How to Play Teen Patti (3 Patti)

Teen Patti, also written 3 Patti and sometimes called Flush or Indian Poker, is a fast, bluff-heavy three-card game for 3 to 6 players. The rules are simple to learn but rich enough to keep tables arguing for hours. This guide covers the deal, betting blind versus seen (chaal), sideshow and show, and the complete hand rankings so you can sit down and play with confidence.

Teen Patti is played with a standard 52-card deck (no jokers) by 3 to 6 players. The goal is simple: have the best three-card hand at the showdown, or bluff everyone else into folding before it gets there. It descends from the British game Three Card Brag and shares its core DNA with poker, but every player gets exactly three cards and there is no community board.

The deal and the boot

Before any cards come out, every player puts an equal stake into the pot. This forced opening bet is called the boot (or ante). It guarantees there is always something worth playing for. The dealer then gives each player three cards face down, dealt one at a time, and play moves clockwise.

Once the cards are dealt, the boot becomes the starting point for betting. The amount the next player must put in to stay in the hand is called the current stake, and it changes as the round goes on.

Blind vs seen players

Here is the feature that makes Teen Patti distinct. On your turn you choose to play as a blind player or a seen player.

• Blind: You bet without looking at your cards. You stay blind until you decide to peek. A blind player must wager at least the current stake and no more than twice it. Whatever a blind player puts in becomes the current stake for the next player.
• Seen: You have looked at your cards. A seen player must pay double, because they have more information. A seen player's bet, called a chaal, is at least twice the current stake and at most four times it. Importantly, the current stake passed to the next player is half of what a seen player puts in.

So if the current stake is 2, a blind player puts in 2 to 4, while a seen player puts in 4 to 8. Playing blind keeps your costs low and is a classic way to apply pressure cheaply. You may peek at your cards at any point on your turn and switch to seen play.

Chaal, pack and the flow of a round

On each turn you choose one action:

• Chaal (play): Match the required amount to stay in the hand.
• Pack (fold): Drop out and forfeit any money already in the pot. The remaining players carry on.
• Raise: Bet at the top of your allowed range to grow the pot and pressure opponents.

Betting continues clockwise, round after round, until only two players remain or someone forces a decision through a show or sideshow.

Sideshow (compromise)

A sideshow, also called a compromise, is a private comparison between you and the player who bet immediately before you. The conditions are specific:

• Both players must be seen (a blind player can neither request nor be asked for a sideshow).
• You may ask only right after putting in your chaal, and only of the player directly before you.
• The other player can accept or refuse. If they refuse, betting simply continues.
• If accepted, the two of you compare cards privately. The player with the lower hand must immediately pack. If hands tie, the player who requested the sideshow packs.

A sideshow only happens when three or more players are still in. It is a powerful way to knock out a rival without revealing your hand to the whole table.

The show (showdown)

When only two players are left, either may pay for a show to end the hand. The rules depend on whether the players are blind or seen:

• If both players are seen, a show costs twice the current stake; both hands are revealed and the higher hand wins the pot.
• If one player is blind, that blind player can call for a show at the regular blind cost. A seen player may not demand a show against a blind player; they can only keep betting or pack.

At a show, cards are exposed and compared using the hand rankings below. In a tie, the player who did not pay for the show wins.

Teen Patti hand rankings (high to low)

1. Trail / Trio (three of a kind): Three cards of the same rank, such as three aces. A-A-A is highest, 2-2-2 is lowest.
2. Pure sequence (straight flush): Three consecutive cards of the same suit, like A-K-Q of hearts.
3. Sequence (straight, run): Three consecutive cards of mixed suits.
4. Color (flush): Three cards of the same suit, not in sequence. Compare highest cards to break ties.
5. Pair: Two cards of the same rank plus a third. Higher pair wins; if pairs are equal, the third card decides.
6. High card: No combination at all. The highest single card wins, then the next, then the third.

For sequences, the standard order is A-K-Q (highest), then A-2-3, then K-Q-J, down to 4-3-2 (lowest). Aces are high in trails, pairs and high-card hands. House rules occasionally vary, especially around A-2-3, so it is worth a quick agreement before the first deal.

Popular variants

Once you know the base game, the fun is in the twists. Teen Patti has dozens of variants that change which hands win or add wild cards. Two favorites:

• AK47: All aces, kings, fours and sevens become jokers (wild cards), making big hands far more common. Try it on 3 Patti AK47.
• Muflis (lowball): The rankings flip, so the weakest hand wins. A high card can beat a trail. Play it on 3 Patti Muflis.

Quick strategy tips

• Play blind early to keep costs low and disguise the strength of your hand.
• Use sideshows to eliminate one opponent cheaply when you are confident.
• Pack marginal high-card hands against heavy betting; discipline saves your stack.
• Remember the seen-versus-blind cost asymmetry when deciding whether to peek.

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