India Guide
Teen Patti is an Indian card-based game that is similar to poker or rummy.
The basic principles of the game are simple and can be learnt in a matter of minutes.
However, it takes far longer to master your strategy and work out how to beat your opponents.
Teen Patti can be extremely enthralling because the way you play can significantly affect the outcome.
With lots of moves and possibilities to out bluff your opponent, you will need your wits.
Basics
Teen Patti is played with a standard 52-card deck, between 3 to 6 players.
At the end of the betting, the player with the best 3-card hand wins.
It sounds similar enough to Three Card Poker, but there is one crucial difference.
In Teen Patti, there are no communal cards.
How to Play Teen Patti
The game begins with everyone at the table placing an ante bet.
Once the ante bet is placed, the dealer will deal three cards to each player.
This is called playing Seen or playing Blind.
Once the stage has been set, the round of betting can begin.
Going counter-clockwise, the players can start placing their bets.
This round of betting is not the same as poker either.
In Teen Patti, the level of the bet, or raise, is called the Chaal.
If a player makes a bet of 10 coins then the Chaal will stand at 10 coins.
The next player has to place 10 coins, or they can raise.
This format of betting can increase the pot significantly, especially when players keep raising the bet.
Players are also allowed to fold, call and check, just like in poker.
When the betting round ends, then the remaining players must show their hands.
The player with the best 3-card hand wins the round, and then the next round can start.
The best possible hand you might have is three Aces, whilst the worst possible Trio is three 2s.
The highest is Ace-King-Queen and the lowest is 4-3-2.
Straight
If you have a run of three cards, this is a straight or a sequence.
They can be of different suits.
Just like in the Straight Flush, the highest is Ace-King-Queen and the lowest is 4-3-2.
Flush
A flush is a 3-card hand in which all three cards are of the same suit.
In the case of a tie, the winner is determined by who has the highest-ranking card.
Pair
You have formed a pair when you have two cards of the same rank.
When there are two hands with pairs, then the pair of the higher rank wins.
The highest pair-hand that you’re able to have is a King and a pair of Aces.
The lowest hand is a 3 and a pair of 2s.
The cards are ranked from 2 up to Ace.
Other games may have slightly different rules regarding playing blind.
For example, a common version of the game benefits those who do not look at their cards.
By not doing so, they only need to bet half the Chaal and not the full amount.
Say player A was to continue blind, and then player B sees their cards.
The player before you does not need to accept your request to sideshow.
They can reject your request three times.
After the third time, if you request a sideshow again, they will be forced to comply.
These relate to different aspects of the game and may require you to play with alternate tactics.
Be sure to read the instructions for a game of Teen Patti before diving straight in.
Pot-Limits and Maximum Bets
The Chaal can increase at a much faster rate than in poker games.
This is why there are games that may have pot-limits or other requirements.
These are put in place to stop players from throwing gigantic sums of money into a single round.
A lot of Teen Patti games cap the maximum raise to double that of the last bet.
The previous player will need to double up and put in the value of the Chaal.
Another example is Pot-Limit Teen Patti.
This is slightly different, as it follows the standard rules of Pot-Limit poker.
Basically, you are allowed to raise the Chaal to the amount of the pot.
it’s possible for you to then raise it by a further 60 coins.
Broken down, this amount comes from the two 10-coin buy-ins, the 20-coin raise and your 20-coin call.
No-limit Teen Patti has no rules on how much you are allowed to bet.
The sky is the limit, but be careful not to blow through your funds too quickly.
A lot of money can exchange hands, and all within a few intense rounds.
You have to be far more vigilant when playing no-limit Teen Patti.
It is not recommended for beginners.
There may be some variants of Teen Patti in which there is no sideshow move.
However, it does add quite a lot of spice to Teen Patti.
If utilised well, you could use this tool to increase your advantage over your opponents.
Blind/Seen Rules
Some variants of Teen Patti allow you to play either blind or seen.
However, you will not know whether your hand is strong or not.
The only disadvantage is that you will need to meet each bet at full value, not at half.
There may be other variants that do not use the blind or seen betting requirements.
Hi-Lo Teen Patti
You may find variants in which Teen Patti is played with a Hi-Lo format.
What this means is that the pot is split at the end of each round.
However, the pot is not always split.
If there is only one remaining player during the betting cycle, then they collect the whole pot.
The player with the best low hand may also have the strongest hand all around.
This depends on the Hi-Lo format.
Side Bets in Teen Patti
There are many side bets that Teen Patti games may offer.
These relate to the winning hand, and what it will comprise.
For example, you may place a wager on the winning hand to be a pair.
This is not such a rare occurrence, so it will come with relatively short odds.
Live Casino or Table Game Teen Patti?
Originally, Teen Patti is played by 3-6 people around a table.
This game has been adapted for both live dealer games and table casino games.
Instead, you might bet on whether the house or the player will win.
Effectively, it is like a Video Poker version of Teen Patti.
Again, the format will be quite similar as you will play against the house.
However, you may find other variants that allow you to play against other players too.
The chances are, you will find plenty of options for the Teen Patti variant that you prefer.
Teen Patti has found a great audience with table game players and poker enthusiasts.
Variants and exclusive Teen Patti games will no doubt follow, in the foreseeable future.
At Gaming.net, we look for the best places to play Teen Patti and other Asian games.
Be sure to check out our article on thetop casinos that provide Teen Patti.
Anything can happen in this Indian card game.
Remember to play responsibly and have fun.
