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MAHJ — Lesson 17

When to Switch Hands

Stay flexible early, commit at the right moment

Goal: Know exactly when to stick with your primary hand, when to pivot to a backup, and how NMJL®'s exposure rule makes the timing critical

Estimated time: 8–11 minutesNeedsLesson 16UnlocksLesson 18

Why it matters: Consistent winners aren't the ones with the best starting tiles — they're the ones who commit at the right moment and never chase a losing hand.

Section 1 of 4

The Lock-In Rule

The Most Important Rule First

One NMJL® rule makes every hand-switching decision permanent:

The rule

The moment you expose a group — Pung, Kong, Quint, or Sextet — every hand you can still play must include that group. You can switch, but only to a hand that also uses it.

Example: you expose a pung of 3 Bam. From now on, the only hands you can still finish are ones that use that exact Pung of 3 Bam — everything else is off the table.

So this lesson is really about choosing wisely before that first call.