Across Pass

A Charleston pass where each player simultaneously sends 3 tiles to the player sitting directly across the table. It is the second pass in both the First and Second Charleston sequences.

What Is the Across Pass?

The across pass is the second of three directional passes in each round of the Charleston. During an across pass, each player selects 3 tiles from their hand and passes them face-down to the player sitting directly across the table. Simultaneously, each player receives 3 tiles from that same opposite player, making the across pass a direct two-way exchange between pairs of opponents.

The across pass holds the same position in both rounds:

• As the second pass of the First Charleston (right, across, left)
• As the second pass of the Second Charleston (left, across, right)

Unlike the right pass and left pass, where tiles go to one player and come from a different player, the across pass is symmetric, you send to and receive from the same person. This creates a unique dynamic where both players are directly shaping each other's hands in a single exchange.

Strategic Considerations

The across pass has several distinctive strategic qualities:

Direct exchange dynamic: Because you're trading directly with your across-the-table opponent, the tiles you pass go straight to them with no intermediary. If you pass three Bam tiles across, that opponent receives all three. This direct connection means you're more directly influencing (and being influenced by) one specific player compared to the right or left passes.

Mid-sequence positioning: The across pass occurs after the first pass of each round, meaning you've already received one set of 3 tiles. By this point, your hand has started to shift from its dealt state. Use this additional information, the tiles you received in the first pass may change which tiles you want to send across.

Information leakage: Because the across exchange is two-way with one player, that opponent sees exactly what you chose to discard. If you pass three Dragons across, your opponent knows you're not pursuing a Dragons hand. Over the course of the Charleston, the player across from you accumulates the most direct information about your passing tendencies.

Courtesy pass preview: After the Charleston, the courtesy pass is also an exchange with the player across from you. The tiles they pass you during the across pass may give you a sense of what they have available for the courtesy pass, and vice versa. If they're sending you tiles from a specific suit, they may continue doing so in the courtesy pass.

The across pass is also the pass that immediately precedes the blind pass opportunity in the Second Charleston. The tiles you receive from the across pass in the second round are the ones you may choose to blind pass during the subsequent right pass.