How to play Tonk card game
This table’s five-card version
Tonkroom uses a standard 52-card deck, no jokers and two players. Five cards are dealt to each player. One card starts the discard pile, and the remaining cards become stock. You play first. This is practice without wagers or a money score.
Count the hand
An ace counts 1 point. Jacks, queens and kings count 10 each. Other cards count their rank. Your displayed total counts every card still in your hand; a potential book or run is not removed from the count until you spread it on the table.
Draw, spread, hit, discard
- Draw stock or take the top discard. You draw once per turn.
- Select at least three hand cards and choose Spread selected when they form a legal book or run.
- You may extend a shared spread: select one fitting card, then tap the outlined spread.
- Choose one remaining hand card and select Discard selected to end your turn.
A book contains three or four different suits of the same rank. A run contains three or more consecutive cards in one suit. Aces are low, so A-2-3 of hearts is legal but Q-K-A is not. A book can take its fourth suit; a run can take the next same-suit rank at either end. Either player may add to any spread.
Go out
You win as soon as your hand becomes empty, whether by spreading, adding to spreads or discarding the last card. The computer gets the same opportunity after your discard. If a player chooses the empty stock, the round ends with the lowest remaining hand total; equal totals tie.
Drop before drawing
At the start of your turn, you can drop instead of drawing. A dialog asks you to confirm. Your remaining cards must total strictly less than the computer’s. If the opponent ties your count or has less, your drop is caught and the opponent wins. Hidden combinations still count until they have been laid down. After drawing, Drop is unavailable until your next turn.
Opening tonk
An initial hand of exactly 49 or 50 points wins immediately, before play. If both initial hands qualify, the round ties. We do not award an automatic win for a low opening hand. Local Tonk rules differ, so agree on a version when playing with physical cards.
Learn without rushing
First look for a spread. Then look for a single card that fits a shared spread. If neither helps, discarding a high point card reduces the risk of being caught. A tempting low total does not guarantee a drop win: the computer may also have a small hand.
Hints, undo and saving
Hint selects a legal spread or a useful single-card action. You make the move. Undo reverses your most recent action and any computer reply. New deal asks before replacing the hand. The round is saved on your device.
This five-card version follows Pagat’s Tonk rules and firsthand table variations. It differs from the seven-card deal described in Bicycle’s Tunk guide. There are no wagers, double payments or multi-round money scoring here.