How to Play Teen Patti: Rules and Strategies


Most players who have entered online casino lobbies will most likely have come across the game name, Teen Patti. Out of curiosity, some may have opened the game to see what’s it’s all about. However, for some, out of the sheer need to stay in their comfort zone, they may have skipped past the uniquely titled Teen Patti game.

If you fall in the latter category, we just want to assure you that this game is very much welcoming, fun, and above all enterprising and lucrative. You will, therefore, not go wrong when you try it out. Of course, you need to be well adept at playing the game to succeed. It’s against this background that we penned this article as it shares with you all there is to know about the Teen Patti game.

What is Teen Patti?

Teen Patti is a casino card comparing game also referred to as Indian Poker. The game’s ‘synonym’ does reveal the category that Teen Patti falls in, that is, the poker casino games category. This, in essence, makes the game accommodative and appealing to those who love skill-based card games.

teen patti

Teen Patti when considering its gameplay rules, gameplay experience and overall objective is similar to 3-card poker. Putting this into perspective, the game is typically played by 3 to 7 players. It uses a 52-card deck that excludes Jokers. The objective when playing the game is to remain an active player something which is achieved by taking all other actions on each round except folding – after which you reach the showdown stage where you compare hands with the other last standing player. The player with the better hand wins at this juncture.

Step-by-Step Guide on How to Play Teen Patti

To get a better understanding of how the game functions from the very first moment up to the showdown stage, below is a detailed rundown that explains everything in crystal clear terms:

  1. The first thing that we want to say and the great beauty of Teen Patti is that it’s available both as an RNG game (playing against the computer) or a live dealer game (available at live casinos pitting human players against fellow human competitors). The game is not hosted by a traditional dealer meaning the first action when playing the game is to select a dealer. All players competing will need to draw a card at first, the player who picks the highest-ranking card automatically becomes the dealer. Bear in mind that Ace is the highest-ranking card and 2 is the lowest.
  2. The next step entails placing an ante bet – done by every player. The collected ante bet from all players forms the pot that all players fight over during each successive game round. Note that the ante bet rule in place determines if the game is going to be a limit-based (each game round pegged to 1,024x the ante) or if it’s going to be a no-limit game.
  3. At this stage, the game now gets into full-blown action as the dealer deals 3 cards facedown first to himself/herself and then proceed to deal the same cards in the same manner to all other players in a clockwise direction.
  4. The player on the immediate left-hand side of the dealer will start acting. When it comes to Teen Patti, players can either play blind or seen. The actions taken by those who play blind are restricted to folding, calling the ante, or raising to double it while those who play seen are restricted to folding, calling double the ante or raising to quadruple it.
  5. The game proceeds in a clockwise manner with all players taking their actions.
  6. At any stage during the game round, when a seen player acts after another seen player, s/he may request a sideshow. The other seen player may either accept or deny the request. If s/he accepts the request, the two will compare their hands and the one with the lowest ranking hand is defeated and eliminated from the game.
  7. When only two players remain active in the game, any one of them may request a showdown. When this action is made, the other player has to fold or call. If the latter action is taken, the two players compare their hands and the lowest ranking hand loses.

*Players ought to note that when playing the pot-limit Teen Patti variant, once the set pot limit is reached, all active players enter into an automatic showdown. After comparing their cards, the highest-ranking hand wins.

Teen Patti Hand Rankings

Ranked from the best to the worst, here are Teen Patti hand rankings.

  • Trio/Set/Trail: 3 identical cards of colour or suit
  • Straight Flush/Pure Sequence: 3 consecutive cards of the same colour and suit
  • Straight/Run/Sequence: 3 consecutive cards of different suits
  • Flush/Colour: 3 cards of the same colour and suit, but not in a sequence
  • Pair: 2 cards of the same rank which may or may not be of the same colour and suit
  • High Card: 3 cards that are not in a sequence neither are they of the same value or suit.

Teen Patti Winning Tips and Strategies

  • While playing blind makes players invest less in the pot, it’s actually recommended to play seen and fork out more to invest in the pot as you can make better decisions knowing the exact strength of your hand.
  • It’s recommended to start small when playing Teen Patti as this allows you to carefully manage your bankroll while at the same time extending your gaming session. Of course, the longer you play, the better your chances of winning.
  • When playing in land-based casinos or even some live dealer casinos where the gaming experience is very immersive, bluffing is a huge tool to use as a weapon. Bluffing in key instances such as side shows enables you to eliminate fellow competitors hence keeping you in the game for a long time.
  • Over and above, the best way to master Teen Patti is to play it consistently. As such, you will reap the rewards when you practice as frequently as possible.

Round Up

Teen Patti is a poker variant that comes with straightforward rules. This makes it an easy game to play. However, this doesn’t mean it’s easy to master. To become a pro, players need to make use of the winning tips and strategies shared in this guide chief among them embracing the concept of constant and consistent practice.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1. What kind of game is Teen Patti?

Teen Patti is a casino card comparing game. The game falls in the poker category.

Q2. What deck is used to play the Teen Patti game.

A 52-card deck that excludes Jokers is used when playing Teen Patti game.

Q3. Typically, how many players are needed to start playing the Teen Patti game?

The Teen Patti game is typically played by 3 to 6 players.