Is there an app to practice the mahjong Charleston?
Yes. Mahj Trainer has a free Charleston Room for American mahjong. It deals you 13 tiles, you choose the three to pass, and then it shows the coach's three tiles with the reasoning behind them. It runs on iPhone, iPad and Android, needs no account and works offline.
The Charleston here is the passing of tiles before an American mah jongg hand starts: three passes (right, across, left), an optional second Charleston and an optional courtesy pass.
What does Charleston practice look like in Mahj Trainer?
The Charleston Room has two free drills.
- Charleston Playbook: ten flashcards on the rules and the strategy. The order of the passes, why a joker can never be passed, why flowers are worth keeping early, and why you avoid breaking pairs.
- Pick Your Pass: nine practice deals. Each one tells you which Charleston and which direction you are passing, you tap three tiles, and the coach's pick and its reasoning appear next to yours. The deals cover first-Charleston passes right, across and left, a second-Charleston pass, and a deal where two card sections look possible.
A session takes about five minutes. There are no opponents to wait for, so you can run a deal in a grocery line and another before your game.
What does a practice deal look like?
This is the first deal in Pick Your Pass. Like every rack in the app, it is an original teaching deal written for practice.
First Charleston, pass right. 2 Crak, 2 Crak, 4 Crak, 4 Crak, 6 Bam, 6 Bam, 8 Bam, 8 Dot, Flower, Joker, 1 Crak, 9 Bam, North.
The coach passes: 1 Crak, 9 Bam, North.
Why: the deal leans toward the 2468 section, with eight even tiles including three pairs, plus a flower and a joker worth keeping. The 1 Crak and 9 Bam are odd and the lone North does nothing for that plan, so they go. The joker can never be passed, and the flower should stay early.
What is free and what is in Mahj+?
Both Charleston drills above are free, along with the other three beginner rooms. Mahj+, the optional upgrade, adds more Charleston work:
- Pick Your Pass: Extra Reps: seven more deals on the blind pass, the courtesy pass and flower discipline.
- Advanced Charleston in the Master Tables: torn deals, pair math and defending with your pass.
- Endless Practice: freshly generated questions that ask which single tile you can pass for free.
Which other apps let you practice the Charleston?
Tile Wise lists the Charleston among its lessons and coaches which tiles to keep, pass or chase, Mahjee has a daily puzzle where you pick the best three tiles to pass, and Maylee shows a Charleston tutorial inside its games. Lesson apps such as MAHJ: Learn American Mahjong teach the Charleston as part of a course. Mahj Trainer is the one built around short, repeatable pass drills with the reasoning shown on every deal. The full comparison covers what each app does well.
Want the rules first?
The free guide to the Charleston in American Mah Jongg walks through the order of passes, blind and courtesy passes, and a simple way to choose three tiles. Read it once, then practice the passes in the app.
Practice the pass before Thursday
Nine free Charleston deals with the coach's reasoning, plus three more free rooms. No account needed.
Questions
Can I practice the Charleston without other players?
Yes. Mahj Trainer's Charleston Room deals you a hand, asks for your three-tile pass and shows the coach's pick and reasoning, so you practice the decision with nobody else at the table.
Is the Charleston practice free?
Yes. The Charleston Playbook flashcards and the nine Pick Your Pass deals are free. Mahj+ adds seven more deals and an advanced Charleston drill.
Can you pass a joker in the Charleston?
No. Jokers may never be passed in the Charleston or the courtesy pass, and the app's practice deals never ask you to. The joker rules guide covers the rest.
Does Mahj Trainer use the current NMJL card?
No. Every deal is an original practice deal that teaches the card's sections, which keep their shape from year to year. Use your current official card at the table.
Related
- The Charleston: rules, order and strategy
- How to practice American mahjong by yourself
- A mahjong quiz app that explains every answer
- Best American mahjong apps compared
Mahj Trainer is an independent app and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the National Mah Jongg League. For official hands and values, use the current NMJL card. Details were checked in October 2026 and may change.