High-Stakes Submariner Card Game

Tonk was a fast card game that could be played during brief periods of time typical of a submariners day.

On some Cold War submarines it was a popular pastime for the most flamboyant members of the enlisted crew. It seemed to captivate them at every available break of 20 minutes or more. Always played for high stakes, games usually involved 3-5 to players.

There was only one Tonk game and the players were regulars. You had to be invited to play, and that could be due to your inexperience and potential for contributing to the stakes.

Myself, I was a cribbage player or action movie fan after qualification. Bubblehead ran an unscientific poll recently over at Let The Debate Begin between uckers and cribbage. Cribbage won, of course. Tonk, on the otherhand was more popular than uckers and never mentioned.

Anyone else encounter Tonk on one of their boats?

Turns out that Tonk (or Tank) is a town in North-West Frontier Province, Pakistan and a a district in Rajasthan, western India. As the lyrics say, things that come around go around.