1Object of the game
Win each hand, either by getting rid of all your cards or by holding the lowest point count when the hand ends. Every hand is settled on the spot. Players agree on a basic stake before play, and the winner collects it, or double it, from each other player.
2Setup
- Use one 52-card deck without jokers. Aces count 1, face cards count 10, and every other card counts its number.
- Agree on the basic stake: the amount each other player pays the winner of a normal hand. It can be chips, coins, or points on paper.
- Cut for deal; high card deals. The dealer gives 5 cards to each player, one at a time, clockwise.
- Turn the next card face up to start the discard pile and put the rest face down as the stock.
- Anyone whose 5 cards total 49 or 50 must say so at once and show the hand. That's a tonk, and it wins double the basic stake from every other player. If two or more players have one, the hand is thrown in with no payment.
3The play
- The player to the dealer's left goes first, and play moves clockwise.
- At the start of your turn you may drop: lay all your cards face up, claiming the lowest count at the table. Everyone else then shows their hands and the hand is settled.
- If you don't drop, draw one card, either the top of the stock or the top of the discard pile. You may only see the top discard, not the cards underneath.
- Lay down any spreads you have. A spread is a book of 3 or 4 cards of the same rank, or a run of 3 or more consecutive cards in one suit. Aces are low only, so A-2-3 works but Q-K-A doesn't.
- Hit if you can: add cards to any spread on the table, yours or another player's. With 5♣-6♣-7♣ down, you could add the 4♣ or 8♣.
- Discard one card face up. If you got rid of your last card by spreading or hitting, you don't discard, and you've tonked out.
4End of a hand
A hand ends in one of four ways. A player tonks out by playing all their cards without a final discard. A player goes out by discarding their last card. A player drops. Or the stock runs out, and the lowest count wins. After settling up, the deal passes to the left.
5Scoring
Tonk is settled hand by hand rather than scored to a target. Only the cards still in your hand count; spreads on the table don't. The winner collects from each other player according to how the hand ended.
| For | Points |
|---|---|
| Ace | 1 point |
| 2 through 10 | Face value |
| Jack, queen, king | 10 points |
| Tonk on the deal (49 or 50) | 2× stake from each player |
| Tonk out (no final discard) | 2× stake from each player |
| Go out on your last discard | 1× stake from each player |
| Drop with the lowest count | 1× stake from each player |
| Drop without the lowest count | Dropper pays 2× to each player with an equal or lower count |
| Stock runs out | Lowest count gets 1× from each player |
A 5-card hand can only reach 49 or 50 with face cards and 10s plus a 9, which is why those totals count as a tonk. A tie on a drop goes against the dropper, so you need a strictly lower count than everyone to win.
6Winning
Each hand has its own winner, and players settle the stakes before the next deal. The rules don't set an end point for a session. Play for an agreed number of hands or until an agreed time, and whoever has won the most chips or points is ahead.
7A worked hand
Three players, basic stake 1 chip. You're dealt 3♠ 4♠ 5♠ K♦ 2♥, which counts 3 + 4 + 5 + 10 + 2 = 24, so no tonk. On your first turn you draw the 6♠ from the stock, spread 3♠-4♠-5♠-6♠, and discard the K♦. You now hold only the 2♥. Dee draws, hits your run with the 7♠, and discards. Sam draws and discards. At the start of your next turn you drop and show the 2♥. Dee holds 9♣ 9♦ Q♥ A♠, which counts 9 + 9 + 10 + 1 = 29. Sam holds 8♥ 6♦ 3♣ 2♣ J♣, which counts 8 + 6 + 3 + 2 + 10 = 29. Your 2 is the lowest, so Dee and Sam each pay you 1 chip and you collect 2. If Sam had held a count of 2 or less, your drop would have failed, and you'd have paid Sam 2 chips. Had you drawn instead and pulled the 2♠, you could hit the run with it, then discard the 2♥ to go out for 1 chip from each player.
8House rules
The rules above are the version most US players use. These are the variations you are most likely to run into; settle them before the first deal.
- Seven-card Tonk
- Some groups deal 7 cards each instead of 5. Some rule sets tie the deal to the number of players, such as 9 cards with 2 players, 7 with 3, and 5 with 4.
- Low-hand tonk on the deal
- Some players also pay out for very low opening hands, such as 15 or fewer, or 13 or fewer. In one version, 9 or fewer wins a triple stake.
- Waiting rule
- Under this rule you can't drop right after putting down a spread; you must wait until the start of your fourth turn. If someone hits your spread, you can't drop on your next turn, and the waits add together.
- Use the discard at once
- In one rarer version, if you take the top discard you must play it right away in a book or run instead of adding it to your hand.
- 40-card deck
- Some regional games strip the 8s, 9s, and 10s, playing with 40 cards.
- Scores on paper
- Instead of paying chips, keep a tally of stakes won and lost and settle up, or not, at the end.
9Mistakes people make
- You can only drop at the start of your turn, before you draw. Once you draw, you have to play out the turn.
- A tie goes against the dropper. If anyone has an equal or lower count, you pay each of them double.
- Aces are low only in runs, so Q-K-A is not a spread.
- Tonking out means playing your last card by spreading or hitting. Going out on a discard pays only the basic stake.
10Playing better
- Dump face cards early. A king in your hand costs as much as ten aces if someone drops on you.
- Count your hand every turn. Once you're down to a card or two worth a few points, a drop is usually safe.
- Remember that ties lose for the dropper. If an opponent has been shedding low cards, wait a turn or keep drawing.
- Hitting other players' spreads is the fastest way to shrink your hand, and it doesn't cost you a discard.
- Watch what gets picked from the discard pile. Someone taking a 7 is probably building on 7s or a run around it.
Tonk: questions people ask
- How many cards do you deal in Tonk?
- The standard deal is 5 cards to each player, one at a time. The next card starts the discard pile and the rest become the stock. Some groups play a 7-card version, and a few rule sets deal more cards when fewer people play.
- What is a tonk in the card game?
- A tonk is an instant win. If your opening 5 cards total 49 or 50, you show them right away and every other player pays you double the basic stake. Getting rid of all your cards without a final discard, called tonking out, also pays double.
- What does it mean to drop in Tonk?
- Dropping means laying your hand face up at the start of your turn, claiming you have the lowest count. Everyone shows their cards. If you're lowest, each player pays you the basic stake. If anyone has an equal or lower count, you pay each of those players double.
- How much are cards worth in Tonk?
- Aces count 1 point, cards 2 through 10 count their face value, and jacks, queens, and kings count 10 each. Only cards in your hand count when a hand is settled. Cards in your spreads on the table don't count against you.
- Can you play Tonk with 2 players?
- Yes. Tonk works for two players and is widely said to be best with two or three. Deal 5 cards each, and the non-dealer plays first. With only one opponent, drops are easier to judge and hands move quickly.
- What happens when the deck runs out in Tonk?
- If the stock runs out before anyone drops or goes out, everyone shows their hand. The player with the lowest count wins and collects the basic stake from each other player. Some local rules treat a tie at that point as a dead hand with no payment.
- What is the waiting rule in Tonk?
- The waiting rule is an optional rule that limits drops. After you put down a spread, you must wait until the start of your fourth turn to drop, and if someone hits your spread you can't drop on your next turn. Agree before the first deal if you want to use it.
Sources
Checked by Morgan Hale against the sources below. Last reviewed September 28, 2026.
- Tonk, pagat.com. Read September 29, 2026.
- Tonk, The Rummy Rulebook. Read September 29, 2026.
- How to Play Tonk, Cool Old Games. Read September 29, 2026.