The Most Popular Indian Poker Games

Online poker has experienced a surge in popularity in recent years. In addition to the common popular games gaining interest, there are a few poker variants native to India that you may not know. In this article we’re going to give you an overview of the best Indian poker games around, both live and online.

Blind Man’s Bluff

This poker variant is the default Indian poker game played in person. It usually invoices between six and ten players. This game is unlike any other poker game we’ve discussed before. Using a single deck of cards, players auto post an ante e.g., one dollar, the dealer then hands out one card to each player face down. The players then take the card and place on their forehead.

As you can see, everyone can see other people’s hands but their own. The betting ensues (it can get a little mad). Once all the betting is complete, the players turn over their cards and the highest card wins. It’s a tricky game that can be fun but also stressful. 

Please note that this Indian poker game is not available online. It is a live card game that is typically played at a poker night for fun involving small wagers.

Teen Patti

Otherwise known as 3 card poker, Teen Patti is arguably the best Indian poker variant. It shares commonalities with Texas Hold’em in that it can be played no limit, requires timely bluffs, and relies on a great appreciation of relative hand strength.

It is played with three cards dealt face down to each player. Like Texas Hold’em, players can only see their own cards. The blinds (auto posted) drive the action, which moves anti-clockwise. There is no flop, turns or rivers and you cannot draw more cards, so your hand cannot improve.

The key to becoming a strong Teen Patti play is to understand your opponent’s tendencies and realising what kinds of hands they are likely to put in larger bets with. By adjusting to the player you will have a good shot at Teen Patti for real cash.

You can either win by showing the best hand down or getting all other players to fold.

Indian Rummy

This popular gambling game is played with several decks of playing cards. It requires three decks unless there are two players where only two decks are used. Players are dealt 13 cards each. The object of the game is the make sets.

The game is played in a draw and discard fashion where players pick up a card and discard one of their own. It’s worth remembering that Jokers are involved and can be substituted for any other card your choice.

The interesting part about Indian Rummy is the differing variations available. Whilst most of them form similar patterns of play, the little tweaks require players to adjust their strategy slightly. For instance, there are versions where the winner generates most the points.

We may produce in an article in the future focused solely on Rummy to highlight the differences between them as they are just one of many Indian poker games.

Summary

India occupies a growing market for poker. With players like Paawan Bansal and Nipun Java leading the way, we can expect poker to continue to boom in this part of the world. Whether you are visiting India and playing in a local game, or playing poker online, the games in this article will be mainstream. We hope you found this introduction to Indian poker useful and you will dedicate further time to study poker properly.

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