In Episode 6 of our Mahj 101 series, we're tackling The Charleston and Courtesy Pass. The Charleston is unique to American Mahjong — a little “tile dance” before gameplay begins.
What's the Purpose of the Charleston? It's a chance to pass junk, collect useful tiles, and refine your hand into a single mahjong line.
How to Remember the Charleston Sequence: R.O.L.L.O.R. → Right, Over, Left (option to STOP) Left, Over, Right
How and When to Do Blind Passes: Pass along tiles from another player if you don't have enough to pass. Can only be done on the first left or second right (the final passes of each Charleston).
How to do the Courtesy Pass: Agree with opposite player to pass between 0–3 tiles. This is your last chance to exchange.
Strategy Tip: Before the Charleston starts, choose a section of the NMJL Card. Collect tiles that work for that section during the Charleston. After each pass, try to start refining into a single hand on the card.
After the Charleston and Courtesy Pass, you’re ready for live mahjong gameplay. Make sure you do't miss an episode of Mahj 101--they're designed to get you started playig mahjong without hiring an istructor:
- Episode 1: What is American Mahjong
- Episode 2: The Tiles Explained
- Episode 3: How to Read and Play the NMJL Card
- Episode 4: How to Set Up a Game of Mahjong & How to Deal
- Episode 5: How to Organize Your Tiles & Choose a Section of the NMJL Card
- Episode 6: The Charleston & Courtesy Pass (This is the one you're watching now!)
- Episode 7: Mahjong Gameplay Basics
- Episode 8: How to Win Mahjong & Scoring/Betting