Teen Patti is a hugely popular game in India and in other parts of South Asia, with people finding a variety of different ways in which they can play. For many of those that already play, the game is simple and ingrained into their lives, but what about everyone else?
If you don’t know how to play Teen Patti, here is a comprehensive breakdown of the rules for you to follow:
The Rules of Teen Patti – Understanding the Basics and Gameplay
Gaming Setup
So, let’s get the basics sorted before we learn how to play Teen Patti. The game is usually played by between three and six players, and it uses a standard 52-card deck. The joker cards from the deck are not used in Teen Patti.
The game begins with all players agreeing on the minimum stake and adding it to a common pot.
Dealing the Cards
The dealer, chosen randomly at the start, deals the cards one at a time to each player, in a counter-clockwise direction, until each player has three cards. The role of the dealer usually rotates among players in subsequent rounds.
Placing Bets – Playing Blind or Looking at Your Cards
After dealing, the betting rounds begin. Players can either choose to play ‘blind’ (betting without looking at their cards) or ‘seen’ (betting after looking at their cards). Playing blind means betting at least the current stake and not more than twice the current stake.
If they are playing blind, stakes remain the same as the original value deposited, or they can be doubled. If the person two places in front of you is a seen player then the player in front of you can either go with the current value or they can half the stake. If both players are not playing blind then the stake value either remains the same or can be doubled.
Players who see their cards (chaal) must bet at least twice the current stake.
Players who fold forfeit their claim to the pot.
Show
Betting on the game continues until all players except one folds their cards. Whoever is the last player remaining is the player who wins the game and takes all the money in the pot. If all players fold except two, one of these players can challenge the other to ‘show’.
During a show, both players reveal their cards, and the one with the higher-ranking hand wins the pot. If both hands are equal, the player who didn’t request the show wins.
Ranking of Hands
Let’s take a step back to understand the value of the cards dealt. What you are aiming for is to have a sequence that is better than your opponents cards. This is the same process as playing poker, if you have played that before.
Here are the different hands you can make to gain a win in Teen Patti, beginning with the best hand in the game and working down to the lowest hand.
A Trio or Trail is the best hand in the game. This is a three card hand with the same number, for example, three 7’s.
A Pure Sequence, or straight flush, is next. This is a run of numbers but all using the same suit, so a run of spades for example, let’s say 4, 5, 6 of spades.
A Sequence, or straight, comes next. Just like above, it is a run of three cards but this time they do not have to be in the same suit, they can be different.
A Color, or flush, is next. This is three cards of the same suit and colour, regardless of order, so for example, three hearts in the same hand.
A Pair is next. This is if you have two cards that are the same from your three. For example, you have 7, 7, 9, this is a pair of 7’s that forms your hand.
High card is the last option for a Teen Patti player, you have nothing of the above and are simply playing with the highest card you have. If you have 6, 9, K, then your highest card is a king, and this is what your hand is.
In cases where two players have the same type of hand, the winner is determined by the ranking of individual cards. For instance, a pair of Aces would beat a pair of Kings.
Variations of Teen Patti
While we have covered the basics rules of Teeni Patti Cash, you should note there are quite a lot of variations of Teen Patti with modified rules. Each of them have a particular name, for example, look out for popular variations such as muflis, AK47, lowest card joker and many more.
Whichever version of Teen Patti you play, make sure you understand that variation fully and don’t move onto another until you are comfortable. We would advise you to learn how to play Teen Patti in a particular way before moving on to another version of the game. Although the differences may only be small in numbers, it could be the difference between winning and losing.
Poker Similarities
The game does feature many rules that are very similar to poker, and this has enabled the game to go worldwide, as poker is a very popular game in many different countries. However, the finer details and smaller Teen Patti rules are the ones that you really need to get a grip of and learn, so you can really take every opportunity that comes to you in the game.
This is a genuine advantage you could hold over others. While some players out there will be far more experienced than you, especially when you start playing as a newcomer, there is no doubt that you can put yourself ahead of them from a knowledge perspective, which could be important.
Those who don’t go in depth with this game will be found out from time to time, and while you may not have the experience that some others do, if you know and understand the game better than them, you can certainly beat them.
Final Thoughts
The beauty of Teen Patti can be found in its simplicity. It’s a card game where the player can pick it up quickly. But, once a player has learned how to play Teen Patti, they then need to master the game. It can be considered a very tactical game, where experienced players are far more likely to prosper.
This theory also applies to playing Teen Patti online for real money. You will improve your chances of winning some money from the casino site if you are an experienced Teen Patti player.
