What to pass in the Charleston

Decide what you are keeping

Then pass what is left. Choosing three tiles to give away is much easier once you know what your rack is turning into.

First, see what you have

Before the first pass, look for:

• Pairs and pungs. These are the hardest things to build and the last things to give away.
• A leaning. Mostly even numbers? Mostly odd? A lot of one suit? Several winds and dragons?
• Jokers and flowers. Jokers cannot be passed anyway. Flowers turn up in many hands, so most players hold them early.

Then pick a direction, not a hand

It is too early to choose one line on the card. Choose a family or two that your rack already leans toward. "Evens, maybe like numbers" is a fine plan for the first three passes.

Pass what fits neither

The two pairs are worth keeping, and the 5-6-7 of bams could grow into a consecutive run hand. The north wind, the 9 dot, and the 1 crak are doing nothing: each is alone, and none of them fits with the rest. Those are the three to pass.

Lone winds and dragons are the usual first choices, then single numbers that sit apart from your family.

What not to hand over

• A pair. Splitting one costs you a group you cannot easily rebuild, and passing both gives your neighbor a head start.
• A ready-made set. Three winds in one pass, or two matching tiles, can be exactly what someone needs.

Read your rack again after every pass

Three new tiles arrive each time. Sort them in and ask the same questions. If a second pair of evens just landed, your direction got clearer. If nothing helped, you have lost nothing.

By the last pass, commit

The first passes are for clearing out. By the third you should have settled on one family, and be passing tiles that do not belong to it.

When the table votes on a second Charleston, count how far you are from your closest hand. If you are close, say no. If you are still many tiles away, another round of passing is worth it.