Question: I often stop the Charleston when I have an equal number of tiles between two possible hands. Is this the right strategy?

Answer: Although it is an individual player’s prerogative to stop the Charleston,  strategically speaking, it might not be the right choice. By stopping the Charleston you prevent yourself from seeing 9 or more tiles during the 2nd Charleston and Optional Across. In other words, you would give up the opportunity to add more tiles to your hand during the second Charleston moves. Rule of thumb is, evaluate both hands and choose the one that has greater potential to be the winning hand. Consider whether one hand over the other needs singles or pairs. Choosing a hand with Pungs and Kongs means you can always use jokers. (See also ID21)