What Is the Charleston in American Mahjong?
The Charleston is a short tile-passing phase that happens right after the deal and before ordinary drawing and discarding begin. Once the walls are built and the tiles are dealt, every player selects a few tiles they don't want and passes them to a neighbour, receiving new tiles in return.
Its purpose is practical: your starting hand is random, so the Charleston gives the whole table one structured chance to trade away tiles that don't fit any hand on the card and pick up tiles that might. It is one of the features that makes American Mahjong feel different from other variants, and it rewards flexible thinking rather than a single locked-in plan.
The Charleston is not a separate game β it is a brief warm-up that shapes your hand before the first draw. Once it is finished, regular play begins and East makes the first discard. For the full game context, see our complete beginner's guide.
The Charleston Passing Order at a Glance
There are three pieces to know: the required first Charleston, the optional second Charleston, and the optional courtesy pass. The reference table below shows the direction each one travels.
| Phase | Direction | Required? | Tiles per pass |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Charleston | Right β Across β Left | Required (4-player) | 3 |
| Second Charleston | Left β Across β Right | Optional (all agree) | 3 |
| Courtesy pass | Across (opposite pair) | Optional (by agreement) | 0β3 |
- First Charleston (required)
- Right β Across β Left
- Second Charleston (optional)
- Left β Across β Right
- Courtesy pass (optional)
- Across Β· 0β3 by agreement
- Never pass
- Jokers
First Charleston β The Three Required Passes
In a standard four-player game the first Charleston is required. It is made up of three passes of three tiles each, all exchanged face-down at the same time. Here is each pass from your seat's point of view.
- 1
Pass right β three tiles
Choose three tiles from your hand and pass them face-down to the player on your right. Every player does this simultaneously, so each seat both gives three tiles and receives three from their left.
- 2
Pass across β three tiles
Choose three tiles and pass them to the player directly across from you. Add the three you just received to your hand before deciding what to send next.
- 3
Pass left β three tiles (blind pass allowed)
Choose three tiles and pass them to the player on your left. This final leftward pass is the first place a blind pass is permitted β see the next section for how that works.
After the third pass the first Charleston is complete. By the end, each player has passed out nine tiles and received nine in return. East participates in the Charleston just like every other player β East only acts first once regular play begins, because East holds the extra 14th tile.
Second Charleston β When and How It Works
The second Charleston is optional. It only happens if all four players agree to do it. Before it begins, any player may simply decline; if even one player declines, the whole table skips the second Charleston and moves on to the courtesy pass (or straight into regular play).
When the table does go ahead, the three passes run in the reverse direction: Left β Across β Right, again three tiles each. The final rightward pass is the second place a blind pass is allowed.
The clean rule is that any player can stop the second Charleston before it starts. Once all four players have agreed and the first leftward pass has actually been exchanged, the three passes are normally carried through. The precise point at which a started second Charleston becomes binding is one place where published rules and local house or tournament rules can differ, so confirm your table's convention if it matters to your group. (Flagged for editorial review.)
What Is a Blind Pass?
A blind pass lets you forward the three tiles you just received without looking at them, instead of choosing three tiles from your own hand. It is allowed only on the final pass of each Charleston β the last left pass of the first Charleston, and the last right pass of the second.
Here is the idea in plain terms: on the final left pass, you receive three face-down tiles from your right neighbour. Rather than opening your hand to pick three tiles to give away, you simply slide those same three unseen tiles along to your left neighbour. Your outgoing pass still totals exactly three tiles β you are just choosing not to inspect them first.
You may never knowingly pass a Joker during the Charleston. Because a blind pass forwards tiles you have not examined, you are not knowingly passing a Joker β that is the whole point of the distinction. What you may never do is deliberately pick a Joker out of your own hand and pass it on.
What Is the Courtesy Pass?
After the Charleston is finished β whether or not the second one was played β the two pairs of players sitting directly across from each other may make a courtesy pass. It is optional and runs by agreement between the two opposite players only.
- It happens between the two players directly across from each other.
- Both players agree on how many tiles to exchange β 0, 1, 2, or 3.
- The lower number the pair agrees on is how many each actually passes; if they can't agree or one says zero, no courtesy pass happens for that pair.
- Each opposite pair makes its own independent decision.
The same Joker restriction applies: Jokers may not be knowingly passed during a courtesy pass either.
Can You Pass Jokers or Flowers?
Jokers β no
Jokers may never be knowingly passed during the Charleston or the courtesy pass. Deliberately passing a Joker is a rules violation; if it is discovered the hand is typically declared dead. Keep your Jokers in your hand until regular play.
Flowers β yes
Flowers may be passed. Because all eight Flowers are interchangeable in American Mahjong, a Flower that doesn't help your target hand is often a safe tile to pass along. You might also keep one if a hand you're considering calls for Flowers β it's a strategic choice, not a rule.
How to Choose Which Tiles to Pass
There is no single correct way to choose your passes β good players disagree all the time. The goal during the Charleston is to keep your options open, not to solve the hand. A few beginner-friendly habits help.
- Identify potentially useful suits. After the deal, glance at which suits show up most and which appear in several hands on the card you might aim for.
- Keep several hands in mind. Don't lock onto one line immediately. Tiles that serve two or three possible hands are more valuable than tiles that fit only one.
- Avoid premature commitment. The Charleston is early; committing your whole plan before you've seen what arrives usually costs flexibility.
- Hold flexible tiles, pass narrow ones. A tile that only helps one very specific hand is a natural pass candidate; a tile that could slot into several is worth keeping.
- Reassess after each pass. Add the incoming tiles to your hand and look again before choosing the next pass. Every exchange can change the picture.
No choice here guarantees a win β the deal and the discards still matter. Treat the Charleston as a way to nudge your hand toward something playable, not to force a result.
Common Charleston Mistakes
Passing a Joker
The single most important rule: never knowingly pass a Joker during the Charleston or courtesy pass. Keep Jokers in your hand until regular play.
Forgetting the direction
Mixing up the order is the most common slip. Say the rhyme each time: "Right, Across, Left; Left, Across, Right."
Passing the wrong number of tiles
Each Charleston pass is exactly three tiles. The courtesy pass may be 0β3 by agreement, but the Charleston passes are fixed at three.
Committing to one hand too early
Picking a single line before the passes are done locks you in. Stay flexible and let the arriving tiles inform your plan.
Assuming the second Charleston is automatic
The second Charleston only happens if all four agree. Don't start passing until the table has agreed, and don't assume it's happening.
Passing tiles that break your best option
Think about what you keep, not only what you give away. The more common mistake is giving up a tile you'll soon need.
Charleston Practice Example
Here is a short, fictional walkthrough to show how one player might think through the first Charleston. The tiles are illustrative only β they are not a real hand from the annual card, and this is not a complete hand-building strategy.
Imagine you're dealt a mix that is heavy on Bams and Dots, with a Joker, two Flowers, and a few Craks that don't seem to fit anything you'd aim for.
- Pass 1 (right): you send the two Craks and a Dot you don't need, keeping your Bams and the Joker. You keep the Joker no matter what.
- Pass 2 (across): after adding what arrived, you pass a Flower and two more tiles that don't suit your emerging Bams-and-Dots idea.
- Pass 3 (left): with your plan clearer, you pass three tiles that don't fit it β or you blind-pass the three you just received if you'd rather not overthink it.
The point is the thinking: keep the Joker, keep the suits that appear in several possible hands, and trade away the tiles that only serve one narrow line. There is no guaranteed right answer β only better-informed guesses.
Practice What You've Learned
Reading the rules is a great start; practising them is what makes them stick. We're building an interactive Charleston exercise that will help you remember the passing directions and practise simple tile-selection decisions at your own pace.
Interactive Charleston trainer β coming soon
This exercise is not available yet. In the meantime, build your tile-recognition skills with our live Tile Recognition Trainer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Charleston required?
In standard four-player American Mahjong, the first Charleston is required. The second Charleston and the courtesy pass are both optional.
What direction do you pass first?
Right. The first Charleston is Right, Across, Left. The second (optional) Charleston reverses it: Left, Across, Right.
Can you stop the second Charleston?
Yes β before it begins, any player may decline and the whole table skips it. Once all four have agreed and the first pass has been exchanged, the three passes are normally completed; confirm your local or tournament rule if it matters.
Can you pass a Joker?
No. Jokers may never be knowingly passed during the Charleston or the courtesy pass. A blind pass forwards unseen tiles and so does not knowingly pass a Joker.
When can you blind pass?
Only on the final pass of each Charleston: the last left pass of the first Charleston, and the last right pass of the second. You forward the three tiles you just received without looking at them.
How many tiles can you courtesy pass?
Zero to three, agreed with the player directly across from you. The lower number the pair agrees on is how many each passes; each opposite pair decides independently.
Can you pass Flowers?
Yes. Flowers may be passed during the Charleston and are often good pass candidates when they don't help your target hand.
Does East participate in the Charleston?
Yes. East passes tiles just like every other player. East only acts first once regular play begins, because East holds the extra 14th tile.
Sources & Further Reading
These rules were cross-checked against established American Mahjong instructional resources. We paraphrase rather than copy, and we do not reproduce the National Mah Jongg League's copyrighted annual card.
- American Mahjong Association β American Mah-Jongg Rules
- American Mahjong Association β The Charleston (instructional guide)
- The Mahjong Press β American Mahjong Rules FAQ
- National Mah Jongg League β official annual card and rules (publisher)