The yard classic, three-handed. Spread your books and runs, race your hand under the 15-point line, then drop before somebody catches you lower. Points are bad — first to 100 busts out, last player standing takes the match.
Turn —Points 0–0–0Hand –Stock –Matches won 0
How to play — the exact rules at this table
The table: three seats — you, Rex 🦁 and Dee 🎲. Five cards each from a standard 52-card deck. Card points: Ace = 1, 2–10 = face value, J/Q/K = 10. Your hand total is the points still in your hand — cards you spread on the table never count against you.
The deal can end it: if your five dealt cards total 15 or less, that's a Tonk! — you win the hand on the spot. Exactly 49 or 50 is a Fifty! — also an instant win. Either way every other player adds double their own hand total to their match score. (If two players catch: a Tonk beats a Fifty, the lowest Tonk wins, the higher Fifty wins, and a dead tie means both win.)
Spreads: on your turn you may lay down any number of spreads, before or after you hit. A spread is a book — 3 or 4 cards of one rank — or a run — 3 or more cards of one suit in sequence. Aces are low only (A-2-3 is a run; Q-K-A is not). You may also add cards to your own spreads later; nobody can touch another player's spreads. Select cards in your hand, then tap 🖐 Spread.
Hit: after any spreading, take one card — the top of the stock (face down) or the face-up top card of the discard pile.
Discard: end your turn by discarding one card face-up onto the pile. You may not discard the card you just took from the discard pile this turn. If your hand reaches zero cards — by spreading the last of them or discarding your last card — you go out and win the hand; every opponent adds the points left in their hand.
Dropping: at the very start of your turn, before you spread or hit, if your hand totals 15 or less you may 🎯 Drop. Everyone shows their hand. If yours is strictly the lowest, you win and each opponent adds their hand total. If anyone ties or beats your total, you're caught — you add double your own total, the lowest opponent wins the hand, and anyone else adds their own total.
Out of stock: when the last stock card is drawn, the hand ends as soon as that player finishes their turn — the lowest hand total wins (adds nothing, ties share it) and everyone else adds their total.
The match: points are bad. Reach 100 and you're busted out. The last player standing wins the match. If two players bust on the same hand, the lower score survives; if you're busted out, the match is over and the lower-scoring survivor takes the table. 💡 Tap the hint button any time for a suggested play. Sound is off by default — tap 🔊 to enable.
STOCK · 0
DISCARD · 0
Pick a table below to start.
🃏
Tonk
Five cards each. Spread books and runs onto the table, race under the 15-point line, and drop before you get caught. Dealt 15 or less? That's a Tonk — instant win, double. First to 100 points busts out.
TAP TO START
About Tonk
Tonk is the yard classic — a fast rummy-family game played on porches, in barbershops and around kitchen tables for generations. Five cards, a stock, a discard pile, and one delicious decision: when your hand gets low, do you keep drawing… or drop and dare somebody to be lower? Our free online Tonk plays the full three-handed game against two regulars with real personalities — Rex 🦁, who chases cards and drops bold, and Dee 🎲, who sits quiet, holds low cards, and punishes greedy drops.
The rules at this table are one clean, documented house set: a dealt hand of 15 or less is a Tonk and exactly 49 or 50 is a Fifty — both instant wins that pay double. Books and runs spread onto the table where they can never count against you, Aces run low only, and the drop is a first-move gamble at 15 or under: be strictly lowest or get caught and pay double. Points are bad, the bust line is 100, and the last player standing takes the match.
Quick tips
Spread early and often. Points on the table are points that can never be added to your score — and a smaller hand is a dropping hand.
The upcard is public information. If it doesn't complete a spread or chase a pair, the stock is usually the better hit — and never feed the next player a card they just showed they want.
Watch hand sizes, not just faces. A player holding two cards is holding a low total — dropping into them at 14 is how you get caught.
A dealt Tonk is luck, but a built one is skill: keep Aces and low cards, shed face cards first, and count what's already on the table before you chase a run.
Frequently asked questions
Is online Tonk free here?
Yes — free in your browser, no download, no signup, and no account needed.
What exactly is a "tonk"?
At this table, a Tonk is a dealt five-card hand totaling 15 points or less — an instant win on the deal, and every other player adds double their hand total. A dealt 49 or 50 is called a Fifty and wins the same way. During play, getting your hand to zero cards (spreading everything, or discarding your last card) wins the hand too.
When can I drop, and what does "caught" mean?
You may drop only as the first move of your turn, and only with a hand of 15 points or less. If your total is strictly the lowest, you win the hand. If anyone ties or beats it, you're caught: you add double your own total, and the lowest opponent wins the hand.
How does the match end?
Every point you add is a point against you. Reach 100 match points and you're busted out; the last player standing wins the match. If two players bust on the same hand, the lower score survives.
Enjoying Tonk? Try our flagship Castaway VR™ — a WebXR fishing game that runs the same browser-VR tech behind virtual date worlds — or browse all 55 arcade games.