How to Master Card Tongits and Win Every Game You Play
I remember the first time I sat down to learn Tongits, that classic Filipino card game that's become something of a national pastime. What struck me immediately was how much it reminded me of those classic video games where developers focused so heavily on core mechanics that they overlooked certain quality-of-life improvements. Much like how Backyard Baseball '97 never bothered fixing that exploit where CPU baserunners would advance when they shouldn't, Tongits has maintained its charmingly imperfect learning curve that somehow makes it more endearing. The game's been around for decades, yet it still throws curveballs at beginners in ways that feel both frustrating and wonderfully authentic.
When I teach newcomers, I always start with the basic setup because getting this wrong can ruin the entire experience. You need a standard 52-card deck, removing the jokers, and ideally three players though you can manage with two or four with some rule adjustments. The dealer distributes 13 cards to each player in clockwise fashion, and the remaining cards form the draw pile. What most beginners don't realize is that the seating arrangement actually matters more than they think - I always recommend sitting to the left of the most experienced player when you're learning, as it gives you more time to observe their moves before making your own decisions.
The objective seems simple enough - form sets and sequences to minimize your deadwood points - but the strategy reveals itself in layers. You're essentially collecting three-of-a-kinds, straights of the same suit, or four-of-a-kinds while strategically discarding cards that won't help your opponents. I've found that about 70% of beginners make the same critical mistake in their first ten games: they focus too much on their own hand without tracking what others are collecting. It's that same kind of strategic oversight we see in those classic games where players discover they can fool the AI - except in Tongits, you're dealing with human opponents who will quickly punish predictable play.
What fascinates me about Tongits is how it balances luck and skill in a way that's uniquely Filipino. Unlike poker where mathematics often dominates decision-making, Tongits incorporates this beautiful element of psychological warfare. I've noticed that players who come from chess or bridge backgrounds tend to overthink their moves initially, while those with mahjong experience adapt more quickly to the rhythm of building combinations while reading opponents. My personal preference leans toward aggressive play - I'd rather lose spectacularly trying to complete a grand slam than win through conservative, point-minimizing strategies. There's something thrilling about declaring "Tongits!" when you've managed to form all your cards into valid combinations, especially when you've been quietly building toward it while your opponents suspected nothing.
The scoring system has these delightful quirks that experienced players exploit mercilessly. Face cards are worth 10 points each, aces count as 1 point, and numbered cards carry their face value. But here's where it gets interesting - if you manage to go out with a grand slam (all cards in combinations), the loser pays double, and I've seen games where this resulted in someone owing over 500 points in a single hand. I once witnessed a comeback where a player turned a 300-point deficit into a 150-point lead in just three rounds, largely because their opponents underestimated the power of well-timed bluffs and strategic discards.
What continues to draw me back to Tongits after all these years is how it mirrors those imperfect yet brilliant classic games we still cherish. Much like how players discovered they could exploit Backyard Baseball '97 by throwing to multiple infielders to trick baserunners, Tongits reveals its deeper strategies through repeated play and observation. The game doesn't hold your hand - it expects you to learn through losses and small victories, developing your own style along the way. I've come to appreciate that the lack of modern "improvements" is precisely what preserves its character; the same quirks that frustrate beginners become the very elements that experts master and cherish. After teaching probably over a hundred people to play, I'm convinced that Tongits remains compelling precisely because it never tries to be perfect - it just tries to be authentically challenging and endlessly fascinating.