UNDERGROUND TONK LEAGUE
WWW.TONKOUT.COM
RULES
Players are dealt (5) five cards to start. Player to left of dealer has first play. Player must draw a card from the deck or “Go For Low”. If a
player draws a card, he then has the option to 1) make a spread, 2) take a hit on his original spread or another players spread, or 3) discard a card from his hand for the next player. The next player then has option to 1) pick up discarded card, 2) pull a new card from the deck or 3) “Go for Low”. The motion of play continues around the table until a player 1) Tonk’s out, 2) Spreads out or 3) “Go for Low”.
*CARDS NEVER LEAVE TOP OF TABLE OR DEALERS SIGHT, IF THEY DO, THAT PLAYERS CARDS ARE MUCKED IN THE HAND
PROGRESSIVE POT‐ ANTES GO UP (PER SCHEDULED TIME FROM HOST)
PLAY CLOCK‐ limits to be announced (10 to 30 seconds depending on host)
The UTL has initiated a play clock that would help control the time limits for slow play of any hand. ANY OTHER PLAYER AT THE TABLE CAN CALL “CLOCK”. This is the amount of time a player has to make a spread, pull from the deck, hit a spread on the table, tonk out, or discard a card. If the player does not make a move from one of the above and finish play, THIS PLAYERS HAND IS MUCKED, and he cannot finish that game. Then the play is rotated to the next player. (Host call on time).
**Play clock extension**‐ each player during each dealt hand make ask for a one time only (20) twenty second extension, to finish his play. If player does not finish play in the extension time, THAT PLAYERS HAND IS MUCKED.
HIT AND HOLD
Hit and Hold rules are if a player takes a hit by himself or another player on a spread, that player must wait one complete round of play before the can “Go for Low”. If that player takes multiple hits in the same round of play, he still only has to wait one complete round of play.
GO FOR LOW (also called “running in”)
GO FOR LOW is any player can go for the lowest hand at the table compared to the rest of the players, meaning the counted numbers on the cards are added up together. This can only be done when a player has a turn to play, that player before pulling a card from the deck or taking a discarded card, has to lay is cards down to be counted. You can
"Go for Low" at any time with 5 cards or with 1 card in your hand, so long as its your turn to play. CATCH RULES APPLY (see below).
If a player Goes for Low, that player must push catch money in with the cards on any attempt.
A PLAYER CANNOT GO FOR LOW IF THEY DO NOT HAVE THE CATCH MONEY. (IF AVAILABLE THAT PLAYER MUST DO A REBUY AT THIS TIME).
CATCH RULES
“Catch rules”/ if any player GOES FOR LOW, another player can obtain a
“catch” by being equal or lower in the counted number of the cards. If this occurs, the player that gets caught has to pay the catcher DOUBLE the table pot at that time.
If the pot is $80, catch pay to another player is $160 If the pot is $120, catch pay to another player is $240 FREE RIDE
A free ride is the pot doesn’t change during a catch; money only shifts from player to player. All other players at the table, if any, do not have to re‐ante and the pot remains the same. Thus it is a “free ride” to these players.
END OF DECK
During a deal, if all the cards are used and the last card is pulled and no player at the table has won the game, then the player with the lowest counted cards wins the hand. If it is a tie, then the players split the pot equally.
Ways to win
WINNING Doubles on pot With (5) five cards from deal
13 and under/ counted numbers of the cards to make this total points Aces= 1 point
50/ number count of cards to make this total.
Aces= 1 point
All Faces cards (king, queen, jack) = 10 points
Tonk out/ make two spreads by either spread by pull from deck or spread by players discard. Players can also Tonk out on first hand with spread in hand and pull from deck or last player’s discard to make and ADDITIONAL SPREAD.
A “Tonkout” is:
1st spread can by same card different suit (clubs, spades, diamonds, or hearts)
And/or
2nd spread can be same suit (hearts clubs spades diamonds) in running order
(Ace Can’t RUN DOWN FROM KING ACE CAN ONLY RUN UP Ace, Two, Three)
WINNING SINGLES on pot With (5) five cards from deal 49/ number count of cards make this total.
All Face cards count for ten (10)
Spread out/Spread all card out in sequential order being left with no cards
Hit out/ (players are allowed to hit any spread on the viewed on the table)
Players get red of any and all cards by hitting any spread on table to release any and all of his cards before another player wins.
Examples:
If a player spreads (3) three eights (Eight of hearts, diamonds, and clubs. That player or any other player can take a hit with the Eight of spades.
Hit=
Or
If a player spreads (3) three cards, being the 2 of diamonds, 3 of
diamonds, and 4 of diamonds. That player or any other player can take a hit with either the Ace of diamonds or the 5 of diamonds. This hitting sequence and continue with the 6 of diamonds and so on and so on until there are no more available hits.
Hits are=
GOOD LUCK, LETS SHUFFLE UP AND GET IT ON!!!!
SIDE BETS (CALLED BY DEALER OR PLAYERS ON SIDE BETS) 1. BEST HAND (also known as “beat out”)
a. IF PLAYER DON’T WIN HAND, THEN LOWEST HAND (COUNTED NUMBERS)
2. HIGH CARD (SPADES, CLUBS, HEARTS, DIAMONDS) a. ACE IS HIGH, DEUCE IS LOWEST
3. COLOR PAIR (HIGHER COLOR PAIR FROM DEAL) a. ACES ARE HIGH, DEUCES ARE LOWEST 4. ONE EYED JACKS (JACK OF SPADES AND HEARTS)
a. IF A TIE, PLAYERS SPLIT POT
Players cards should be on the table at all times, if players cards should fall, be dropped, or be thrown from table and hit the floor for any reason, that players hand is mucked for that hand.
All SIDE BETS should be placed face down in the spread bank slot.
And the players must call and announce his SIDE BET when revealing the card.
