How to play Tongits

Also called Tong-its
3 players

Three players, and three only. The dealer holds thirteen and plays first; everybody else holds twelve. A turn is draw, lay down whatever you can, then throw one away.

Melds are three or more of a rank, or a run in one suit. The ace is low and does not follow the king. Cards left in your hand count against you: an ace is one, and anything from a ten up is ten. A meld you never laid down counts against you like any other cards.

Empty your hand and that is a Tongits, which wins outright.

Play Tongits free

How a turn works

Draw one card, either from the stock or the top of the discard pile. Then lay down any melds you can, add to melds already on the table if the rules allow it, and finish by discarding one card face up.

Taking from the discard pile is the part tables disagree about, so it is a setting. The usual rule, and the default here, is that you may take the top card only if it goes straight down in a meld — which keeps the pile moving. A table can also allow it freely, or not at all.

Sapaw

Sapaw is laying spare cards onto a meld that is already on the table — including somebody else's. It is the fastest way out of a bad hand, and it is why a big meld is not always the safe thing to put down.

Tables here can allow sapaw onto anybody's melds, restrict it to your own, or turn it off.

Calling, and burning a call

Instead of playing on, you can call — a challenge to compare hands. A call is made at the start of your turn, before you draw, and you need something of your own already on the table to make one.

You have to beat everybody outright. A tie burns the call: it fails, and whoever is actually lowest takes the hand instead. That risk is the whole decision.

What a hand is worth

Cards still in your hand count against you. An ace is one, pips count their face value, and anything from a ten upward is ten. Cards you have melded are out of your hand and count nothing.

A table can play for chips or just for the result. Emptying your hand — a Tongits — ends it immediately and wins however the table is scoring.

Playing Tongits online with friends

PlayWeya deals Tongits in your browser. One person sets up a table, the other two join with a five-character code, and everybody plays from their own phone — no app to install and no account needed.

Play chips only. Nothing here has cash value and there is nothing to deposit or withdraw.