Charleston

The tile-passing ritual unique to American Mahjong. Before gameplay begins, players exchange tiles in a specific sequence: right, across, left. An optional second Charleston and courtesy pass may follow.

What Is the Charleston?

The Charleston is a tile-exchanging ritual that takes place before regular gameplay begins. It is unique to American Mahjong and does not exist in Chinese, Japanese, or other variants.

During the Charleston, players simultaneously pass 3 tiles to each other in a specific sequence. The purpose is to improve your starting hand by getting rid of tiles you don't need and hopefully receiving tiles you do need.

The First Charleston

The First Charleston is mandatory and consists of three passes:

1. Right, Pass 3 tiles to the player on your right
2. Across, Pass 3 tiles to the player sitting across from you
3. Left, Pass 3 tiles to the player on your left

All four players pass simultaneously in each step. You cannot look at incoming tiles before selecting your outgoing tiles for the same pass (though in practice, the passes happen quickly enough that this is natural).

The Second Charleston

After the First Charleston, a Second Charleston may be played. The Second Charleston reverses the direction:

1. Left, Pass 3 tiles to the player on your left
2. Across, Pass 3 tiles across
3. Right, Pass 3 tiles to the player on your right

Any player can stop the Second Charleston before it begins by saying "No second Charleston." Once it starts, it must be completed. During the Second Charleston, you may use a blind pass, passing tiles you just received without looking at them.

The Courtesy Pass

After the Charleston(s), the two players sitting across from each other may optionally exchange 0-3 tiles in a courtesy pass. Both players must agree on how many tiles to exchange (0, 1, 2, or 3). If they can't agree on a number, no exchange happens.

The courtesy pass is the final opportunity to improve your hand before play begins.

Charleston Strategy

Key strategic tips for the Charleston:

• Decide on 2-3 potential hands before passing, don't commit to just one
• Pass Winds and Dragons you don't need, they're hard to use in most hands
• Keep Jokers, never pass Jokers during the Charleston
• Track what you pass, tiles you pass right will eventually reach the player on your left (through the across player)
• Use the blind pass in the Second Charleston when you receive tiles you need and can't find 3 to pass