How to Make the Most of the Charleston

The Charleston is a component of American mahjong that was introduced in the 1920s when the game took off in the U.S. While there’s no definitive origin story, many attribute the name to the eponymous dance craze that was popular in that decade. And that makes sense. Mahjong’s Charleston involves moving from left to across to right and back again, much like the dance itself.

For newbies, understanding the Charleston is often a stressful task that involves a lot of memorization: Left, across, right. Right, across, left. Blind passes permitted on the first right and last left. But for more seasoned players, the Charleston is an opportunity to put your skills into action and to lay the groundwork for defensive play.

Most experts agree that there’s no need to settle on your hand during the Charleston. Instead, it’s your opportunity to narrow down trends on your rack. If you have a lot of tiles of the same suit and within a small number range, you may want to keep a consecutive run in mind. If you start with a lot of winds or dragons, you may want to scope out the winds and dragons section of the card. If your hand is a disparate mess, start looking for patterns with odd and even numbers so you can potentially go for a 2468, 13579, or 369 hand. But there’s no need to stress. Usually after a few turns around the board once game play begins, your hand will start coming together.

Some experts caution against passing flowers and dragons during the Charleston. They can be a benefit to other players, so proceed with caution when passing them. However, if your hand is strong and you're certain you won't need them, passing them can be an option. And don't forget — if your hand is strong from the get go, you may want to consider ending the Charleston after the first round (the first pass to the left).

One important strategy during the Charleston for seasoned players is to keep an eye out for what’s being passed and what’s not coming back around. For example, if you pass a couple of winds and none come back to you, that means one of your opponents may be collecting them. Similarly if certain tiles keep coming around, that may be your opportunity to grab them up. Trying to figure out exactly which tiles your opponents are keeping is difficult if not impossible, but you can still get a good sense of how the game is shaping up.

Perhaps most important, however, is not to give up if you end the Charleston with a whole bunch of nothing. There’s plenty of time during the game to get your act together and make a comeback.