Game Rules
Teen PattiIndia's Poker Relative

Bet blind or seen on your three cards – India's popular banking and comparing game.

Players3 – 6
Duration10 – 20 Min
Deck52 Cards · 1 Deck
LevelEasy to Medium
I · Game Idea

Three Cards,
Full Risk

I

Teen Patti (Hindi for "three cards") is India's most popular card game and closely related to Three Card Brag. Each player receives three cards and bets on having the best hand.

Players can play their cards "blind" (unseen) or "seen" – playing blind costs less, seeing gives more information.

II · Preparation

Before the
Game Begins

II
1
Open Pot
All players pay a small basic stake into the pot.
2
Deal Cards
Each player receives 3 cards face down.
3
Choose Blind or Seen
Each player decides whether to look at their cards ("Seen") or play blind.
Before Starting

Playing blind is cheaper and withholds information – an experienced player can bluff with a weak hand this way.

III · Card Values
Which Hand
Is Best
III
T
Trail
Three of a Kind
Three cards of the same rank – the strongest hand in Teen Patti.
S
Pure Sequence
Straight Flush
Three consecutive cards of the same suit.
R
Sequence
Straight
Three consecutive cards, mixed suits.
C
Color
Flush
Three cards of the same suit, not in sequence.
IV · Gameplay

Betting Round
After Betting Round

IV
1
Play Blind or Seen
Before each bet, decide: look at cards or remain blind.
2
Bet
Raise the stake – blind players bet less than seen players.
3
Request Show
If only two players remain: one can request a comparison ("Show").
4
Compare
Better hand wins the entire pot.
5
Win Pot
Best hand in the Show wins the pot. Alternatively: all other players fold and the last remaining player automatically wins.
V · Variants
Variants
V

Teen Patti has many popular Indian house rules.

AK47
AK47
Certain cards (Ace, King, 4, 7) are defined as jokers.
M
Muflis
Reverse scoring: the lowest hand wins instead of the highest.
J
Joker Teen Patti
With real jokers as additional wildcards.
999
999
Variant with target sum 999 instead of classic hand comparisons.
VI · Tips & Tricks

What really
matters

VI
Strategy Tips
+

Play blind if your hand is likely weak – this withholds information and costs less than a seen bet.

+

Observe how quickly and how high fellow players bet – a quick raise can mean both a strong hand and a bluff.

+

Request a Show preferably when only two players are left and you believe your own hand is superior.

+

With a Trail or Pure Sequence: bet aggressively, as these hands are rarely beaten by opponents.

Common Mistakes

Playing blind for too long, even though a look at your own cards would provide tactically important information.

Requesting a Show too early when more than two players are in the game – this is usually not possible or disadvantageous.

Betting too aggressively with a mediocre hand, without considering the behavior of other players.

Ignoring the cost differences between Blind and Seen and thereby risking unnecessarily high stakes.

Berlin Hold'em · Matching Decks
Get the right deck

Teen Patti is India's classic poker night – playable immediately with a normal deck.

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