In this lesson
- Sort a rack so you can see what you have
- Choose a section of the card to aim at
- Pass tiles in the Charleston in the right order
- Decide what to keep and what to give away
Sort your rack
A dealt hand looks like chaos until it is sorted. Put pairs and anything you have three of at one end, then each suit in number order, then Winds and Dragons at the other end. The pairs come first for a reason: Jokers can never stand in for a pair, so the pairs you already hold decide which hands are realistically possible.
Choosing a hand
Do not pick one exact line yet. Aim at a section of the card, a family of similar hands, and keep two or three possibilities alive. Look for:
- Pairs and pungs you already hold.
- Patterns: lots of even numbers, consecutive numbers, or the same number in two suits.
- How many tiles each possibility still needs. The fewer, the better.
The Charleston
Before anyone draws, players pass unwanted tiles in a set order. It is how you trade your worst tiles for, with luck, better ones.
- The first Charleston, always played.
Pass three tiles to the right, three across, then three to the left.
- The second Charleston, optional.
Pass left, across, then right. Any one player may stop it before it starts, without giving a reason.
- The courtesy pass, optional.
You and the player opposite may swap 0 to 3 tiles. You both pass the same number; if you want different numbers, the smaller one is used. It happens even if the second Charleston was stopped.
Two rules never change: never pass a Joker, and always pass exactly three tiles except in the courtesy pass. If you cannot find three tiles to give away on the first Left or the last Right, you may make a blind pass: send on one, two or three of the tiles being passed to you, without looking at them.
What to pass
- Keep Jokers, natural pairs, and tiles that fit more than one of your possible hands.
- Pass lone tiles that connect to nothing, and Winds or Dragons you hold only one of.
- Pass a mix where you can. Three strongly related tiles, such as consecutive numbers in one suit, help whoever receives them.
The full Charleston guide covers the strategy in more depth.
Try it
In the Solo Practice Hand, look at the practice card after your deal: each line shows how many tiles it still needs. Choosing the closest line is exactly the skill this lesson teaches. Then try Numbers mode in the Tile Trainer to practice seeing the same number across suits.
Check yourself
Answer in your head, then open each one to check.
What is the order of the first Charleston?
Right, across, left.
Who can stop the second Charleston?
Any one player, without giving a reason.
When is a blind pass allowed?
Only on the first Left and the last Right.
Can you ever pass a Joker?
No, in any pass, including the courtesy pass.
In the courtesy pass you want to swap three and your partner wants one. What happens?
You both pass one. The smaller number is used.