When a new card comes out, the bots learn it instantly, whereas it takes us humans longer. So it's expected that during that time of year, we may struggle more.

But the bots have no unfair advantage: they play with the same knowledge as other players (ie discards and exposures). The higher the bot level, the more advanced strategies they will apply (including defensive strategies). It's similar to playing with experienced players vs beginners.

Remember also there are 3 bots and one of you, so all else being equal, you'd expect the bots to win 3 times more games than you collectively. Since about 10% of games end in a wall game, a 22.5% win rate is expected with players of equal level. And this is indeed what we observe on average across the platform. We have experienced players who have a higher win rate, while some players (perhaps earlier on their mah jongg journey) may be below.

We encourage all players to spend time in the Exercise Room (especially this time of year). It's designed to help learn the card faster and make better hand decisions. It's also useful for learning to identify other players' hands, so you can thwart their efforts. We also encourage players to work on strategy. To that effect, please have a look at our strategy guide (https://www.ilovemahj.com/american-mahjong-strategy) and for insights specific to the 2026 card, please read our card analysis (https://www.ilovemahj.com/nmjl-2026-analysis)