Tonk

A Fun Card Game

One Poker Deck of 52 cards, not using Jokers
Three tokens for each player (these can be nickels, quarters, or just poker chips)

History

When I was a kid my Great Grandmother Martha Newcomb brought to us a card game. The adults and kids alike loved to play it. Typically we would play for nickels. Every Christmas and Thanksgiving we would bring nickels to play Tonk.

I am not sure about where the game actually came from. I have heard variations called “Knock Poker”. Researching various books on card games revealed that the actual card game of Tonk is completely different. Presented are the rules as we played and enjoyed them.

The Game

The game starts with all players sitting at a table with three tokens in front of each player. The first dealer is decided or randomly determined. The dealer shuffles and deals three cards face down to each player, puts the remaining cards in the center of the table, and overturns the top card which becomes the discard pile.

The player to the dealer’s right is the player that gets to go first. The player looks at his three cards. The score of the player’s hand is determined by the highest number of one suit. For example, having 5♥, K♣, and 2♣ represents a score of 12, with the king counting as 10. The five of hearts is not part of the score since combination of the other two cards is higher. The score must all be in the same suit. The face cards (king, queen, and jack) all have a value of 10. The Ace has a value of 11. The number cards from 2 through 10 are scored based on that number.

The player has the following choices:
1.) The player can draw the top upward facing card from the discard pile, usually to complement his/her hand and increase his/her score. However since it is face up for all to see, doing so reveals what suit you are saving to other players, and you might not get lucky in getting another good discard on future turns. The player then discards one card face up to the discard pile.
2.) The player can draw the top downward facing card off of the deck. This will allow the player to keep what is received a secret. The player then discards one card face up to the discard pile.
3.) You can “knock”. When you knock, you physically knock on the table. Deciding to knock is important. What you are doing is telling the other players that you believe that your hand is the highest, or at the very least your hand is not the lowest. When you knock, you do not get a turn, instead your opponents get one extra round to improve their hand. When the turn returns to you, everyone reveals their cards. The player with the lowest score puts one of their tokens in the center. If two or more players have the same lowest score, all of them put a token in the center.

The highest score possible is 31, which includes an Ace and two cards with a value of 10. Again, they must all be in the same suit. When it is your turn, and you have acquired this score of 31, or if you have been dealt the score and it is your turn, you put down your cards and announce “Tonk!”. All of the player's opponents who got Tonked put one of their tokens into the center of the pot. The player who got the Tonk does not lose a token.

The player to the dealer’s right that is still in the game shuffles and deals three cards to each player, and play continues.

As I stated previously, all the players start with three tokens. These represent three strikes. However in the course of play, players will lose these tokens. When a player has lost all three of his/her tokens to the pot, he/she is allowed to play “on their honor”. This is like an invisible fourth token. It is completely possible for a player to win the game on their honor. If the player loses on their honor, he/she leaves the table and is out of the game.

Play continues until one player is left at the table. At that point, the one remaining player takes the pot and wins the game.