The Charleston in American mahjong
The Charleston is an exchange of tiles before the first discard. Each pass is three tiles. The first Charleston is compulsory: right, across, left. The second Charleston is optional: left, across, right. Then you can make a courtesy pass of 0 to 3 tiles with the player across. You may never pass a joker.
Last checked: 14 November 2026. Sources: public pages on the League rules. See how American Mahjong Coach is made.
The passes in order
- RightFirst Charleston. Compulsory. Three tiles to the player on your right.
- AcrossFirst Charleston. Compulsory. Three tiles to the player opposite you.
- LeftFirst Charleston. Compulsory. A blind pass is allowed here.
- LeftSecond Charleston. Optional. One player can stop it before this pass.
- AcrossSecond Charleston.
- RightSecond Charleston. A blind pass is allowed here.
Then comes the courtesy pass: across, 0 to 3 tiles, optional.
A memory word for the six directions is ROLLOR: Right, Over, Left, Left, Over, Right.
The rules of each pass
- Each pass is exactly three tiles, face down.
- Pass your own three tiles first. Then pick up the tiles that you received.
- You may pass any tile except a joker. A flower, a wind, a dragon and a pair are all legal passes.
- You cannot take a pass back.
No jokers
You may never pass a joker in the Charleston. If you receive a joker, give it back at once. The other player then passes another tile.
Teachers' sites say that the same is true for the courtesy pass. We found no League text that names the courtesy pass.
The second Charleston and the stop
The second Charleston happens only if no player stops it. Any one player can stop it, and that player needs no reason. One "no" is enough for all four players.
The moment to say it is after the first Left pass (pass 3), before the next pass starts. Sources word the last possible moment in different ways. To be safe, say it before any player picks up tiles of pass 4.
The first Charleston cannot be stopped.
The blind pass
A blind pass is allowed on two passes only: the first Left (pass 3) and the last Right (pass 6).
In a blind pass you do not look at some of the tiles that come to you. You pass 1, 2 or 3 of them on, face down, and you add your own tiles to make three.
- You may not look at a tile that you pass blind.
- All four players can pass blind at the same time. One player must start.
Example: you can spare only one tile on pass 3. You take two of the three tiles that come from your right, and you do not look at them. You add your one spare tile. You pass these three tiles to the left.
The courtesy pass
After the Charleston, you and the player across can exchange tiles one more time. This is also true when a player stopped the second Charleston.
- Each of you says a number: 0, 1, 2 or 3.
- The lower number counts. If you say 3 and the other player says 1, you exchange one tile.
- Zero is allowed. Nobody has to pass more than they want.
After the Charleston
East has 14 tiles and discards the first tile. Each other player has 13 tiles.
Count your tiles. If a player has a wrong number of tiles before or during the Charleston, all players throw in their tiles and deal again.
Special cases
- If East has a complete hand in the 14 tiles of the deal, East says so at once. Then there is no Charleston.
- With three or two players there is no Charleston in the League rules. Some groups use a table rule for it.
Table rules that differ
Some groups play these in another way. Ask your group.
- A talk about the second Charleston in which all must agree. League rule: one player stops it, with no reason.
- A blind pass on other passes, or on the last Right only. League rule: pass 3 and pass 6.
- A courtesy pass with a neighbour. League rule: across only.
- A joker in the courtesy pass. League rule: never.
What to pass
The rules say only one thing about your choice of tiles: no jokers. All the rest is strategy. Teachers agree on these points:
- The Charleston is for removal. Choose a direction, then pass the tiles that do not fit it.
- Choose two or three sections of the card that your rack fits. Pass the three tiles that fit none of them.
- Do not pass a pair to one player. A pair is hard to make, and it can help that player much.
- Do not pass three tiles that fit together: three like numbers, three numbers in a row, three tiles of one suit, or three winds. Mix your pass.
- If you have three tiles that you can spare, continue with the second Charleston.
- The usual reason to stop is a strong hand with fewer than three spare tiles.
- Use a blind pass when you cannot spare three tiles.
- Look at the tiles that come to you. A tile that comes back again is a tile that nobody wants.
Teachers do not agree on these points:
- Flowers. Most teachers keep them. Other teachers pass a lone flower.
- Winds and dragons. Some teachers pass them freely. Other teachers hold them until they have chosen a hand.
- A pair that fits nothing. Some teachers split it between two players. Other teachers keep it.
- A courtesy pass with a player who stopped the Charleston. Many teachers give nothing, because that player is probably close to a hand. But then you receive nothing too.
Practise it
Drill 4 deals a rack and asks for the three tiles of the first pass. The answer shows the advice, the reason and your nearest hands. You can also print the Charleston sheet.
Related guides
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