• What Are The Rules Of Tonk Card Game
• Tonk League Card Game

Tonk is played with a standard deck of 52 playing cards and each card has a point value in the game. All picture cards are worth 10 points, but aces are worth only 1 point. The rest of the cards are worth their face value in points. A 2 is worth 2 points, a 3 is worth 3 points, and so on. A set is three or more cards of a kind. A run is three or more cards in the same suit in an increasing or decreasing sequence. Once a player makes a meld, they lay out the cards upright on the gameplay area. Players may play onto any other players melds as well as their own. When a player gets rid of all of their cards, they are out.

Shithead (also known by many other names, most commonly Karma, Palace and Shed^[1]) is a card game, the object of which is to lose all of one's playing cards, with the final player being the 'shithead'.^[2] The game became popular among backpackers in the late 20th century.^[1][2] Although the basic structure of the game generally remains constant, there are regional variations to the game's original rules.

Setup[edit]

From a standard, shuffled deck of cards, each player is dealt 9 cards in total: 3 face-down cards in a row (blind cards), 3 face-up cards on top of the blind cards and 3 hand cards.^[2] The blind cards will be the last cards to be played and players are not allowed to see or change these cards until the ending turns of the game. The face-up will be the second to last set of cards to be played in the game (before the blind cards). At the beginning of the game, players are allowed to switch their hand cards with their face-up cards in an attempt to produce a strong set of face-up cards (possibly all perfect wildcards) for later in the game.^[2] Cards with the same numerical value can be stacked on top of each other if needed.

Gameplay[edit]

The beginning player is the first person to put a 3 in the pile from the cards in their hand. If no player has a 3 in hand, the game is started with a 4; if no 4, then a 5, and so on.^[2] The second player must then place an equal or higher card (in numerical value) than the card played previously, this card is to be put on top of the play pile. All subsequent players are then to follow this rule. The player would then have to draw cards from the deck. Each player should have at least 3 cards in their hand at all times, unless the deck has run out of cards. The game continues sequentially in a clockwise direction unless certain wildcards are played, such as a Joker, depending on the rule set.

Twos and tens are wildcards, and can be played on any card. Any card can be played to follow a two.^[2] When a ten is played, the discard pile is immediately 'burned' (removed from play) and the same player takes another turn, playing any card or set to begin a new discard pile.^[2]

If a player is able to place four cards with the same numerical value (e.g. 5♦5♣5♥5♠ or 8♥8♦8♠8♣), this burns the discards in the same manner as a ten. Burning can also happen across multiple players' turns: for example, if a player first plays 5♥5♦5♠ and the next player in turn has the 5♣, they can drop that card to finish the set and burn the play pile. The player who burns the pile must then play another card after.^[2]

When a player has no wildcards and no single card that is equal or higher in value than the card on top of the play pile, they must pick up all the cards on the play pile and end their turn. Picking up the pile can often put a player at a great disadvantage when many cards have been played, as they will have more cards to shed than other players. Even so, it is still possible to quickly recover from this handicap by burning the pile.

After a player has no more cards in their hand, and the deck is empty, they need to play from their three face-up cards. They cannot play from this set of cards until they have finished with their hand. Following the rule: the value of the face-up card must be higher than the value of the card on the top of the pile, if a player cannot play the face-up card, then they must pick up the pile. Once all of the face-up cards have been played, a player must then play their blind cards. These cards are played one at a time, without the player knowing the card until the moment it is played. As usual, if the chosen card is lower than the previous card played, they need to pick up the pile, and are required to play their entire hand again before progressing to the rest of their face-down cards.

When a player has no cards left, they are out. The game progresses until only one player is left, at which point they are crowned the 'shithead'. Under most rules, the shithead's only role is to deal the next set of cards, but players may decide further punishments for the role, such as fetching the next round of drinks.

Alternative rules[edit]

Two Jokers can be added to the deck as additional wildcards. This expanded deck allows the game to be played by six players.^[2]

Many rule sets and house rules give special attributes to other card values, such as reversing the order of play,^[2] needing the next play to be lower than the played card,^[2] or having one rank being considered 'transparent', the next card played having to beat the one below the transparent card.^[2] Some versions of the game do not allow 10s to be played onto face cards, and allow the player who played the 10 to take another turn immediately.^[2]

References[edit]

1. ^ ^abParlett, David (1979). The Penguin Encyclopedia of Card Games. p. 480. ISBN0140280324. (Karma, Palace, Shed, many other names)
2. ^ ^{abcdefghijklm}Pagat.com rules of Shithead

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.

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.

What Are The Rules Of Tonk Card Game

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.

Tonk League Card Game

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.