Matching Dragons in American Mahjong Hands
American mahjong uses standard dragon-to-suit relationships: red dragon matches craks, green dragon matches bams, and white dragon matches dots. These relationships matter whenever a card line asks for a matching dragon, because the required dragon changes with the physical suit assigned to that part of the hand.
The Three Matching Relationships
- Red dragon
- Matches the crak or character suit.
- Green dragon
- Matches the bam or bamboo suit.
- White dragon
- Matches the dot or circle suit.
Apply the Relationship After Assigning the Suit
When a card line uses colors, first decide which physical suit each color represents. Then choose the dragon that matches that physical suit. Do not choose a dragon merely because its printed ink color resembles the card color.
For example, if one printed color is assigned to dots, the matching dragon for that portion of the hand is white dragon. If the same printed color is instead assigned to craks in another legal mapping, the matching dragon becomes red.
Matching Dragon Versus Any Dragon
Matching Dragon Requirement
The dragon must correspond to the assigned suit: red with craks, green with bams, or white with dots.
Any Dragon Requirement
The line permits a dragon choice without tying it to one suit relationship. Follow the exact wording and symbols on the current card.
A Reliable Reading Sequence
- Identify the printed suit colors.
- Assign each color to dots, bams, or craks.
- Locate any dragon group beside that suit structure.
- Determine whether the line requires a matching dragon.
- Select red, green, or white according to the physical suit.
- Recheck the line before exposing the group.
Matching-Dragon Questions
Does red dragon match the red color printed on the card?
Not automatically. It matches the crak suit. Printed card colors describe suit relationships, not literal dragon colors.
What suit matches white dragon?
White dragon matches the dot suit.
Can a joker replace a dragon?
A joker may normally be used in an eligible dragon pung, kong, quint, or sextet, but not in a dragon single or pair.