Setup and the Deal (No Charleston)

Setup and the Deal

Two players sit facing each other, each with two racks — one for each hand. One player is the opener and the other is the opponent.

The deal

• The opener is dealt 28 tiles; the opponent is dealt 27.
• You split your tiles across your two racks however you like — you do not have to divide them evenly, and you will rearrange them constantly as the hand develops.
• The opener makes the first discard, which brings both players to the same working count.

No Charleston

Siamese skips the Charleston completely. There is no passing round at the start — after the deal you go straight into play. With two hands each to manage and only two players, the game simply does not use it.

What you are aiming at

Before you have even drawn a tile, glance at the card and start imagining two targets, one per rack. You do not have to commit yet, but seeing where your tiles already cluster helps you decide how to split them between the two hands. From here, play settles into the familiar draw-and-discard rhythm — just doubled.