OK guys, I have to confess - I was TOTALLY confused the first time my cousin tried teaching me Teen Patti during a family get-together back in 2018! I kept mixing up the card rankings and making wrong bets. After many many losses (and my cousin teasing me non-stop), I finally got the meaning of it. That's why I'm writing this - to save you from the same awkward learning curve I went through!
So What indeed is Teen Patti?
Teen Patti translates to "three cards" in Hindi (I think my pronunciation was hilariously but it is true!). It's basically the South Asian cousin of poker - but way less complicated, trust me! The game goes with getting three cards and either bluffing your way to victory or actually having a decent hand. My gaming group switched from poker to Teen Patti last summer, and even Dave - who's TERRIBLE at card games - picked it up last month.
Things You Need to Play Teen Patti
To play Teen Patti, you will need:
- A standard deck of 52 playing cards (without jokers)
- Some chips or coins for betting (you can use buttons or small toys as alternatives too!)
- 2-5 players (but more can join too)
- A flat surface like a table to play on
How to Play Teen Patti: Easy Steps
Let's learn how to play Teen Patti in simple steps:
- Shuffle the cards: Mix all the cards well.
- Everyone adds to the pot: Each player puts the same small amount into the middle of table(called the "boot" amount).
- Deal the cards: Give three cards to each player, one card at a time, turn around 3 times, face down.
- Make choices: You can choose anytime to "see"(look at your cards), if you do so, then every bet you make after will be dounbled.
- Take turns to bet: Players take turns to bet, either chaal(follow the last player's bet amount) or raise(double the last player's bet amount).
- Betting rounds: Players bet until only two players remain, then someone can ask for a "show." If you dont have enough chips to follow last players bet, you have to fold.
- Show cards: The remaining players show their cards.
- Winner takes all: The player with the best hand wins all the chips in the pot!
Teen Patti Card Rankings (From Best to Worst)
Here are the different hands in Teen Patti, from the strongest to the weakest:
- Trail or Set: Three cards of the same rank (like three Aces or three 7s)
- Pure Sequence: Three cards in sequence of the same suit (like 4, 5, 6 of hearts)
- Sequence: Three cards in sequence but not in same suit (like 4 of hearts, 5 of clubs, 6 of diamonds)
- Color: Three cards of the same suit, not in sequence (like 3, 7, 10 of spades)
- Pair: Two cards of the same rank and one different card (like two 9s and a Queen)
- High Card: When you don't have any of the above, the highest card counts
- When two same hands meet, then you will compare the rank of the two hands( for example, both are pure sequence, then K,Q,J is better than 10,9,8)
Rules explanation for Beginners
Here are some simple rules to make Teen Patti even more fun:
- Blind Play: If you play without looking at your cards, you bet half of what "seen" players bet.
- Seen Play: Once you look at your cards, you must bet the full amount.
- Show: If only two players are left, one can ask for a "show" by placing an extra bet.
Common Words Used in Teen Patti
Learning these words will help you understand the game better:
- Boot: The initial amount everyone puts in the pot before playing
- Chaal: When a player places a bet
- Show: When players compare their cards to find the winner
- Blind: Playing without looking at your cards
- Seen: Playing after looking at your cards
- Pot: All the chips or money in the middle
I Wish Someone Told Me these When I Started
Alright, here's the real talk about strategy to play Teen Patti:
- Start with tiny bets! I lost ₹2000 my first game being overconfident