Mahjong Island Joker strategy comes down to one rule. Use each Joker in a Set (three matching tiles) or a bigger group. Keep real tiles for your Pairs and Singles. A Joker can never fill a Single or a Pair, so those spots need the real thing.
Every game deals 8 Jokers, each a different kind.
Where should a Joker go?
A Joker belongs in a Set or bigger group, never a Pair or Single. Say your hand needs a Pair of 5s and a Quad of 8s. You hold one 5, three 8s, and a Joker.
Keep every Joker you get
You can never pass a Joker in the Charleston, so every Joker you are dealt stays with you. A discarded Joker is dead, and nobody can take it. Throwing one away gives up a stand-in for good.
For more on letting one go, read can you discard a Joker in Mahjong Island.
Watch for a Joker to swap
Other players can hand you a Joker without meaning to. On your turn, you may swap a real tile for a Joker in any Open Group, a face-up group on the table. This works when the Joker stands for that tile. The lesson Swap for the win shows how.
One habit for your next hand
After the deal, find the 2 or 3 hands on the card your tiles are closest to. Count your Jokers only toward their Sets and bigger groups. Then check that real tiles cover every Pair and Single. If a hand needs Jokers in those spots, it is further away than it looks.
To see how Jokers fit the bigger plan, read the Mahjong Island Jokers and Bonus Hands guide or Mahjong Island strategy for beginners.