American Mahjong Charleston: Pass Order Guide

The Charleston is the signature opening ritual of American Mahjong: before normal drawing and discarding begins, all four players exchange unwanted tiles in a set pattern. It can feel like a fast directional puzzle the first few times you play, but the structure is reassuringly consistent once you separate the required passes from the optional ones.

This guide covers the standard Charleston used in common NMJL-style American Mah Jongg. It explains the exact passing order, when a blind pass is allowed, how the courtesy pass works, and which choices are strategy rather than rules. It does not reproduce any hand from an annual card.

Charleston Rules at a Glance

• First Charleston: required in ordinary four-player play; pass Right, then Across, then Left.
• Second Charleston: played only if all four players agree; pass Left, then Across, then Right.
• Every regular pass: exactly three tiles, kept face-down.
• Blind pass: available only on the final pass of either Charleston, while still passing three tiles in total.
• Courtesy pass: an optional final exchange across the table of zero, one, two, or three tiles; the player who wants fewer determines the number for that pair.
• Jokers: never passed during the Charleston, including the courtesy pass.

If you are learning the entire round rather than this opening phase alone, begin with How to Play American Mahjong. For help identifying what is on your rack, use our visual guide to American Mahjong tiles.

When Does the Charleston Begin?

After the walls are built and the tiles are dealt, East has 14 tiles and the other players each have 13. Everyone organizes her rack and scans the current card for several possible directions. Then the Charleston begins. Normal play has not started yet; East does not make the opening discard until the Charleston and any courtesy pass are complete.

Place each group of three tiles face-down and pass before looking at the tiles coming toward you. Keeping that rhythm—choose, place, receive—reduces accidental peeking and makes the table easier to follow.

The First Charleston: Right, Across, Left

The first Charleston is the required sequence in ordinary four-player NMJL-style play. An easy memory cue is RAL: Right, Across, Left.

1. First Right: choose exactly three tiles and pass them face-down to the player on your right.
2. First Across: choose exactly three tiles and pass them face-down to the player directly opposite you.
3. First Left: choose exactly three tiles and pass them face-down to the player on your left.

Do not place a Joker in any of those groups. A Joker may be exceptionally useful later, and the rule is unambiguous: Jokers cannot be passed during the Charleston.

The Second Charleston: Only by Unanimous Agreement

After the required Right–Across–Left sequence—and before any tile in the second Charleston is passed—the group decides whether to continue. The second Charleston happens only if all four players agree; if anyone declines, skip the entire second Charleston and proceed to the courtesy pass.

If everyone agrees to continue, remember that the order reverses around the two across passes: Left, Across, Right.

1. Second Left: exactly three face-down tiles to the player on your left.
2. Second Across: exactly three face-down tiles to the player opposite you.
3. Second Right: exactly three face-down tiles to the player on your right.

Once the second Charleston has properly begun and players have viewed the incoming tiles, the group completes that sequence. Do not treat the optional second Charleston as a pass-by-pass decision.

How the Blind Pass Works

A blind pass—sometimes called a “steal”—helps when you cannot find three tiles you are comfortable giving away. It is permitted only on the third and final pass of a Charleston:

• the Left pass at the end of the first Charleston; or
• the Right pass at the end of the optional second Charleston.

On that final pass, you may take one, two, or three of the tiles just passed to you and send them onward without looking at their faces. Add enough tiles from your own rack so the outgoing pass still contains exactly three tiles. For example, you might send two unseen incoming tiles plus one tile from your rack. The blind pass does not reduce the required total.

You may not inspect an incoming tile and then call it “blind.” You also cannot use a blind pass during a Right or Across pass earlier in the sequence. These timing limits are rules, not table preferences.

How the Courtesy Pass Works

After the Charleston sequence ends—after the first Charleston if the group stops there, or after the second if everyone chose to continue—opposite players may make one optional courtesy pass. Each pair across the table decides independently whether to exchange zero, one, two, or three tiles.

The smaller number controls. If you want to pass three but the player across from you wants to pass one, you each pass one face-down tile. If either player wants zero, that pair makes no exchange. The other pair at the table may agree on a different number.

Courtesy tiles also remain face-down, and Jokers still cannot be passed. Once the courtesy pass is complete, East discards and normal counterclockwise play begins.

Charleston Strategy for Beginners

The ideas in this section are strategy, not rules. You may make different choices and still complete a perfectly legal Charleston.

Keep More Than One Direction Open

Early in the Charleston, avoid forcing your rack toward one exact card line unless the tiles strongly support it. Two related possibilities often share numbers, suits, Flowers, or Winds. Those overlaps give you more useful incoming tiles and fewer painful passing decisions.

Pass Isolated Tiles Before Flexible Ones

A lone number with no nearby support is often easier to release than a tile that works in several possible hands. Group your rack visually before each pass and look for duplicates, neighboring numbers, matching Dragons, and special tiles that appear in more than one candidate line.

Reassess After Every Pass

The goal is not to defend the plan you had at the start. If an across pass brings three tiles that clearly support a different section of the card, pause and compare the new route. The Charleston is valuable precisely because it can change your best option.

Use the Current Card, Not Memory

The National Mah Jongg League changes its Standard Hands and Rules Card annually. Check suit relationships, group sizes, and whether a hand is marked concealed or exposed before deciding which tiles are expendable. Our guide to reading an American Mahjong card explains the notation without reproducing any annual hand.

Common Charleston Mistakes

• Starting in the wrong direction. The first pass goes Right; the optional second Charleston begins Left.
• Picking up before passing. Select and place your outgoing tiles before viewing what arrives.
• Passing fewer than three in a regular pass. Every standard pass totals exactly three, including one that uses blind tiles.
• Blind passing too early. Blind passes belong only on First Left or Second Right.
• Assuming the second Charleston is automatic. It requires unanimous agreement.
• Passing a Joker. Jokers stay on your rack throughout every Charleston phase.
• Treating strategy as law. Advice about which suits, Winds, or Flowers to keep is judgment, not a rules requirement.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the easiest way to remember the Charleston order?

Remember RAL for the required first Charleston: Right, Across, Left. If all four players agree to a second Charleston, reverse the outside directions: Left, Across, Right.

How many tiles do you pass in the Charleston?

Exactly three face-down tiles in every regular pass. A blind pass can supply some or all of those tiles, but the outgoing total remains three. The separate courtesy pass may contain zero through three.

Can you pass a Joker during the courtesy pass?

No. A Joker cannot be passed during any part of the Charleston, including the optional courtesy pass.

Does every table have to play the second Charleston?

No. It happens only when all four players agree. The first Charleston remains the ordinary required sequence.

Where can I verify the official framework?

The National Mah Jongg League explains that American Mah Jongg begins with the Charleston and uses an annually updated card. Use the current official card and rule guidance for current-year details, and ask before play begins whether your group follows any house or tournament variations.

This guide explains common NMJL-style American Mah Jongg for beginners. The current official card determines legal hands, values, and current rule details. House and tournament rules may differ. Moira Mahjong is not affiliated with or endorsed by the National Mah Jongg League.