Card game guide

Tongits rules — how to play

The Filipino rummy favourite explained step by step.

Updated September 30, 2026 · Information checked against the official PH28 site

Tongits basics

Tongits is a three-player rummy-style card game played with a standard 52-card deck. The dealer gets 13 cards and the other two players 12; the rest form the draw pile. The goal is to empty your hand, call “Tongits”, or finish with the lowest card points when the game ends.

Melds (valid combinations)

  • Set: three or four cards of the same rank (e.g. 7-7-7).
  • Run: three or more consecutive cards of the same suit (e.g. 4♥-5♥-6♥). Ace is low.

How a turn works

  1. Draw a card from the pile, or take the last discard if you can use it in a meld right away.
  2. Lay down (expose) melds and/or sapaw (add cards to exposed melds).
  3. Discard one card to end your turn.

How to win

  • Tongits: get rid of all your cards.
  • Draw pile runs out: the player with the lowest points in hand wins (Ace = 1, face cards = 10).
  • Call “Draw”/fight: on your turn, if you have exposed a meld, you can challenge; lowest points wins.

House rules for burned players and bonuses vary between apps.

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Frequently asked questions

How many cards in Tongits?

A 52-card deck; the dealer gets 13 cards and the other two players 12.

What is sapaw?

Adding your cards to a meld already exposed on the table.

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