Jokers: what they can and can't do

Where a joker can sit

A joker can stand in for any tile in a group of three or more: a pung, a kong, a quint. You may use more than one in the same group.

Where it can't

Never in a pair. Never as a single tile. There are no exceptions.

This is why pairs are precious. Every pair in your hand has to be two real tiles, and you cannot call a discard to make one unless it wins you the hand.

It is also why some hands cannot use jokers at all. A hand made only of singles and pairs has nowhere to put one.

Jokers and calling

A joker in your rack counts toward a call. One real 7 bam plus one joker is enough to call a discarded 7 bam for a pung.

A joker that someone discards is dead. Nobody may call it for anything. That makes a joker the one tile that is always safe to throw, though you will rarely want to.

Jokers are never passed

Not in any pass of the Charleston, and not in the courtesy pass.

The joker exchange

When any player has a joker in a group exposed on top of their rack, that joker can be taken.

1. It must be your own turn, after you draw and before you discard.
2. You must hold the real tile the joker is standing in for.
3. Say what you are doing, hand over the real tile, and take the joker.

"Exchanging for the joker."

The exposed group stays the same size, now with a real tile in it, and you have a joker to use anywhere it is allowed. You can do this with any player's exposure, including your own.

Winning without them

On most cards a hand that wins with no jokers at all pays double. The exception is singles and pairs hands, which could not have used a joker anyway.

The short version

• Three or more: yes. Pairs and singles: never.
• Never passed. Never called once discarded.
• Exchange on your own turn, for the real tile.