5 most played card games in India

Card games are a popular source of entertainment for Indians. A lot of games have originated from the country while a few western card games have been loved by the Indian audience too. Here are 5 most-played card games in India:

Rummy

Usually played between 2-6 players with two standard decks of cards, Indian rummy is enjoyed across the country. Multiple rummy formats have their sub-set of rules to make the game even more exciting.

Pool rummy

In Pool rummy, the player who crosses the pre-decided points tally is eliminated from the game. For example, in 61 Pool, the player who has 61 points or more at the end of a deal is eliminated from the game. Ultimately, the player who does not cross the pre-decided number of points wins. However, 2-3 players may decide to split the prize money too.

Points rummy

It is a single-deal game where the player who makes a valid declaration first wins the game. In cash games, each point has a certain value. The winning amount is calculated as – the sum of all ungrouped cards of opponent(s) x point value.

For example, let’s assume you are playing a 2-player Points rummy game where the value of each point is ₹10. If your opponent’s sum of all ungrouped cards is 40 when you make a valid declaration, then your prize money would be 40 x ₹10 = ₹400.

Deals rummy

Deals rummy also follows the basic principles of 13-card rummy. In this format, every player gets a starting stack of chips/points. The winner of each deal gets chips/points according to the sum of ungrouped cards of all the opponents. The player with the most number of chips/points at the end of a predetermined number of deals wins the game.

Teen patti

This format card game is a favourite during the festive season. Families and friends get together to enjoy this game and the banter that comes with it. Also known as Indian Poker or Flush is played with a standard 52-card deck, it involves 3 to 6 players who aim to have the highest-ranking three-card hand.

Each player places an initial stake, and betting follows as players either fold, bet, or raise. Hands rank from high card, pair, and sequence to flush, straight flush, and trail (three of a kind). Players can either see their cards and bet or play “blind,” which requires the player to not see their cards. The game blends skill, strategy, and chance, with the best hand or boldest bluff winning. The aim of the game is to either have the best hand win as much as possible or raise the bet so much through bluffing that the opponent folds.

Call break

Also known as “Lakdi” and many other names across India, call break is played between 4-6 players. In this game, a spade is the default trump card. Here’s an example of a 4-player game:

• Each player will get 13 cards at the start.
• After getting their cards, the players will bid the number of hands they are going to win.
• If a player is able to win as many hands as they bid at the start, they get points equivalent to their bid. For example, if they bid 4 and win 4 hands, they get 4 points. If they win 5 hands, they get 4.1 points but, if they are not able to win at least 4 hands, 4 points are deducted from their tally.
• The ranking of cards is standard – Ace being the biggest, followed by king, queen, jack, ten, and so on.

Poker

Poker is a card game where players bet based on the strength of their hands, aiming to win chips or money from opponents. There are many formats of poker but the most popular one is Texas Hold’em. In this format, each player is dealt two cards (known as hole cards), and rounds of betting occur as players evaluate their hands’ potential. There are a total of 5 community cards on the table which every player can use to form the best 5-card combination.

Hands are ranked, with combinations like pairs, straights, and flushes; the highest-ranking hand typically wins. The strategy includes reading opponents, bluffing, and managing bets wisely. Poker combines skill, psychology, and chance, making it a challenging game of decision-making and calculated risk.

Also read: Difference and similarities between poker and rummy

Twenty-nine

Another interesting card game that is popular in India is “Twenty-nine”. In this game, the following cards are used in the order of their strength – J, 9, A, 10, K, Q, 8, 7. Each card carries certain points:

Jacks: 3 points

Nines: 2 points

Aces and tens: 1 point

K, Q, 8,7: 0 points

The objective is to score 29 points by winning hands containing high-value cards, especially Jacks and Nines, which are worth 3 and 2 points respectively. Each round begins with bidding. The player with the highest bid gets to choose the trump suit.