Question: Is it okay to play the 3 player version with the Charleston? I know the League does not condone this?

Answer: Although the NMJL version does not include a Charleston, you can certainly add The Charleston as a house rule. When the Charleston is added to the National Mah Jongg League version, it is considered a table rule.  In this case, I prefer the version, “Playing with Sally (or whatever name you give the dummy wall),”

Here are the steps to playing with Sally:

1. Before setting up 4 walls, each player picks one tile, looks at it it’s a joker, you put it back among the tiles and pick again. Those 3 tiles are set aside for now.
2. Next, set up 4 walls.
3. Let’s name the dummy wall, Sally.
4. Now take the 3 tiles that everyone picked and place them in front of Sally’s wall.
5. These 3 tiles become Sally’s first right.
6. Proceed with the Charleston as you normally would.
7. After optioning 1–3 tiles with Sally during the Optional Across, place Sally’s tiles randomly back into her wall.

Playing this version of the Charleston keeps it consistent with the 4-player game and ensures no player gains an unfair advantage, such as receiving a Joker, which can occur in other 3-player methods.

See also ID53, The League on House Rules and ID75, 3 Player Mah Jongg Without the Charleston