HAND LIMITATIONS AND FLEXIBILITY (Article 65)  

Commentary: The text in the parentheses describes flexibility or limitation. Here are some examples:

• When the phrase “any wind, any dragon, any number” for a hand and it’s shown in one color, the dragon does not need to correspond to the number tile suit.
• When the phrase “any run” is in the parentheses for a hand, you can start the sequence with any number 1-9.
• When the phrase “any like kong” is in the parentheses for a hand, it means that the kongs (four of a kind) must be the same number in different suits.
• When the phrase “these numbers only” is in the parentheses for a hand, the numbers are to be taken at face value.

Question from a player:  What does “any like kongs” mean?  
 
Answer from the NMJL:  “YES.  The Kongs must be played with matching numbers. They must be 1’s, 2’s or 8’s in the 2018 hand and must be 3’s, 6’s or 9’s i n the 369 hand.”  

Source:   National Mah Jongg League Website FAQ 2019 

Source for other answers: National Mah Jongg League Bulletin Q&A (1983 page 4, 1984, 1985, 1987 page 4, 1990 page 5, 1993 page 12, 2005, 2019)