The Charleston
American mahjong, lesson 5. The tile swap before play, and what to pass.
1. The Charleston
Before play starts, everyone trades tiles. You pass 3 tiles at a time.
Pass order: right, then across, then left. First round: right, across, left.
Go to step 12. The rules
- Pass 3 tiles at a time, face down.
- First round: right, then across, then left.
- If everyone agrees, a second round: left, across, right.
- Last, you and the player across may trade 0 to 3 tiles. Agree on the number first. If you want different numbers, use the smaller one. This is the courtesy pass.
- Never pass a joker.
3. Pass right
You're going for this hand. Pick 3 tiles it doesn't need.
Try it: Pick 3 tiles to pass right. Your tiles: Flower, 1 Dot, 1 Dot, 2 Dot, 7 Crak, 3 Dot, Joker, North, Green Dragon, 9 Bam, 2 Dot, 3 Dot, Flower.
Go to step 34. Pass across
Now pass 3 tiles across.
Try it: Pick 3 tiles to pass across. Your tiles: Flower, Flower, 1 Dot, 1 Dot, 1 Dot, 2 Dot, 2 Dot, 9 Bam, 3 Dot, 3 Dot, Joker, 7 Crak, 5 Bam.
Go to step 45. More rules
- On the last pass of a round, you can pass tiles you just got without looking. This is a blind pass.
- After the first round, any player can stop the second round. Then you go straight to the courtesy pass.
6. Quiz: The Charleston
Question: What order is the first round?
Answer: Right, across, left
Question: How many tiles per pass?
Answer: 3
Question: Can you pass this? [Joker]
Answer: No. Never pass a joker.
Question: Which way does the courtesy pass go?
Answer: Across
Question: You're going for this hand. Which tile do you pass? [card line FF 1111 2222 3333]
Answer: 7 Crak. Your hand needs flowers and 1, 2, 3 of one suit.
What this lesson teaches
- Pass 3 tiles right, then across, then left.
- A second round and a courtesy pass are optional.
- Never pass a joker.
