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There’s nothing that can bring a group of people together with a good card game. A good game of cards plus food and drinks is never a bad way to spend a weekend with friends and loved ones.

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. Play Tonk Online - Top Real Money Tonk Sites Tonk is a rummy-style card game in which the object is to get rid of all the cards in your hand. Although not the most well-known card game in the world, it is a mainstay in many areas as a way for workers to pass time on breaks and during downtime. To increase you odds of winning in Tonk, try to get runs or spreads with low cards in order to keep low point totals in your hand. If you can lay a run or spread before your opponent, then try to drop before they get the same opportunity. This is the safest way to play and win in Tonk.

When it comes to card games, it’s hard to go wrong with poker.

However, if you feel that poker night is “all played out,” you should consider to change things up.

In this case, why not try playing Tonk the card game with your poker buddies?

In this article, we’ll teach you how to play Tonk and some useful tips to help you win.

What is Tonk the Card Game?

Tonk is a very well-known game of cards which is essentially the African-American variant of poker.

Its popularity is attributed to the fact that it’s a fun card game to play in groups and the rules are very easy to follow. Like poker, a Tonk card game is usually played with stakes (usually money) and must be agreed upon before starting the game.

It’s a fairly fast-paced card game so you need to be on your toes when playing with other people. It is usually played between two to six players.

Below, we’ll explain everything you need to know about the card game called Tonk.

Getting Started

To play a Tonk card game, you need a regular deck of 52 cards.

Each of the cards has a certain point in them. All the face cards are valued at 10 points, Aces are only worth 1 point, while the remaining cards are worth their face value. This means a 3 is worth 3 points, a 4 is worth 4 points, and so on.

Set aside the Jokers if your deck has them.

As mentioned, the stakes of the game must be pre-determined before starting. Each player should agree to wager a certain amount of money with each hand. The winner for that hand will take all the agreed amount from all participants.

It is important to note that players can play many hands in a single game.

Players will then cut the cards to determine the first dealer. Whoever draws the highest card gets to deal first, and then dealing duty passes clockwise.

For the starting hand, all participants are dealt with either 3, 5, 7 or 12 cards, facing down. The card numbers that are dealt will depend according to the number of participants.

The Tonk

Each player must aim to achieve a Tonk which is pretty much an instant win. This is when the dealt cards give the player a total of 50 points, and should be instantly declared.

When you get a Tonk, you will double your winnings from each player.

How to Play

When there’s no Tonk, the game proceeds as normal.

The dealer will turn over the first undealt card facing up – this becomes the start of the discard pile. The remaining undealt cards should be faced down and this becomes the stock pile.

The game then proceeds from the left of the dealer and will move on in a clockwise fashion.

On a player’s turn, he or she must take one card from either the discard or stock pile. The player will then have to get rid of one card by playing it face up atop the discard pile.

The main objective is to utilize the cards to create a spread.

A spread consists of three or more cards with similar rank or a set of cards with the same suit in a sequence. Once you form a spread and your turn comes up, you can place it in front of you facing up.

During your turn, you also have the option to improve your spread by adding cards to your own spread or any spread that your opponents have placed.

Winning Conditions

As mentioned, one of the main ways to win is by a Tonk, but that doesn’t always happen.

There are other ways that you can win as well. The basic winning condition of a Tonk hand is by discarding all of your cards by creating new spreads or by cards to other existing spreads. The first one to accomplish this wins the agreed wager.

A hand can also be won with a drop. A drop is when players must all put all their cards face up. To win a drop, your cards should have the lowest point value. The winner receives the agreed amount from other participants.

Another Fun Alternative to Poker

Tonk the card game is definitely a fun alternative to poker and can be made more exciting with some stakes. Just remember to be always quick on your feet because this game does reward quick reactions. Have fun!

For more card games and tips, be sure to visit CardGameInfo.com for a wealth of card game rules and techniques.

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Game summary, how to play

Tonk (tunk) is a card game played with a standard 52-card poker deck with a minimum of two and a maximum of five players. It is an enjoyable card game that is both fast-paced and strategic.

Tonk, also known as Tunk is a kind of knock rummy played in the USA. There are numerous variations, and there are players who believe that their way of playing is the only correct one. So, before starting a game of Tonk with new players, it is recommended to agree first what House rules are in force.

Tonk is usually played for money. Before beginning, the players should agree on the basic stake (the amount which the winner will be paid by each of the other players). In certain cases the winner can win a double stake, which is generally known as a Tonk.

How to play Tonk

Cards have the following assigned values

• Picture cards = 10
• Aces = 1
• All others = Face Value.

The object of Tonk is to minimize the total count of cards in your hand by laying down on the table Spreads of three or four equal ranked cards or Spreads of three or more consecutive cards of the same suit. Players can also reduce the value of their hand count by adding cards to other player’s previously laid down Spreads (referred to as 'Hitting' another player’s Spread).

There are two types of Spreads:

• A Book consists of three or four cards of the same rank, such as 6-6-6 or J-J-J-J.
• A Run consists of three or more (up to 13) consecutive cards of the same suit, such as A-2-3-4-5-6 or 10-J-K. The Ace counts as low, next to the 'Two' and not next to the 'King' (although other game rules variants may allow this).

Five cards are dealt to each player, clockwise, one at a time. The next card is placed face up on the table to start the discard pile, and the remaining un-dealt cards are placed face down in a stack beside the discard pile to form a stock and used as a draw deck.

At the start of play before drawing cards, a player who is dealt a point-total of 50 or 49 can immediately call Tonk and win the game immediately. Players who Tonk with 50 receive double their original bet from each player. If more than one player has 49 or 50, the hand is a draw - there are no payments, the cards are thrown in and the next player deals.

If no one Tonks the play proceeds. Players take turns drawing cards from the un-dealt or the discard pile, as they wish, to try and reduce the point total in their hands. The person to the left of the dealer plays first and the turn to play passes clockwise.

The aim is, by drawing and discarding, to form your cards into spreads, which can be Books of 3 or 4 equal ranked cards or Runs of 3 or more cards in suit, or to dispose of your cards by adding them to existing spreads. You win if you manage to get rid of all of your cards, or if you have the lowest value of unmatched cards when someone stops the play. Note that once the play has begun, it is no longer any use to collect 49 or more points; this is good only at the start of the game with your originally dealt hand.

At your turn of play, you have two options:

• If you wish, you can end the play at the start of your turn by placing all your cards face up on the table. This is called Dropping (or sometimes 'Knocking'). By doing this you are claiming to have the lowest point count total in your hand than any other player.
• If you choose not to Drop, you must either draw ('Pluck') the top card from the face down stock, or take the top card of the discard pile into your hand. You end your turn by discarding a card face up on top of the discard pile.

If after drawing from the stock or discard pile you have a Spread of three or more cards, you may place them face up on the table, thus reducing the total count in your hand.

Another possibility to reduce the cards in your hand is to add to a Spread previously put down by yourself or another player. Putting down a card to extend a Spread is also called Hitting.

For example: if there is a Spread of 3-4-5-6 on the table and you have 2 or 7 in your hand you can add to it, thus getting rid of your card and lowering your total count. Cards can only be put down like this in your own turn, after drawing and before discarding.

If by attaching to the already laid down Spreads or Books you get rid of all the cards in your hand, the play ends and you win the game. This is usually called a Tonk, and the winner is paid a double stake by each other player.

If by attaching to the already laid down Spreads or Books leaves you with just one card that you will discard anyway, the play ends and you win the game. In this case each of the other players pays you the agreed basic stake.

Otherwise, you complete your turn by discarding one card face up on top of the discard pile. The turn then passes to the next player to your left and play continues.

The game ends when the Stock (draw deck) runs out or if a player

• Gets rid of all his/her cards without a final discard (Tonks)
• Runs out of cards when discarding his/her last card
• Drops or Knocks at the start of the game.

If the player who Dropped has the lowest point count, that player wins and is paid the basic stake by each of the other players. If the player who Dropped does not have the lowest count, the player who Dropped must pay twice the basic stake to everyone who has an equal or lower count.

In addition, the player (other than the one who Dropped) who actually had the lowest count receives the basic stake from everyone else. In the case of a tie for lowest between two players other than the one who Dropped, both are equally paid.

Note: Some say that if the Stock runs out, the discard pile is re-shuffled and used as a draw deck. Or, the hand is dead and there are no winners and losers. The cards are thrown in and the next player deals.

Deuces wild Tonk

Deuces wild Tonk uses the same basic rules as regular Tonk but with the following variations:

• Deuces wild is played with 5 wild cards (4 deuces and a joker).
• Deuces wild has four Automatic Win hands: 50 (double win), 41 (double win), 13 and under (double win) and 49 (single win).
• When a wild card is used to complete a Spread, a Hit card can replace the wild card and re-use it.

Related link

Rules of card games - Tonk game and variations.

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