modern browsers with JavaScript enabled.

Payment processing usually takes just a few seconds, but occasionally there can be delays. Try these steps:

1. Wait a few minutes and refresh the page
2. Log out and log back in
3. Check your email for a payment confirmation from Stripe
4. Check your bank statement to confirm the charge went through

If you were charged but still don't have access after 15 minutes, please contact support with your payment confirmation email.