Tonk

Full rules

1. Overview
2. Card values
3. Setup
4. Spreads
5. Playing a turn
6. End of the hand
7. Winning the game
8. Tips for beginners
9. Variants

Overview

Tonk (also spelled Tunk) is a fast knock rummy game: you try to get rid of the cards in your hand by laying them out in spreads (sets and runs), or to have the lowest total of points left in your hand when the hand stops. Each hand takes only a few minutes, and the winner of each hand collects chips from the others.

• Players: 2–4 (best with 2 or 3).
• You need: one standard 52-card deck without jokers, and chips or counters (matches, beans) to keep score.

Before you start, agree on the basic stake, for example 1 chip: that is what each loser normally pays the winner of a hand. In some cases the winner is paid double.

Card values

Only the cards still in your hand count against you:

Setup

1. Cut for the first deal: the highest card deals. After each hand the deal passes to the left.
2. The dealer deals five cards to each player, face down, one at a time, clockwise.
3. The next card is turned face up to start the discard pile. The rest go face down beside it as the stock (draw pile).

Tonk on the deal

Look at your five cards. If they add up to 49 or 50 points (for example K, Q, J, 10 and a 9), show them at once: the hand is not played, and every other player pays you a double stake. If two or more players have 49 or 50, the hand is a draw: nobody pays, the cards are thrown in and the next player deals.

Spreads

A spread is a group of three or more cards that you lay face up on the table in front of you. Cards in spreads no longer count against you. There are two kinds:

• A book: three or four cards of the same rank, such as Q Q Q or 4 4 4 4.
• A run: three or more cards of the same suit in a row, such as A♣ 2♣ 3♣ or 8♥ 9♥ 10♥ J♥. The Ace is always low – it goes next to the 2, never next to the King.

Hitting: you may also get rid of a card by adding it to any spread on the table – your own or another player's. If there is 5♠ 6♠ 7♠ on the table and you hold the 4♠ or 8♠, you can put it on the run.

Playing a turn

The player to the dealer's left starts; play goes clockwise. At the start of your turn you have two choices.

1. Drop. You may end the hand at once by laying all your cards face up and saying "drop" (also called knocking or going low). You are claiming that the points in your hand are lower than anyone else's. See "End of the hand" below.

2. Play normally:

1. Draw the top card of the stock, or take the top card of the discard pile.
2. Lay down (optional): put down any spreads you have and/or hit spreads on the table.
3. Discard one card face up on the discard pile.

Only the top card of the discard pile may be looked at – you may not search through the pile.

Example: You hold 7♦ 8♦ 9♦ K♣ 3♠ and draw the J♥. You lay down 7♦ 8♦ 9♦ as a run. Another player has J♠ J♦ J♣ on the table, so you hit it with your J♥. You discard the K♣ and keep only the 3♠ – just 3 points. Next turn you could drop.

End of the hand

A hand ends in one of four ways. Each other player pays the winner:

• Tonk out: you get rid of all your cards by laying down spreads and hitting, without needing a final discard (with 6 cards after drawing, e.g. two books of three). You win a double stake from each player.
• Out by discarding: you run out of cards by discarding your last card. You win the basic stake from each player.
• Drop: everyone shows their hand and adds up their points.
• If the dropper has the lowest total, the dropper wins the basic stake from each player.
• If anyone has the same or a lower total, the dropper is caught: the dropper pays a double stake to each player who tied or beat them. Of the other players, the one with the lowest total also collects the basic stake from everyone except the dropper (if two of them tie for lowest, neither does).
• Stock runs out: after the last stock card is drawn, play goes on as long as each player takes the previous discard. As soon as someone wants to draw from the empty stock, the hand ends: the lowest total wins the basic stake from each player (if two or more tie for lowest, it is a draw and nobody pays).

Example: Anna, Ben and Carla play for 1 chip. Anna drops with 6 points. Ben has 4, Carla has 11. Anna is caught: she pays Ben 2 chips. Carla pays Ben 1 chip. Ben wins 3 chips.

Winning the game

Every hand is settled on its own. Play as many hands as you like; whoever has the most chips at the end wins.

Tips for beginners

• Get rid of high cards early – a King in your hand when someone drops costs 10.
• Laying down a spread shrinks your hand fast, but it gives others something to hit.
• Watch what others pick up from the discard pile, and don't feed them cards they want.
• Drop only when your total is really small – being caught costs double.

Variants

All optional – Tonk has many house rules, so agree before you start.

• Waiting: after you lay down a new spread you may not drop on your next three turns; a player whose spread is hit may not drop on their next turn.
• Low tonk on the deal: a hand of 15 points or fewer (some say 13) is also an automatic double win.
• Seven cards: deal seven cards each instead of five.
• Must spread: you may not hold a complete spread in your hand – lay it down at once.
• 40 cards: remove the 8s, 9s and 10s; in runs the 7 is next to the Jack.
• Points instead of chips: each loser scores the points left in their hand (double after a tonk); the lowest total after an agreed number of hands wins.