Tunk
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tunk is a card game closely related to the family of card games of gin rummy, but it is less complex and lacks a scoring component. It was made by Madsen Bienaime the older brother of the chosen one Makenson Bienaime in 1972.
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[edit] Play
Tunk is played with a standard deck of cards. Each player (up to four) is dealt five cards, then the deck is placed in a central location and the top card from the remaining deck (or stock) is turned over. The object of the game is to either get a low hand and "drop" or "tunk out".
[edit] Eating
Eating is what differentiates Tunk from the rest of the gin rummy family. It is an optional component of the game and is changeable by the house rules. Eating is done when a player sees a card he wants or needs discarded by another player and picks it up, regardless of whether it is his turn or not. When a player eats, he effectively skips the players between him and the player who discarded the eaten card. Play resumes with the player after the eating player after he has discarded.
[edit] Melding
Players can meld sets (three of the same rank card) or runs (three consecutive cards in the same suit, i.e.: 9d, 10d, Jd), but cannot "bridge the gap" by melding Kh, Ah, 2h of any suit.
[edit] Hitting
Hitting is a variation of the common laying off of another player's meld (i.e.: you hit an opponent's set of three 10s with the other 10). The card is put with the melds of the player who is receiving the hit. However, when a player "hits" another player, the player receiving the hit cannot lay down for three turns. Multiple hits result in 6, 9, 12, and so on turns. After a player has hit another player, the hitting player is allowed to discard a card from his hand. Once a player's set has been hit and the four cards of that rank are melded, they can be thrown into the discard pile.
[edit] Winning
[edit] Dropping (Shooting)
A player can drop at any point in the game, even before the play begins. The player wins the match if he has a lower hand count than the other players. Number cards are worth their rank, face cards are worth ten, and aces are usually counted as one, but this can be changed by the house rules. If a player "catches" the dropping player by having the same hand count as him, the dropping player loses. In the event of two players catching a dropping player, both players are considered winners.
[edit] Running out
Running out is simple. It occurs when you use your last card to discard. An example situation: Player A has two cards, 5 and 2. Player B melds a set of 5's. Player A hits Player B with his 5 and discards his remaining card, the 2.
[edit] Tunking out (Bubbles)
Tunking out is the preferred method of winning the game. It is achieved by melding or hitting until no cards remain in the player's hand. However, what differs tunking out from running out is that you can not discard your last card, it must either be used in a meld or in a hit. When a game is played for money, tunking out usually results in a double payment.
[edit] High count or Low count
Some house rules include a provision that a player wins the game automatically if he is dealt a hand count of 49 or 50. Some house rules include a provision that a player wins the game automatically if he/she is dealt a hand count of 13 or under.
