What you'll get from this lesson: Use jokers legally, swap for them, and understand why they’re worth watching.
Jokers are the friendliest tiles in the American game. A wild card can complete a big group you’d otherwise wait ages for — as long as you place it where it’s allowed.
Where a Joker Can (and Can’t) Go
Pung of 5-Dot
✓ joker OK in a group of 3+
Kong of 3-Bam
✓ jokers OK
A pair
✗ no joker in a pair
A single
✗ no joker as a single
Original illustration. Jokers stand in for a tile inside any group of three or more. They may never be used in a pair or as a single tile.
Redeeming a joker
If a joker is sitting in someone’s exposed group and you hold the real tile it’s standing in for, you can redeem it on your turn — trade them the genuine tile and take the joker for your own hand. You can only do this from a face-up exposure, never from a joker hidden on a rack.
Watch out. A discarded joker is dead for the rest of the hand — no one may pick it up. Late in a hand, players sometimes discard a joker on purpose to keep it away from a rival who’s close to winning.
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