Charleston
The Charleston is the tile pass before play in American Mahjong: three tiles right, then across, then left, with an optional second round and a courtesy pass.
Definition
The Charleston is the series of tile passes that happens before play begins in American Mahjong. In the first Charleston, every player passes three tiles to the right, then three across the table, then three to the left.
A second Charleston may follow in the reverse order: left, then across, then right. It is optional, and any player may stop it. Last comes an optional courtesy pass, where you and the player across from you may trade zero to three tiles, as many as the two of you agree on.
Two rules surprise new players. Jokers may never be passed during the Charleston. And on the last pass of each Charleston (the first left and the second right), you may "blind pass," handing on some or all of the tiles you just received without looking at them.
How It Works in Gameplay
The Charleston is your first chance to shape your hand. Before passing, study the current NMJL card and pick one or two hands you might go for. Pass tiles that don't fit your plan and keep the ones that do. Because tiles arrive from other players, your hand can change a lot, so stay flexible.
Example
You're dealt several Bams and two Flowers, so you lean toward a hand that uses Bams. On the first pass, to the right, you send away three Winds you don't need. From the player on your left, you receive two Dots and a Crak. On the across pass, you send those Dots and the Crak along. By the end of the Charleston, your mixed-up hand is pointing toward one line on the card.
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