List of Card Games in India

Introduction

If you wonder why people love playing card games in India, you may have difficulty finding an accurate answer. Some people believe that card games, as a social tool, bridge the gap between different cultural backgrounds and intellectual levels, allowing everyone to unite at the game table. As per most gaming enthusiasts, the beauty of these games lies in their competitive nature and simplicity in understanding their rules. No matter the reason behind their popularity, one thing is certain – there is something for everyone at the card game tables!

It’s time to get acquainted with the mind-blowing world of card games. This article presents a list of India's most well-known card games.

Popular Card Games in India

Poker Card Game

Poker, a game of skills, is the most popular Indian card game. It involves betting based on the value of the cards dealt to each player. The objective is to win chips or money by having the best hand or convincing other players to fold their hands. It is quite easy to grasp the basics of the game and jump right into it.

How to Play?

• Poker is typically played with a standard 52-card deck.
• Each player is dealt a set of cards, which they use to form a hand. Poker hand rankings, from highest to lowest, are:

1. Royal Flush
2. Straight Flush
3. Four of a Kind
4. Full House
5. Flush
6. Straight
7. Three-of-a-Kind
8. Two Pair
9. One Pair
10. High Card

• Depending on the variant, players may need to place a preliminary bet (ante) or forced bets (blinds).
• Players are dealt their cards, which are either face down (hole cards) or face up.
• In the first betting round, players bet based on the strength of their cards. They can call (match the bet), raise (increase the bet), or fold (discard their cards).
• In the subsequent betting rounds, more cards are dealt to each player or as community cards (shared by all players). Betting continues after each deal.
• A showdown occurs if more than one player remains after the final betting round. Players reveal their hands, and the best hand wins the pot.

Variations of Poker

Texas Hold'em: In the Texas Holdem format, each player is dealt two private cards (hole cards), and five community cards are dealt face up in the centre. The objective is to make the best five-card hand using any combination of hole and community cards.

Omaha: Omaha is similar to Texas Hold'em, with each player receiving four-hole cards. To win, the player has to make the best five-card hand using exactly two of their hole cards and three of the community cards.

Seven-Card Stud: Players receive face-up and face-down cards over several rounds in this game. The objective is to make the best five-card hand from the seven cards dealt to each player.

Razz: Razz poker is similar to a Seven-Card Stud but to make the lowest possible hand. The best hand in the game is A-2-3-4-5, ignoring straights and flushes.

Five-Card Draw: Each player is dealt five private cards. The objective is to make the best five-card hand after the draw.

Pineapple: In Pineapple, players are dealt three hole cards and must discard one before the first betting round. You must make the best five-card hand using any combination of hole and community cards to win.

Teen Patti Card Game

Teen Patti appeals to various players, regardless of whether they play for fun or prove their mettle. It is a traditional Indian card game with similarities to the British game ‘Three Card Brag’ and the poker variant ‘three-card poker’. People love playing the game with friends or family during their leisure time. This game is popular in South Asia, especially during festivals and social gatherings. It involves betting and bluffing and is usually played with 3-6 players using a standard 52-card deck without jokers.

How to Play

• Teen Patti is played between three to six players with a standard 52-card deck.
• Each player places a predetermined amount in the pot before the game starts.
• The dealer shuffles the deck and deals three cards face down to each player.
• Players can play blind (without seeing their cards) or seen (after seeing their cards).
• The player next to the dealer starts the betting round and continues clockwise.
• Players can choose to fold, call, or raise.
• Betting continues until all players except one fold or the betting limit is reached.
• If only one player remains after others fold, that player wins the pot.
• If there are two or more players after the final betting round, a showdown occurs where players reveal their cards.
• The player with the best hand wins the pot.

Hand Rankings in Teen Patti

• Trail/Set (Three of a Kind): Three cards of the same rank.
• Pure Sequence (Straight Flush): Three consecutive cards of the same suit.
• Sequence (Straight): Three consecutive cards, not all in the same suit.
• Color (Flush): Three cards of the same suit, not in sequence.
• Pair (Two of a Kind): Two cards of the same rank.
• High Card: The highest card wins when no other hand is formed.

Popular Variations of Teen Patti

Muflis (Lowball): The lowest-ranking hand wins instead of the highest.

AK47: Aces, Kings, 4s, and 7s are wild cards.

999: The objective is to form a hand closest to 9-9-9. Each card’s value is its face value, with Aces being 1.

Joker Variation: Certain cards are randomly chosen as jokers, which can substitute for any card.

Community: Players are dealt two private cards and five community cards, which are face up. They can use any combination to form the best three-card hand.

Best of Four: Players are dealt four cards and must form the best possible three-card hand from them.

Rummy Card Game

Rummy is a popular card game that focuses on matching cards of the same rank, sequence, and suit. The primary objective is to build melds, which can be either sets (three or four of a kind but different suits) or runs (three or more consecutive cards of the same suit). To win in the game, you must make calculated decisions, apply strategy, and plan your moves in advance.

How to Play

• Rummy is played with 2-6 players using one or two standard 52-card decks, sometimes including jokers.
• The goal is to form valid sets and runs with your cards and to be the first to declare and show a valid hand.
• Each player is dealt a specific number of cards (usually 10 in the traditional version). The rest of the deck is placed face down in the centre, forming the draw pile. The top card of the draw pile is placed face up next to it to start the discard pile.
• Players take turns in a clockwise direction. Each turn involves drawing a card from either the draw pile or the discard pile and then discarding one card to the discard pile.
• Players work towards forming valid sets or runs. For example, a set might be three 7s of different suits, while a run could be 5, 6, 7 of hearts.
• When a player successfully forms all their cards into valid sets and/or runs, they declare their hand and place all their cards face up on the table.
• The player who goes out first scores zero points for that round, while the other players sum the values of their unmelded cards. Face cards (Kings, Queens, and Jacks) are worth 10 points, aces are worth 1 point, and numbered cards are worth their face value.

Variations of Rummy

Gin Rummy: Gin Rummy aims to form sets and runs before your opponent and score fewer points. In this game, each player is dealt 10 cards. Players draw and discard cards to form melds. The round ends when a player ‘knocks’ (ends the play with unmatched cards totalling 10 points or fewer) or goes Gin (forms all cards into melds). Points are calculated based on the difference between the knocker's unmatched cards and the opponent's unmatched cards.

Indian Rummy: In this variant, each player is dealt 13 cards. To declare, players must form at least two runs, one of which must be a pure run (without a joker). The rest of the gameplay follows standard rummy rules. The winner scores zero, and the others score based on their unmelted cards.

Kalooki Rummy: This rummy variant is played between 2 to 4 players. The objective is to form valid sets and runs using 13 cards. The scoring rules are similar to standard rummy but with added bonuses for specific melds.

Canasta: Canasta is typically played between 4 players in two partnerships using two decks of cards. To win, a player must form melds of seven cards of the same rank (called canastas). Points are scored for melds, with penalties for unmelded cards.

Satte Pe Satta Card Game

Satte Pe Satta card game, also known simply as Satte, is a popular card game in India. It is a strategy-based game usually played by 3 to 8 players using a standard deck of 52 cards. The game is named after the Hindi term for ‘seven on seven’, reflecting the central role of the 7 of hearts in the game.

The primary objective of Satte Pe Satta is to be the first player to play all your cards by sequentially placing them in the correct order on the table.

How to Play

• The game is played between 3 to 8 players using a standard 52-card deck. Multiple decks can be combined for larger groups.
• Cards are shuffled and dealt evenly to all players. If the number of cards is not evenly divided, some players may have one more card than others.
• The player with the 7 hearts starts the game by placing it in the centre of the table.
• Players take turns in a clockwise direction.
• The next player must place a card that is either one rank higher or lower than the cards on the table. For example, if the 7 hearts are on the table, the next card must be either 6 hearts or 8 hearts.
• Players can only place a card if the sequence continues in the same suit (e.g., 6 of hearts can only follow the 7 of hearts).
• If a player cannot place a card, they must pass their turn.
• Some variations include jokers, which can be used as wild cards to represent any rank card.
• The game continues until one player has played all their cards. This player is declared the winner. The game can continue until all players have finished, ranking them based on who finished first.

Variations of Satte Pe Satta

Multiple Decks: For larger groups, multiple decks are used to ensure ample cards.

Jokers as Wild Cards: In some variations, jokers are included and can represent any card.

Suit Switching: This rule allows players to switch to a different suit if they play an Ace, making the game more challenging.

Block Cards: Some variations introduce special cards like the 2s and 10s, which can be used to block the next player's turn.

Call Break Card Game

Call Break is a trick-taking card game played primarily in South Asia, especially Nepal and India. It is similar to the popular game Spades but with some regional variations. Four players typically play it. The objective of Call Break is to accurately predict the number of tricks you will win in a round and then try to win exactly that many. A trick is won by playing the highest card in the suit led. The player who guesses their tricks most accurately scores the highest.

How to play

• The game uses a standard deck of 52 cards. Jokers are not used.
• Each player is dealt 13 cards.
• Players make bids on how many tricks they expect to win. This bid is called the ‘call’.
• The bidding phase is crucial. Each player declares the number of tricks they expect to win, ranging from 1 to 13.
• Bidding is done clockwise, and players must bid at least one trick. The sum of all bids does not need to equal 13, allowing for more strategic depth.
• To the dealer's left, the player leads the first trick by playing a card.
• Subsequent players must follow suit if possible. If they cannot, they can play any card.
• The trick is won by the highest card of the suit led unless a trump card is played.
• There is no trump suit in Call Break, which distinguishes it from other games like Spades.
• At the end of each round, players count the number of tricks they have won.
• Players who meet or exceed their bid score points. Players who fail to meet their bid lose points.
• The scoring system can vary, but typically, meeting the bid scores 10 points per trick, while failing to meet it results in a penalty of 10 points per trick missed.
• The game usually consists of several rounds, with the dealer rotating each round.
• The player with the highest total score at the end of all rounds is declared the winner.

Variations of Call Break

Number of Players: While the standard game has four players, variations can include three or five players. When played with more than four players, the number of cards dealt may vary.

Scoring Systems: Some variations use different scoring systems, such as awarding bonus points for exact bids or deducting more points for under-bidding.

Additional Rules:

• In some versions, players might be allowed to play ‘wild cards’ or have specific rules for penalties and bonuses.
• House rules might include restrictions on the minimum or maximum bids or special conditions for certain cards.

Teen Do Paanch Card Game

3 2 5 card game is a popular Indian trick-taking card game. The name ‘Teen Do Paanch’ translates to ‘Three, Two, Five’ in Hindi, reflecting the distribution of tricks each player aims to win during the game. The game's primary objective is to win a specific number of tricks - one player aims to win exactly three tricks, another player aims to win exactly two tricks, and the last player aims to win exactly five tricks.

How to Play

• Teen Do Paanch is played with three players.
• A standard 52-card deck is used, with no jokers.
• The cards rank from Ace (highest) to 2 (lowest) in each suit.
• Each player is dealt 16 cards. The last remaining four cards form a widow pile, which is not used in the game.
• The game starts with a bidding phase, during which players decide their target number of tricks. One player bids to win three tricks (Teen), another bid to win two tricks (Do), and the third player aims to win five tricks (Paanch). The bidding process can involve negotiation and discussion among the players.
• The player who wins the bid leads the first trick. The suit of the first card played in a trick determines the suit the other players must follow. Players who cannot follow the suit may play any card.
• The highest card of the suit led wins the trick. The winner of each trick leads to the next trick.
• The game continues until all tricks are played. Players aim to meet their bid targets (Teen, Do, or Paanch) exactly. If a player exceeds or falls short of their bid, they lose points.
• If a player meets their bid exactly, they score positive points equal to their bid (3, 2, or 5).
• If a player fails to meet their bid, they score negative points equal to the difference between their bid and the number of tricks won.
• The game can be played for a predetermined number of rounds, with the player having the highest score at the end declared the winner.

Variations of Teen Do Paanch

Partner Play: Teen Do Paanch can be played with four players in two fixed partnerships. Each team aims to achieve a combined bid of Teen collectively, Do, and Paanch.

Auction Style Bidding: Instead of predetermined bids, players can bid in an auction style, with the highest bidder choosing their target number of tricks, followed by the other players.

Wildcard Inclusion: Some variations introduce wildcards, which can be used to win any trick regardless of the suit led.

Point Adjustments: Variations in scoring can include additional points for meeting the bid exactly or penalties for falling short or exceeding the bid by a significant margin.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some popular card games in India?

Popular card games in India include Teen Patti, Poker, Rummy, Satte Pe Satta, Call Break, and Teen Do Paanch.

How is Poker different from Teen Patti?

Poker is a game of skill that involves strategy and decision-making, whereas Teen Patti is a game of chance that heavily relies on luck.

What is Rummy, and how is it played?

Rummy involves forming sets and runs from dealt cards. Players draw and discard cards to complete melds and declare a valid hand.

Conclusion

Card games are more than just a pastime. They are a way to bond with family and friends, celebrate festivals, and test one's skills. What better way to enjoy these wonderful games than on your smartphone? You would not have trouble finding an online table, as many gaming platforms host these games around the clock. So, if you are searching for a fun and adrenaline-pumping way to hone your skills, look no further than card games! You only need to choose a game that suits your interests, play within your limits, and have fun!