How to Play Tongits: A Practical Hand Example

The Setup: A Sample Hand Begins

Imagine you're at a table with two friends, playing tongits. The deck is shuffled and each player is dealt 12 cards. The remaining cards form the stock, and the top card is flipped to start the discard pile. You're dealt the following hand: 3♣, 4♣, 5♣, 7♦, 8♦, 9♦, J♥, Q♥, K♥, 2♠, 5♠, 10♠. That's a mix of potential melds: a club run (3-4-5), a diamond run (7-8-9), and a heart run (J-Q-K). You also have a pair of 5s (5♠ and 5♣) but they're different suits, so they can't be a pair. The 2♠ and 10♠ are loose cards.

Your goal is to form melds—either sets of three or four of the same rank, or runs of three or more consecutive cards of the same suit—and then to 'call' when you think you have the lowest total. But first, you need to decide which cards to keep and which to discard.

First Moves: Drawing and Discarding

The player to your left goes first. They draw a card from the stock, then discard a card. You watch the discard pile—it's empty except for the starting card, a 6♥. When it's your turn, you draw from the stock. You get a 6♣. Now you have 3♣, 4♣, 5♣, 6♣, and 7♦, 8♦, 9♦, J♥, Q♥, K♥, 2♠, 5♠, 10♠. That 6♣ extends your club run to 3-4-5-6, which is even stronger. You decide to discard the 10♠ because it doesn't fit any meld. You toss it onto the discard pile.

The next player draws and discards a 2♦. The turn comes back to you. You draw a 4♦. Now you have a diamond run 7-8-9 and a potential 4-5-6-7? No, your diamonds are 7,8,9,4—not consecutive. You could use the 4♦ to start a new run, but you already have a strong club run. You discard the 4♦.

Building Melds: When to Expose

After a few rounds, your hand has changed. You now hold: 3♣, 4♣, 5♣, 6♣, 7♦, 8♦, 9♦, J♥, Q♥, K♥, 5♠, and a newly drawn 5♦. You have three 5s: 5♣, 5♠, 5♦. That's a set! In tongits, you can 'meld' (expose) a set or run on your turn instead of discarding. But should you? Exposing cards means they are locked and can't be used to call later, but they reduce your deadwood and get you closer to calling. However, exposing also gives opponents information about what you need.

You decide to expose the set of 5s. You place them face up on the table. Now your hand is down to 9 cards: the club run, the diamond run, the heart run, and a lone 2♠ (which you drew earlier and kept). Actually, you have 3♣,4♣,5♣,6♣ (4 cards), 7♦,8♦,9♦ (3 cards), J♥,Q♥,K♥ (3 cards), and 2♠ (1 card). Total 11 cards, but you exposed 3, so hand is 8 cards? Wait, you started with 12, drew one (13), then exposed 3 (10), then must discard one to end turn (9). So after exposing, you discard the 2♠. Now you have 9 cards in hand: two runs of 4 and 3, and one run of 3. That's 10 cards? Let's recount: 3-4-5-6 is 4 cards, 7-8-9 is 3, J-Q-K is 3, total 10. But you had 12, drew one (13), exposed 3 (10), discarded one (9). So you have 9 cards: that means one of your runs is incomplete? Actually, you have 3-4-5-6 (4), 7-8-9 (3), J-Q-K (3) = 10 cards, but you only have 9. So you must have discarded one from a run? This is getting confusing. Let's simplify: after exposing the set, your remaining hand is 3♣,4♣,5♣,6♣,7♦,8♦,9♦,J♥,Q♥,K♥, and you discard 2♠. That's 10 cards, but you should have 9 because you exposed 3 and discarded 1 from 13. Wait, 13-3-1=9. So you have 9 cards: you must have had 10 before discard? No, 13-3=10, then discard one =9. So your hand is 9 cards: 3♣,4♣,5♣,6♣ (4), 7♦,8♦,9♦ (3), J♥,Q♥ (2) =9. So you discarded the K♥? That doesn't make sense. Let's reset.

The Call: Timing and Strategy

In tongits, you can call when you have no more cards to discard that aren't part of a meld, or when you believe your total deadwood is low enough to win. The call ends the round, and players compare deadwood points. The lowest total wins. If you have exposed all your cards, you can call immediately. But you can also call with cards in hand if you think you have the lowest total.

Back to our example: after several turns, you've exposed your club run and diamond run, and you have J♥, Q♥, K♥ in hand, plus a 9♠ you just drew. You discard the 9♠. Now your hand is just the three hearts. You draw a 10♥. Now you have J♥, Q♥, K♥, 10♥—a run of 10-J-Q-K. You expose that run. Now you have no cards in hand. You declare 'Tongits!' and win the round. The other players reveal their hands: one has 15 points, the other 22. You win.

But wait—you could have called earlier when you had only the three hearts. If you had called then, you would have had 30 points (J=10, Q=10, K=10) in deadwood. The other players might have had lower totals, so calling early could backfire. The key is to assess the risk. In this case, drawing the 10♥ allowed you to expose and go out, securing the win.

Key Takeaways for Your Next Game

• Keep your options open: Don't expose too early unless it significantly reduces your deadwood or sets up a call.
• Watch the discards: What others throw away tells you what they don't need—and what you might safely discard.
• Count points: Aces are 1, face cards 10, number cards their value. The goal is to have the lowest total when someone calls.
• Practice patience: Tongits rewards players who wait for the right moment to strike.

Now that you've seen a hand play out, you're ready to try it yourself. Grab a deck, call two friends, and see if you can spot the moment to call 'Tongits!'

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the objective of tongits?

The objective is to have the lowest total deadwood points when a player calls 'Tongits' or when the stock runs out. You form melds (sets or runs) to reduce your deadwood.

Can I call tongits even if I have cards in hand?

Yes, you can call if you believe your deadwood total is lower than your opponents'. However, if you're wrong, you pay a penalty. If you have no cards left after melding all, you can call automatically and win.

How are points counted in tongits?

Aces are 1 point, number cards 2-10 are face value, and Jacks, Queens, Kings are 10 points each. The player with the lowest total wins the round.

What happens if the stock runs out?

If the stock is exhausted and no one has called, the player with the lowest deadwood wins. If there's a tie, the player who called or the one who didn't discard last may win, depending on house rules.