Our Extensive Teen Patti Guide

As the online gaming industry continues to flourish, gaming software developers have created titles that are based on classic casino-style games to cater to Indian players who prefer the classics. Teen Patti is a prime example of such a game. The rules for both land-based and online Teen Patti games are similar, with the only major deviation from these traditional rules taking place at live Teen Patti casino games. Regardless of whether you’re a seasoned or novice online player, our CasinoTop guide for Teen Patti will provide you with the basics and nitty gritty details on how this popular Indian game is played.

Getting Started

Getting started with this epic casino game is no different to the process required to play other online casino games. The first step is to ensure that you’ve selected an online casino that offers Teen Patti and caters to all of your gaming needs. If you’re about to experience Teen Patti for the first time, here’s a quick guide on how the game goes and what you can expect:

Place Your Ante Bet

To begin the game, all participants of the game are required to place an ante bet. This applies to online games as well and once the dealer, or person acting as the dealer, has ensured that everyone has placed a bet, each player will be given three cards face down.

Choose to Play Seen or Blind

Every player will then need to decide whether they would like to look at the cards they were dealt, by playing seen, or choosing to remain ignorant of their cards and playing blind. However, players who opt to look at their cards should be ready to pay for this privilege as they will need to double the ante bet that was placed. Players who do not check their cards won’t need to increase their bet and will likely lose less during that round.

Betting Round

The betting round begins thereafter. The player seated to the left of the dealer will need to decide whether they would like to make another bet or fold based on the cards they’ve seen. The betting round moves clockwise from this point and players who have seen their cards will be required to bet more than those who are playing blind to remain in the game. This would be a good time for seen players to fold if their sequence isn’t a strong one.

Reveal Cards

If the game continues to the point where just two players remain, one of the players can elect to pay to see the cards left in the game. This means that both the paying player and their opponent will need to reveal their cards. The player with the strong hand sequence will win the pot. In another case, if all but one player folds, the remaining player will automatically win the game and the prize pot.

Sequences in The Game

We mentioned the strength of a Teen Patti sequence earlier in this guide. There are several sequences that can present themselves and these sequences will determine your chances of winning if you are to reveal your hand. Understanding which cards make up a sequence and how strong it is will be vital to your playing strategy and is where most novice players begin. Below, we have arranged the sequences from highest to lowest and explain which cards the sequence is composed of.

Set

This sequence is sometimes referred to as a trail and is made of three cards that are of the same rank. It can be any rank combination but three aces is the best possible combination for this sequence while three twos is the least valuable.

Pure Sequence

If you’ve played traditional poker, the pure sequence is exactly the same as Poker’s straight flush. This means that all three cards you’re dealt are from the same suit in order. The most valuable pure sequence in the game is Ace, two and three from the same suit. Thereafter, Ace, King and Queen are valuable, followed by King, Queen and Jack.

Run Sequence

A run sequence consists of three consecutive cards that come from different suits. Similar to the pure sequence, Ace, two and three is the strongest run sequence while four, three and two is the weakest.

Colour Sequence

A colour sequence is made up of three cards that are all the same colour and suit. If the colours are to be compared to determine a winner of a round, the two highest cards from the trio are considered. If the two cards are identical, the second highest card will be taken into consideration.

Pair Sequence

While players receive three cards, the pair sequence places importance in only two of three if they are of the same rank and from different suits. If the pairs are identical when comparing hands, the remaining card will be the determining card.

High Card Sequence

If you receive a hand that doesn’t have any of the abovementioned sequences, your hand will be valued based on the highest of your three cards. If these cards are compared, the highest ranked cards will be considered first and the two remaining cards will only become important if two players have the same highest-ranking card.

Terminology

Just like all other casino games, Teen Patti makes use of unique terminology to refer to actions, people and concepts relating to the game. If you’re just starting out, learning these terms will be helpful and allow you to always keep up with the game.

Boot/ante

The ante, or boot, is the first amount that players need to place in the pot at the beginning of each game round.

Blind

This refers to a player who has not paid extra to see their hand

Seen

This refers to a player that has paid extra to look at their hand

Call

To call means that all blind players will need to match the stake and all seen players will need to double their bet to stay in the game.

Raise

Blind players that raise will need to double their bet and seen players will need to quadruple their stake

Chaal

In Teen Patti, the decision between raising and calling is referred to as Chaal

Compromise

Sometimes called a side-show, this is where two players who have seen their cards have reached a secret agreement to compare their hands. The player with the lower ranking hand will need to fold. There is no set time when this compromise can take place and can happen at any point in the game.

Betting Limit

This is a limitation that is set on pot bets. Once this limit is reached, all players will enter the showdown.

Showdown

This refers to the event where players reveal their hands to the table. The player with the highest-ranking hand will win the pot. In games that do not include a betting limit, showdowns only take place when two players remain.

Rules

Many new Indian players fall in love with the simplicity of the game. If you’ve played poker before, understanding the rules is even easier. Below we have listed the basic rules for Teen Patti that all players should know and keep in mind when playing.

Teen Patti games can be played with a minimum of three people and a maximum of seven. The objective of the game is to have the best hand and/or remain in the game for longer than every other player.

All players are required to place an ante bet before the game commences.

The betting requirement will be determined by the stake, or the boot amount. Players who have seen their cards will need to bet either double or four times the current stake, while blind players need to match the boot amount or double it to stay in the game.

If two players remain, one of them will pay for a showdown. The cards are then compared and the player with the better hand will win the pot. Alternatively, the last remaining player will win the pot if every other player folds.

Teen Patti Winning Tips

While just playing Teen Patti is very fun, it can be equally rewarding to win a round every now and then. The rules of the game are very simple but winning will take some research and understanding of strategies and game quirks that can be used to your advantage. Below, we have shared some of CasinoTop experts’ tips for winning Teen Patti.

Stick to Strategy

If you receive your hand and look at your cards, it’s easy to become despondent with a weak hand and over excited with a strong one. While the hand does have some bearing on the moves you’ll make, it shouldn’t sway you too much in one direction or another. Stick to the strategy you considered before you started playing and keep a cool head.

Don’t Give too Much Away

After checking your cards, make sure that you remain neutral. The players around the table will be looking for physical tells or drastic strategy changes that will indicate the strength of your hand. To have a fair chance of testing your strategy and winning the pot, make sure that you don’t let others in on your feelings or thoughts by controlling your emotions.

Be Flexible

There are several great strategies which can be employed when playing the game. However, we recommend that you don’t stick to just one strategy. The other players around the table will watch what you do very closely to determine a pattern and predict what your next move will be. Be sure to change things up so that predictability isn’t your downfall.

Winning Odds

Hand
Frequency
Probability
Odds

Set520.24%424:00:1

Pure Sequence480.22%459:52

Run Sequence7203.26%26:69:1

Colour Sequence10964.96%19:16:1

Pair Sequence374416.94%4:90:1

High Card Sequence1644074.39%0:34:1

Hand	Frequency	Probability	Odds
Set	52	0.24%	424:00:1
Pure Sequence	48	0.22%	459:52
Run Sequence	720	3.26%	26:69:1
Colour Sequence	1096	4.96%	19:16:1
Pair Sequence	3744	16.94%	4:90:1
High Card Sequence	16440	74.39%	0:34:1

Game Variants in India

Now that we’ve covered the basics of Teen Patti in it’s traditional variant, we can take a look at the handful of game variants that are played in Indian today. Some of these versions of the traditional game have come from different cultures, different regions and some were even changed by casino operators. Most of the rules remain the same with these variants except for one, or two, differences.

Below we will look at the slight differences made to the traditional rules for each variant. This will be especially helpful for Indian players who are planning to play Teen Patti online.

Muflis

Muflis is similar to the traditional game with regards to the rules. The biggest difference is that the card values are reversed. This means that in order to win at Muflis Teen Patti, players strive to have the lowest-ranking hand to win the pot.

2-3-5

In this variant, players have a 0.24% greater chance of being dealt a pure sequence since 2-3-5 are treated as pure. This is statistically more common and follows logic since a train is traditionally ranked as the highest valued sequence.

AK47

AK47 is one of the most popular and exciting variants of Teen Patti in India today. With this variant, wilds are introduced and all Aces, Kings, fours and sevens act as wilds that can be substituted for other cards. This allows players to build stronger ranking hands.

Best of Four

If you’re looking to try a different variant of the game but would like to stay as close to the original game as possible, best of four is a great choice. With this variant, players are dealt four cards instead of three. Three of these four cards will be used to build a strong hand. Other than this one change, the rules and rankings of this game remain true to the traditional game.

Joker

Joker Teen Patti is similar to the original version of the game in that players are all dealt three cards, hand rankings remain the same and so do the rules. The only difference is that once the dealer has given each player their three cards, the dealer reveals another card face up. The remaining cards of that particular rank are then viewed as wild cards or jokers.

Brief History

Teen Patti’s first mention in history took place more than 200 years ago. This makes it one of the first traditional card games recorded in India. This game can be called Teen Patti, 3 Patti, Indian Poker, Teenpatti and Tin Patti. Teen Patti has been enjoyed in India for so many years that it has become an important part of Diwali, the festival of Light, celebrations. It is commonly played by young children in the streets, families gathered around feasts and is a popular choice at Indian’s brick-and-mortar casinos. Over the last few years, this traditional game was given new life when software and gaming developers created online versions of this game, in its many variants. This means that Indian nationals can enjoy a slice of home wherever they are in the world and can engage in fun and exciting gaming experiences throughout the year.

Responsible Gambling

There is little doubt that the game holds a special place in the hearts of our Indian players. With that being said, it’s always recommended that our Indian players remain mindful and careful of healthy gaming practices and habits. Below, we have provided a few tips to ensure that you’re having the maximum amount of fun with minimal risk.

Responsible Bets

Never bet money that you can’t comfortably afford to lose. This means that you should have excess money to set aside to ensure that you’re not betting money that you’ll need for your day-to-day necessities and living expenses.

Just for Fun

If you’re playing with real money, it’s important to keep in mind that playing the game is meant to be for recreation and not to earn an income. This means that you shouldn’t take risks you can’t afford and should be enjoying yourself whether you win or lose.

Remain Calm

If you find yourself becoming upset, disappointed or emotional by the game, we suggest that you take a break. Placing bets when your emotions are clouding your judgement could lead to unnecessary and serious losses that could have an effect on you and your loved ones.

Play Sober

It is advised not to play the game, or any other gambling game, while you’re intoxicated. Similar to gambling when emotional, alcohol has been proven to impair judgement and could affect the bets, moves and strategies that you make use of.

If you, or someone you know, are displaying risky gambling behaviours or feel out of control, please contact your local problem gambling organisation and seek guidance.

FAQs

Is it legal to play Teen Patti in India?

No, it’s not legal to play Teen Patti for real money in India and most Indian players have opted to play just for fun. However, the game’s popularity has grown in recent years and there are several international casino providers who have included Teen Patti in their gaming catalogues. To learn more about these sites, take a look at our list of recommended online casino sites in India.

Is Teen Patti a game of chance?

Teen Patti is considered to be a game of both skill and chance. The cards that are dealt out are done so randomly so there is an element of chance. However, the strategy and moves you make based on your hand will require skills and knowledge of strategy.

Can I play online?

Yes, many international online casino sites have made sure to include Teen Patti in their gaming catalogues. Alternatively, there are several mobile apps that can be used to play Teen Patti online with strangers and friends alike.

Can I win real money with Teen Patti?

Yes, you can win real money with Teen Patti. However, this will depend on whether or not you were playing with real money. In the event that you were playing for fun, there will be no real money rewards attached to a victory.

Is Teen Patti an Indian game?

Yes, the game originated in India hundreds of years ago. This means that the tradition of playing this game has been kept alive by many generations of Indian players. However, many European players enjoy Teen Patti because it follows similar rules to three-card poker.