How the simulator works
You and three computer players are each dealt 13 tiles from a full 152-tile American set. At each step, tap three tiles you want to get rid of, then press the pass button. The other players pass too, choosing the tiles that help their own practice hands least, so what comes to you feels like a real table. The tiles you receive are marked new, and the little table diagram shows where your tiles are going.
Not sure what to pass? Press Suggest a pass. The simulator checks your tiles against every practice hand and picks the three that help the fewest of them. Below the rack you'll always see your three closest practice hands and how many tiles each still needs, so you can watch your hand take shape pass by pass. For a deeper look, open the hand finder.
The order of the Charleston
The Charleston has a fixed rhythm. Many teachers say it out loud as you go: "right, across, left."
- First Charleston (required): pass 3 tiles right, then 3 across, then 3 left. The first left may be a blind pass.
- The stop vote: anyone at the table can stop the Charleston here. If nobody stops it, you continue.
- Second Charleston (optional): pass 3 left, then 3 across, then 3 right. The last right may be a blind pass.
- Courtesy pass (optional): swap 0 to 3 tiles with the player across from you, by agreement.
In a real game, East is dealt 14 tiles and everyone else gets 13. East passes during the Charleston like everyone else and then starts the game by discarding. The simulator puts you in a non-East seat, so you always hold 13. For a full walkthrough with examples, read our Charleston rules guide.
What to pass: simple tips for beginners
- Keep pairs and triples. Two or three of the same tile are hard to collect, so hold on to them early.
- Keep Jokers. You couldn't pass them anyway, and they are the most flexible tiles in the game.
- Look for a theme. Do you have lots of one suit, lots of even numbers, or several Winds? Keep the theme and pass the strays.
- Pass loners first. A single 9 Crak with no other Craks nearby is a good candidate to pass.
- Watch what comes back. The computer players pass what they don't need. Three Dots in a row from one player tells you they aren't collecting Dots.
- Flowers are often useful. Many hands on a typical card use Flowers, so beginners usually keep them unless they clearly don't fit.
- Don't overthink it. The Charleston is fast at a real table. Practicing here helps you decide in a few seconds.
When to use a blind pass
A blind pass is useful when your hand is coming together nicely and you don't want to break it up. Instead of giving away three of your own tiles, you pass along some of the tiles that are being passed to you, without looking at them. In the simulator, choose fewer than three tiles on a blind-pass step and the rest are made up from incoming tiles. Your log at the bottom shows how many went blind.
Some tables call this "stealing." House rules vary, so ask your group how they handle it. If you are brand new, it is perfectly fine never to blind pass.
Practice, then play
Run through the simulator five or six times and the pattern will stick. If tile names still slow you down, warm up with the tile quiz first. When you are ready, our guide on how to read the card will help you choose which tiles to keep.
A note on the practice hands: the hands in this simulator are firstmahj originals for learning. They are a practice card, not the official card. Real games use the current card from the National Mah Jongg League.
