The Charleston in Mahjong: A Simple Guide
The Charleston is the tile swap that happens after the deal and before the first discard. It's unique to American mahjong and helps everyone move toward a hand.
First Charleston (required)
- Pass three tiles to the player on your right.
- Pass three tiles to the player across.
- Pass three tiles to the player on your left.
On the last pass you may "blind pass": send on tiles you just received without looking, if you want to keep your own.
Second Charleston (optional)
If every player agrees, repeat in reverse: left, across, right. Any player can stop the second Charleston.
Courtesy pass
Finally, players sitting across from each other may agree to swap up to three tiles.
Rules to remember
- Jokers are never passed.
- Pass face down and keep the rhythm going so the game moves fast.
Strategy tips
- Keep pairs and jokers; pass lonely tiles that don't fit any hand.
- Pick two or three target hands after the first pass.
Next: the full how to play mahjong walkthrough, or how to set up mahjong.