The Birdie Card: Beginner and Leveled Play Mahjong

The Birdie Card was thoughtfully designed to remove the barriers to learning Mahjong. Created by Certified Mahjong Instructor Sarah Nazarian, this simplified card helps beginners gain confidence and joy in playing the game — and also provides a way to level up your play as you advance! Each Birdie Card includes only a concise selection of hands making it easier to focus and reducing the overwhelm that often comes with learning.

An additional optional panel includes the more complex addition hands, year, quint, and singles and pairs hands. There is a level for everyone and you can level-up as you increase your skills! Every detail has been refined with beginners in mind:

• Simple groupings — most hands use 3–4 tile groupings, making it easy to call for Jokers and avoid tricky singles and pairs.
• Minimal singles
• Helpful symbols — each line includes an icon, making it easy to track your chosen hand and clearly communicate your winning line to others. This is an especially helpful tool for beginners!
• Exposed hands only — eliminating the frustration of concealed hands while you’re still building skills.
• Easy pivoting — hands are intentionally designed to make switching between lines simple, boosting early success and confidence.
• Levels of play — an additional panel of options for those wanting to advance.

The Birdie Card also includes a leveled learning system that builds understanding and skill in a fun, approachable way—helping beginners feel capable, confident, and ready to call “Mahjong!”