Which Mahjong Island hand to play depends on your deal: pick the 2 or 3 hands your tiles are closest to. Here is what that looks like.
You win by finishing one hand on the Island Card, Mahjong Island's own card of hands. A hand is 14 tiles that match one line on the card. The card has 45 hands in 9 sections.
Why chase two or three hands, not one?
Tiles your 2 or 3 hands share help you either way, so keep them. Each hand on the card is written as groups of identical tiles. A Pair is 2 identical tiles, and a Set is 3.
Say your deal holds a Pair of Red Dragons, a Set of North Winds, and one lone Bamboo tile. Two hands you like both use Red Dragons and North Winds. Keep those tiles. Neither hand uses that Bamboo tile, so it is your easiest pass.
When should you settle on one hand?
Settle when the table shows one hand is easier. Tiles in the Discards and in Open Groups (groups other players have laid face up) are gone. Each tile has 4 copies, so counting what shows tells you how many are left. The lesson Count the copies shows how.
One habit for your next hand
Before your first pass, name your 2 or 3 hands to yourself. Then check every tile against that short list. The Charleston is the tile pass before play starts. In the Charleston, pass the tiles your 2 or 3 hands need least.
The lesson Groups and Pairs shows what each hand is built from. For more habits, read Mahjong Island strategy for beginners. To see every line you might chase, browse Mahjong Island winning hands with examples.