Indian street games have a very old tradition, dating back to the 16th century. In the beginning, these games were an activity only for the royal families. There, the members of the court were playing with expensive and luxurious card decks. Made from exquisite fabrics like ivory, the cards had gems as decorations. As these games gained popularity, more and more people started playing them.
For the rich ones, the ivory cards remained a thing, but for the general public, the card deck was made from wood. In India, street games have always been a tradition, especially card games. Most of them being played regularly, their transition from the street to the online platforms was something natural. In this article, you will find more information about the popular Indian street games.
1. Jhandi Munda
If you’ve been on Indian casino platforms, you have for sure heard of Jhandi Munda. Based on a dice betting system, Jhandi is played during the Hindu festival of Dashain, Dashami, and Tihar. The dice has different symbols on it, including a diamond, a heart, a flag, a club, a face and a spade.
This game can be played with a maximum 6 players at a table.The round starts when the players place their bets on the dice symbols. Those who can guess as many symbols as possible in this dice game will win. And, those who will not do that will lose their bets.
2. Andar Bahar
If you’re more of a card game fan, Andar Bahar will for sure meet your expectations.Originating from a southern state in Karnataka, Andar Bahar has various names. In Tamil, it’s called Mankatha or Ulle Veliye. The rules of this game are simple and are all based on pure chance, depending on your luck. Andar Bahar usually has a player and a dealer that unfolds the cards.
The dealer has to place at the start of the game a card, with its face up. Its twin card will be searched in the whole deck. Here, the card arrangement is the key. Each card extracted from the deck will be placed on one of the two piles, Andar (inside) or Bahar (outside). The player will guess on which pile the twin card will land on.
Played with a standard pack of cards, the dealer can also let more than one player enjoy this game. They usually sit in a circle, with the dealer in the middle, while he places each card he extracts on both of the piles, alternatively. The only rule that the player must know is the betting at the beginning. After that, he must watch the dealer and wish for a big win at the end.
3. Teen Patti
Teen Patti came from the southern part of India and is commonly known by the name of ‘Three Cards’ in English. Like Andar Bahar, Teen Patti also has origins in a Hindu holiday, named Diwali.
When it comes to its rules, it is very similar to the 3 Card Brag game. Using a deck of cards, Teen Patti can be played by no more than 7 players. Before starting the game, the players must decide on the minimum stake. At first, every player must bet on this minimum amount, which will be placed in the center of the table. After that, the dealer pulls the cards out, one at a time, until every player has every three cards.
The main purpose of the game is to bet which one has the best hand. A player can use the following actions – seen or blind. When one chooses to play, the player can look at their cards before the bet. If they choose to play blind, they bet without seeing what’s in their hand.
When you will play Teen Patti for the first time on the streets of India, you’ll see that the game comes in different variations. In this way, you’ll be able to test different methods and find which one suits you.
4. Satte-pe-Satta
Out of all the games named in this article, Satte-pe-Satta is the easiest one that you will find. The only goal of the game is to remain without cards in your hand, as fast as you can. Also known as 7-on-7, this game doesn’t have a player limit. If there are more players than decks, the players can add more card decks.
The rules of the game are very simple, but you must come up with a strategy to get rid of the cards faster. If the first player puts down a 5 of hearts, the next player can only lay down a 6 of a 4 of hearts. If he doesn’t have any of those two, he must lay down a 5 card of any other symbol. The game finishes when all the cards are laid down, from the ace to the king.
Conclusion
Card games in India are a very important tradition and hobby for many Indians so that all of the games will be easy to find and play on the streets. Even though technology has evolved and now you can find platforms dedicated to the Indian audience, the atmosphere and the vibe of the real thing is a better experience at its origins.