The lessons · lesson 2 of 11

The tiles

The three suits, four of every tile, the winds and dragons, the flowers and jokers: all 152.

1. The three suits

   Most tiles come in three suits, and each suit runs from 1 to 9. The first suit is Bams: sticks of bamboo. The 1 Bam is drawn as a bird, but it is still a 1. The second suit is Craks. You never need to read the writing: the number in the corner tells you which tile it is. The third suit is Dots. The circles count the number.

   A 24-second video, with captions.

2. Find the 1 Bam

   The 1 Bam looks like none of the other Bams.

   Which of these is the 1 Bam? Yes. The bird is the 1 Bam.

3. Four of every tile

   There are four of every tile. Four 5 Bams, four 5 Craks, and four 5 Dots. Three suits, nine numbers, four of each. That makes 108 tiles.

   A 14-second video, with captions.

4. Make four of a kind

   Four of a kind is four of the same tile: the same number in the same suit. Make four 7 Dots.

   You try it. You build this from a tray of tiles, and a wrong tile tells you why.

5. Winds and dragons

   Four tiles are winds: East, South, West and North. They have no number and no suit. Like every tile, there are four of each wind. Three tiles are dragons: Red, Green and White. Players call the White dragon Soap. Each dragon goes with a suit. Red goes with Craks, Green with Bams, and Soap with Dots.

   A 24-second video, with captions.

6. Which dragon goes with Dots?

   Each dragon goes with one suit.

   Which dragon goes with Dots? Yes. Soap, the White dragon, goes with Dots.

7. Flowers, jokers, and all 152

   There are eight flowers. In some sets each one has its own picture, but any flower counts as a flower. There are eight jokers. A joker stands in for a tile you are missing. The next lesson shows where a joker can go. Altogether: 108 suit tiles, 16 winds, 12 dragons, 8 flowers and 8 jokers. 152 tiles.

   A 27-second video, with captions.

8. Sort the tiles that have no number

   Winds, dragons and flowers have no number and no suit. Put each one with its kind.

   You try it. You build this from a tray of tiles, and a wrong tile tells you why.