Learn To Play / How To Play Tonk

Tonk - The object of Tonk is to arrange as many of the five cards in your hand as possible into sets.  There are two kinds of sets: sequences and groups.  A sequence consists of three or more cards of the same suit in consecutive order, such as 4, 5, 6.  A group consists of three or four cards of the same rank, such as 7, 7, 7.  A card can belong to only one set at a time - you cannot use the same card as part of both a group and a sequence. 

How to play Tonk Game Objective

The object of this online card game is to arrange as many as possible of the 5 cards in your hand into sets. There are two kinds of sets: sequences and groups.

* A sequence consists of three or more cards of the same suit in consecutive order, such as 4, 5, 6

* A group is three or four cards of the same rank, such as 7, 7, 7.

A card can belong to only one set at a time - you cannot use the same card as part of both a group and a sequence.

The Deck
This online card game uses a standard 52 card. In Tonk the cards have values as follows: picture cards count 10 points, aces count 1 point and other cards count as face value.

How to Play Tonk
Five cards are dealt to each player. The next card is placed face up on the table to start the discard pile, and the remaining undealt cards 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 this immediately and show their cards. This is called a Tonk. In this case the hand is not played and the player with 49 or 50 wins. 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.

Pulling and discarding a Card

To pull a card from the stockpile or the discard pile, click and drag the card to your hand of cards.

To discard a card from your hand, click and drag the card to the discard pile.

All cards that may be legally discarded will have a yellow border when you scroll links the cards.

If no one Tonks, the play begins. The aim is, by drawing and discarding, to form your cards into spreads, which can be books of 3 or 4 equally 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 only wins in your original hand, before the play starts.

The non-dealer plays first. At your turn, you have two options.

1. 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 a lower point count total in your hand than the other player.

2. 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 may then be able to reduce your hand by putting a spread face up on the table, or by adding to a spread already on the table. 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. These cards then no longer count towards the total in your hand. There are two types of spread:

A book consists of three or four cards of the same rank, such as Q- Q- Q or 4- 4- 4- 4.

A run consists of three or more consecutive cards of the same suit, such as A- 2- 3 or 8- 9- 10- J. The ace counts as low, next to the two not the king.

Another possibility to reduce the cards in your hand is to extend a spread previously put down by yourself or another player. Putting down a card to extend a spread is sometimes called hitting. For example if there is 5- 6- 7 of clubs on the table and you have a 4 or 8 of clubs in your hand you can put it on the table, adding it to the run. Cards can only be put down like this in your own turn, after drawing and before discarding.

If by putting down cards, you get rid of all the cards in your hand (by making a second spread or using all your cards to hit existing spreads), the play ends and you win the game (see below). Otherwise, you complete your turn by discarding one card face up on top of the discard pile. If this leaves you with no cards, you win; otherwise the turn passes to your opponent and play continues.

How to Lay Spreads
Click and drag each card of the spread to the center of the table and then release the card.

End of the Game
Assuming that no one claims 49 or 50 points immediately after the deal, the game can end in four ways.

1. Someone gets rid of all their cards without a final discard. This may happen as a result of a player putting down a second spread or hitting existing spreads on three occasions, this is also called a Tonk.

2. Someone runs out of cards by discarding their last card. The player with no cards wins.

3. Someone drops or goes down or knocks at the start of their turn. In this case both players expose their cards that remain in their hands and add up the values of the cards they held.
* If the player who dropped has the lowest point count, that player wins.
* If the player who dropped does not have the lowest count, the other player wins. In the case of a tie for lowest between the two players, the player who dropped loses.

4. If the stock runs out, the player with the lowest count wins. In the case of a tie when the stock runs out, the hand is a draw and the cards are redealt.

How to Drop
The "Drop" button is located to the right of your hand of cards.
Click the "Drop" button when you are ready to display all of the cards in your hand to your opponent.How to "Undo" a move

The "undo" button is located to the right of your hand of cards.

The "undo" button appears when you lay spreads and when you "hit" a spread.

When you click "undo", all of the cards that you laid out will return to your hand.

You cannot use the "undo" button to return a discarded card to your hand.How to "Hit" a spread

Click and drag the card from your hand to the spread of cards in the middle of the table and then release the card.

Organizing the Cards in your hand
You may organize your cards when it is your turn, after you have pulled a card from the stockpile or the discard pile.

Click and drag a card from the left side of your hand to the right side of your hand and release the button.

The Clock
The player that creates the table chooses the amount of time per game. For example: If 4 minutes was chosen, then each player has a total of 4 minutes to finish the game. Your clock will only run when it is your turn to play, and it stops when you complete your turn. If you run out of time, then you lose the game and your wager, if playing in a real money game.