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How to Play Teen Patti? Rules & Gameplay

Teen Patti might not be a name you are overly familiar with, but this simple yet fun card game is very popular in South Asia. The game originated in India and is a great game to play with friends and family.

Now just like Poker, learning the rankings of various hands can take time. But don’t worry; our in-depth Teen Patti game guide will be sure to help. 

What is the Teen Patti Card Game?

What is the Teen Patti Card Game

Teen Patti is a popular Indian card game; the name even means three cards. Each player receives three cards in their hand and will have to bet on their value.

The game is played just like Poker, with the dealer giving out cards one at a time. Players must make a minimum bet before cards are dealt. Once all cards are dealt with, players can make another bet if they wish.

Typically players will want to look at their cards before making another bet. However, a player can opt to leave their cards face-down on the table; this is known as playing blind. In some rule variations, players can only play blind a set number of times. 

Players can also fold once the cards are dealt if they don’t think they’ll win. On the other hand, you can also increase your bid if you’re feeling lucky or have a valuable hand. Once the final bets are made, players show their cards, with the highest value hand winning. 

Teen Patti is generally played over several rounds, especially in casual at-home games. While you don’t strictly need Poker chips, it will make playing the game much more fun. Before we look at the rules, let’s take a quick look at what you’ll need to play Teen Patti at home. 

What You’ll Need To Play?

To play Teen Patti, you’ll need a few things, namely a deck of playing cards, and we’d advise some Poker chips. If you plan to play Teen Patti down at the pub, making an excellent pub game, we recommend choosing some waterproof playing cards.

Bicycle Fire Element Cards

If you’re looking for some cards that will be sure to stand out, these Bicycle Fire Element Playing Cards are sure to look striking. When it comes to Poker Chips, there are plenty of options, but we think it’s best to stick to simpler designs. 

This colored set of 160 Poker Chips would make a fine choice for at-home games. That’s all you need to play, so let’s now take a look at the rules and other important information you need to know. 

Poker Chip Set

Rules and Gameplay 

Teen Patti Rules and gameplay

The Aim of The Game 

The aim of Teen Paati is to win as many hands as you can. If you are playing with Poker Chips, you’ll also have to manage your bets carefully. If you know when to bet big, you can easily win plenty of chips with just one hand. 

You’ll need a minimum of at least three people to play Teen Patti, but it can be played with many more. Ideally, we think it’s best to stick to a maximum of seven players, but you could add a few more without issue. 

The Card Rankings 

Before we talk about rules and set-up information, you need to examine the card rankings. We have listed the rankings from highest to lowest to make things easier. You’ll likely find it helpful to refer to these for your first few games. 

1. Trio

It’s simply three cards of the same ranking. The cards follow the standard value ranking, with aces being the highest trio and twos being the lowest ranking trio. 

2. Straight

Three cards in consecutive order must be in the same suit as well. An ace can be used in a straight too.

3. Normal Run

This is similar to the above ranking. Again it’s three consecutive cards, but they won’t be of the same suit. 

4. Color

It’s three cards of the same suit. If more players use this card hand, their value is based on the highest card. 

5. Pair

Well, this is pretty self-explanatory. Two cards of the same rank make a pair. So, if multiple players have a pair, compare the overall value of the two cards. 

6. High Card 

The lowest ranking hand is simply the highest card you have. If everyone has a high card hand, you decide the highest by comparing the highest card in each one. 

The Set-Up 

The first thing to do is choose a dealer. You can do this in multiple ways, including just letting people nominate themselves. If no one wants to be the dealer, someone should shuffle the deck and then deal one card to each player. 

The player with the highest value card becomes the dealer. Redeal if two (or more) players get the same card. Once the dealer is chosen, they should deal out cards one at a time to each player. Each player should receive three cards. 

The Betting Phase 

Each player should place a chip into the pot when all the cards are dealt. Players can then decide whether to look at their cards of play blind. The betting phase then begins in full. To the dealer’s left, the player will bet first and then play moves in a clockwise motion around the table. 

Player’s may fold at any point. For example, if you are playing blind, you must match the current stake; however, players who looked at their cards must double the current stake to stay in. 

A blind player can look at their cards on their turn, but they will need to bet more to stay in the game. The betting phase continues till only one or two people are still in the game. If one player is left, they win by default.

However, if two people are still in the game, they must reveal their cards. The player who has the best hand wins!

Teen Patti – The Classic Indian Card Game 

Teen Patti might not be as well known as games like Solitaire or Spades, but it’s plenty of fun and well worth playing.

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