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Card Game Rules Tunk, or Tonk, is a rummy type game played with 2-4 players and with a standard 52 playing card deck. In Tunk, Kings are high, Aces low, and 2s wild. The objective of Tunk is to have the fewest points at the round’s end. See full list on pagat.com. A popular card game, Tonk is the African-American version of poker, and its rules are easy to follow. It is usually played for money, with an agreed-upon predecided stake. On winning a hand, the winner receives the predeclared stake from each player. The stakes can be of any amount, from using fake money, to using cents, dimes, or even dollars. Tonk, or tunk, is a matching card game, which combines features of knock rummy and conquian. Tonk is a relatively fast-paced game that can be played by 2-4 players. It was popular with blues and jazz musicians in southern Louisiana in the 1930s, including Duke Ellington's orchestra, and was played during breaks in the back rooms of bars and saloons.

Tonk, also known as Tunk, is a kind of knock rummy played in the USA. Itwas a favorite with jazz players in the 1930's and 1940's, and may have givenits name to one of Billy Strayhorn's piano compositions, written in 1940.DukeEllington recorded Tonk, with Strayhorn, in 1946. Some say that itoriginally came from the Philippines, which is plausible since the related12-card game Tong-Its / Tongits is currently played there.

Setup

Players: In theory any number can play, but it is widely agreed that Tonk isbest for two or three players,maybe four. Since there is some scope for hustlingcollusion when more than two people play, some prefer to play with two playersonly.

Cards: A standard 52 card deck is used, without jokers. The Ace always rankslowest in Runs.

Stakes: Tonk is usually played for money. Before beginning, the playersshould agree on the basic stake (the amount which the winner of each hand willnormally be paid by each of the other players). In certain cases the winner canwin a double stake - this is generally known as a tonk.

The Deal: The cards are cut to decide who should deal first. The highestcard deals; if there are more than two players the player who cut the nexthighest card sits to the dealer's left, and so on around. If a new player joinsa game that is underway, the new player sits to the dealer's right.

Five cards are dealt to each player, clockwise, one at a time. The next card isplaced face up on the table to start the discard pile, and the remaining undealtcards are placed face down in a stack beside the discard pile to form the stock.

Any player whose initial hand contains 49 or 50 points must declare thisimmediately and show their cards: this is sometimes known as a 'tonk'. In thiscase the hand is not played and the player with 49 or 50 is paid twice the basicstake by each of the other players. If more than one player has 49 or 50, thehand is a draw - there are no payments, the cards are thrown in and the nextplayer deals.

Objective: The goal of the game is, by drawing and discarding, to form yourcards into spreads (melds),which can be books (Sets) of 3 or 4 equalranked cards or Runs of 3 or more cards in suit, or to dispose of your cardsby adding them to existing spreads. You win if you manage to get rid of all ofyour cards, or if you have the lowest value of unmatched cards when someonestops the play.

Game Play

If no one claims an immediate win based on the points in their hand the playbegins. Note that once the play has begun, it is no longer any use to collect 49or more points; this only wins in the original hand, before the play starts.

Play commences with the player to the left of the dealer taking a turn andcontinues clockwise until the hand ends. Players have the following two optionsof how to play their turn:

1. If the player wishes then they can place all their cards face-up on the tablein front of them. This is called dropping (or going out low, orsometimes knocking). By doing this they are claiming to have a lower pointcount total in their hand at that moment than any other player. If a playerdrops then the round is over.

2. If the player chooses not to drop, they must either draw the top card fromthe face down stock pile, or take the top card of the discard pile into theirhand. The player then has the opportunity of laying down new spreads (melds)of sets or runs onto the table in front of them, if they have the cardsneeded to do so. They may also reduce the cards in their hand by extendingthe spreads laid down earlier by themselves or other players. Putting down acard to extend a spread is sometimes called hitting. The turn ends by theplayer discarding one card to the discard pile.

   If by putting down cards creating or extending spreads, or by discarding acard, a player gets rid of all their cards, the play ends and that playerwins the hand. Otherwise the turn passes to the next player and playcontinues.

During the game only the top card of the discard pile should be visible. Playersare not allowed to look through the pile to find out what cards were discardedearlier.

End of Round

Tonk Card Game Online

Assuming that no one claims 49 or 50 points immediately after the deal, the playcan end in four ways:

1. Someone gets rid of all their cards without a final discard: This mayhappen as a result of a player putting down a second spread or hittingexisting spreads on three occasions. This is usually called a tonk, orthe player is said to 'tonk out'. The winner is paid a double stake by eachother player.

2. Someone runs out of cards by discarding their last card: The player withno cards wins and each of the other players pays the agreed basic stake tothe winner.

3. Someone drops, or goes down, or knocks at the start of their turn: In thiscase everyone exposes the cards that remain in their hands and adds up thevalues of the cards they held.

   • If the player who dropped has the lowest point count, that player wins andis paid the basic stake by each of the other players.

   • If the player who dropped does not have the lowest count, the player whodropped must pay twice the basic stake to everyone who has an equal orlower count. The player who actually had the lowest count, as well asreceiving the double stake from the dropper, also receives the basic stakefrom everyone else. In the case of a tie for lowest between two playersother than the one who dropped, both are paid a double stake by the dropperand a single stake by everyone else. This is sometimes known as a catch.

   • Cards have the following point values:

     Card	Value
     Ace	1 point
     Face cards	10 points
     Others	Face value

4. The stock runs out: The player with the lowest count receives the basicstake from each other player.

Optional Rules and Variations

The following rules may be added to the standard game if all players agree tothe variation before the first player takes their turn. It’s not an all ornothing deal, the game participants can pick and choose which variations theylike.

1. Some play that after the deal, no card is turned up to begin the discardpile. The first player must draw from the stock and the discard pile beginswith the first player's discard.
2. Many people play that it is illegal to hold a spread in your hand. As soonas you have a three-card spread you must put it down. This is a strange rule,as in many cases it would impossible for an opponent to detect that the rulehad been broken. Some play this rule with the exception that a spread ofthree aces can be held.
3. Some play that a player wins a double stake for making a second spread, thusgetting rid of all cards without a final discard, but only a single stake forrunning out of cards by hitting spreads, even if there is no final discard.Others play that you only ever win a single stake for getting rid of all yourcards, even if you do it by putting down a second spread.
4. Here are some alternative ways of paying if the lowest scoring player is notthe player who dropped:
   • The low scorer collects the basic stake from every other player and doublefrom the player who dropped (so the player who dropped only has to pay oneperson even if several people beat the dropper's score).
   • If the player who drops is not the low scorer, the dropper pays everyone'sstake to the low scorer.
   • The dropper pays the basic stake to everyone who has the same or a lowerscore, and in addition the player with the lowest score collects a basicstake from each other player. This is equivalent to saying that the dropperpays a double stake to the winner, plus a single stake to the winner foreveryone who had an equal or better score, and the winner collects a singlestake from everyone who had a worse score than the dropper.
   • The player who dropped simply pays a double stake to each other player.
   • The player who dropped pays 5 times the stake to the player with thelowest count and there are no other payments. The player who dropped losesties as usual; if two other players tie for lowest count, the one nearestto the left of the dealer is paid.
5. Some play that if the stock runs out, the hand is dead and there are no payments.
6. Many people play with a feature called waiting. This works as follows:
   • If you put down a new spread, you cannot drop on any of your next threeturns; you must wait until the start of your fourth turn after putting downyour book or run before you are allowed to drop. This is to make it lesseasy for the first person who puts down, reducing their hand to two cards,to win simply by dropping at their next turn when the other player(s) stillhave five cards.
   • If you 'hit' someone by adding a card to their spread, they cannot drop intheir next turn; they must wait until the start of their second turn afteryou hit them before they are allowed to drop. This provides a way ofdelaying someone you think is about to drop until you can improve your ownhand. Also, if you hit your own spread, then you yourself cannot drop atyour next turn, but must wait another turn.
   • Waiting is cumulative; if you put down a spread and are then hit, or ifyou are hit twice, you add together the number of rounds you have to wait.
   • Waiting does not stop you from winning by getting rid of all your cards -any time that you have no cards in your hand, you automatically win withoutneeding to drop.
7. Some play that if you are hit more than once in the same round of play, youonly have to wait one turn.
8. There are variations on the number of rounds you have to wait. For example,some play that if you are hit you must wait three extra rounds, not one. Someplay that being hit not only stops you going out low, but also prevents youfrom winning by getting rid of all your cards on your next turn.
9. Some play that if you are dealt 50 points at the start you are paid a doublestake, but if you have 49 points you are only paid a single stake. If oneplayer has 50 and another 49, only the player with 50 points is paid.
10. Some play that if you are dealt a hand containing 15 points or fewer, youmust immediately declare it (as with 49 or 50) and you are immediately paida double stake by each other player (unless someone else also has anautomatic win (with 49, 50 or 15 or fewer) in which case the hand is thrownin without payment. Others play that if you are dealt a hand containing 9points or fewer, you are automatically paid a triple stake by each of theother players. One correspondent reports a version in which a double stakeis played for 9 or fewer points in one's initial hand, but not for more than9, nor for 49 or 50. Another writes that an initial hand with 13 or fewerpoints is an automatic win.
11. Scott Sauri, who plays in Washington DC, reports that an initial tonk ispossible with 49 or 50 points or with 11 or fewer. If more than one playertonks with different totals, the best tonk is paid: 50 beats 49, 11 beats50, and apart from that the lowest number is best.
12. Sean from Newark, New Jersey plays that an initial hand of 50, 49 or 13 orfewer points wins double. 50 beats 49, which beats 13 or below. If more thanone player is under 13 the lowest count wins. In case of a tie, the nearestto the left of the dealer wins. In this game there is also a special paymentfor going out with two spreads of your own on your first turn: this earns aquadruple payment. This special payment does not apply to a player who goesout with just one spread and gets rid of his remaining cards by hittinganother player's spread and discarding.
13. Phil, from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, tells me that there, Tonk is played witha 40 card pack, lacking 8's, 9's and 10's. In runs the seven is next to thejack, so 6-7-J or 7-J-Q would be valid. At the start of the game, you cantonk with 47 or 50, but not with any other number. (48 and 49 are impossiblein any case). This 40 card version of the game also used to be played in theUS Army.
14. Hank T Hebhoe describes the version of Tonk played in Rushville, Indiana.There are the following differences:
    • The terms 'drop' and 'knock' are not used. To stop the game claiming tohave the lowest point count in hand is to 'tonk'.
    • On the deal (and only on the deal), a hand with five face cards is anautomatic rummy (this is not called a 'tonk' in this version). Tens cannotbe used in this situation, and counts of 49 or 15 or fewer do not give anautomatic win.
    • To set someone on a tonk - i.e. to have an equal or lower score - iscalled to 'bump his head'.
    • The payoff is a nickel from every player for a successful tonk, a dimefor a rum (rummy), where a player gets rid of all their cards. The stakescan be set higher: two bits / four bits, even a dollar / two dollars.
    • If you get your head bumped, you pay double rum (e.g., 20 cents in anickel/dime game) only to the player or players who bump your head, and noother payoffs are made. A player with a higher count than yours does notpay you or anyone else, and you do not pay him or anyone else; he's simplyout of the money.
    • When the deck is down to the same or fewer number of cards as players inthe game, it is said to be 'boobed.' When the deck is 'boobed,' no playercan rummy; you can only tonk. So, for example, if you should happen to rumout when the deck is boobed, your count is down to zero, of course; butafter rumming out, you must wait your turn again to tonk your zero hand,by which time another player also may have rummed out. If no one rums outor tonks before the deck is exhausted, the hand with the lowest count winsa tonk when the deck is exhausted.
    • In case of ties when the deck is exhausted, there is no payoff at all;it's simply a dead hand.
15. Mike Foulds describes a version of Tonk played by cab drivers in Chicago:
    • There are six wildcards: the four Deuces and the two Jokers.
    • 'Big 50' - 50 points dealt to a player - is an automatic win for a doublestake. If more than one player has 'Big 50' there is usually no paymentand the hand is dead (though some play that in this case the player inearliest position from the dealer wins a double-stake and any others winnothing).
    • If any player has 13 or fewer points in their initial hand, the playerwith the lowest count in hand wins a double-stake and any others with 13or fewer win nothing. In case of a tie there is no payment.
    • If you are dealt 49 points you can claim a single win, but not untilimmediately before your first turn, and only if no player has spread. Someaward a double rather than a single payment for '49 in turn'.
    • Play begins without an upcard. If you 'break your hand up', that is,discard onto a spread, you can't subsequently 'Tonk out', that is, win thedouble stake: you can only collect a single stake.
    • If you 'get caught', that is, try to 'go down (for low)' and one of youropponents has an equal or lower count, you pay that player a double stake.
    • If you 'Tonk out off (or 'on') the deal', that is, pick up an upcard ordraw off the deck on your first turn which allows you to make two spreads,this earns a double stake. On subsequent turns, you may still win with a'double spread', but you can only collect a single-stake.
    • Holding spreads in your hand rather than laying them down is perfectlyacceptable.
16. Lenie Lepape describes a version of Tonk played in Washington State USA by2 to 6 players, with 4 the recommended number:
    • Rather than settling in cash after each hand the scores are recorded onpaper, plus for winners and minus for losers. So for example the winner ina 4-player games scores +3 while the others all score -1. Scores shouldalways add up to zero and the players settle up at the end, paying orreceiving according to their final score.
    • A player who is dealt 50, 49 or 14 or fewer points can claim an immediatewin known here as a 'double tonk', winning 2 points from each opponent(e.g. +6/-2/-2/-2 in a 4-player game). If two or more players have adouble tonk all are paid.
    • A player who is hit by another player has to wait one turn before goingout low, but you do not have to wait after putting down a spread.
    • If a player goes out low and is 'caught' by another player with an equalor lower score, the player who is caught loses 2 points for each player inthe game and the other player gains an equal amount, while the otherplayers neither win nor lose. If a player is caught by two players tyingfor lowest score, the caught player pays both of them.
17. Tony Jacobs describes another version played for points known as 'push-ups'.All of the normal rules apply for winning, but the losers' scores are pushedup by the value of cards remaining in their hands. In case of a double win,either by making two spreads or having 49 or 50 in one's initial hand, theother players are 'pushed up' by twice the value of cards in their hands.The objective in this game is to score as few points as possible.
18. Some people add two or more jokers to the deck. These are worth 0 pointsand cannot be used in spreads.
19. Some people count Jack as 11, Queen as 12, King as 13. In this case theautomatic win with 49 or 50 would become too frequent and is not allowed.
20. Eric Dee reports that in Seattle, USA, Tonk is a popular union card game,played by the longshoremen and laborers. The main difference is that sevencards are dealt to each player, not five. One correspondent reports playingTonk with seven card hands with sailors while serving in Vietnam, in thiscase using a 40-card deck without 8's, 9's or 10's. Several American booksgive a version of 52-card Tonk in which seven cards are dealt, but theversion with five cards seems to be far more widespread.
21. Some people play that when a player discards a card that can be played on abook or run currently on the table, the first player to 'slap' the deck, canplay that card on the appropriate book or run, and then immediately discardan extra card from their hand. If the person slapping the deck is the playerwho discarded the card, the discard is placed on the appropriate book orrun, but the player does not have the option of discarding an extra card.Afterwards, play continues as normal.
22. Some play the last few deals of a session for double stakes. The dealerannounces this by calling 'The Big One'.
23. Some play with side bets. For example the dealer calls a suit before thedeal and players can bet on who will be dealt the highest card of this suit.Those who wish to bet pay a fixed stake to a pot, and put aside the highestcard of this suit (if any) that is dealt to them. This card remains part oftheir hand: it is kept face down until used and can be played or discardedin the usual way. The owner of the highest card of the called suit takes thepot. Another possible bet is 'naturals', on the first to spread three of akind. Participating players must add a stake at each deal until the pot iswon.
24. John Scarne describes the game of Tonk with the following differences fromthe base game above:
    • 7 cards are dealt to each player.
    • Rather than 49 or 50 initial points being the 'tonk' and an instant win,it happens if the player receives an initial hand consisting entirely of10s, Jacks, Queens, or Kings. This is fundamentally the same as the basicTonk version, since only 5 cards are dealt in that game.

Tonk Card Game Rules