Basic Rules
The basic 3 Patti Rules are as follow:
- 3 Patti is played by 3 to 6 persons, using 52 cards without jokers
- All players must place an agreed Ante bet
- A dealer is selected randomly among the players. The selected dealer deals three cards to each player face down in an anti-clockwise direction
- After the cards are dealt, players decide whether to play or fold.
- If you fold, you have to throw in your cards and forfeit the Ante amount. You must then wait until the next round to play again.
- If you choose to play, you’ll have to decide whether you will play Chaal or Blind. I have explained more about Chaal and Blind betting further down in this article.
- You win the game round if you have a better card hand than every other player. You can also win if all other players fold except you.
- If more than two players remain till the end, there will be a Show.
3 Patti Hands
Below you’ll find the ranking of hands in 3 Patti, from highest to lowest.
- Trio, Trail or Set – A hand containing three cards of a kind is counted as a trio and is the highest sequence in 3 Patti.
- Pure Sequence – This refers to a straight flush consisting of three consecutive cards, all in the same suit.
- Sequence – A sequence is three consecutive cards but of different suits.
- Color – A hand with three cards in the same suit is a color sequence.
- Pair – Any two cards of the same value form a pair.
- High Card – This refers to the highest of the three cards in hand and applies when no sequence is formed.
As you can see the ranking of hands in 3 Patti is a bit different from Teen Patti cash. In Teen Patti cash, pure sequence is the highest hand and trio is the second highest hand.
If you want to study the hand for real money Teen Patti, check our Teen Patti sequence page.
Chaal and Blind Betting
If you do not fold after the cards are dealt, you must either play Chaal (see the cards) or Blind (not seeing the cards). Once you make a decision, you can no longer change it until the next betting round.
Blind – Playing blind is deciding not to see your cards. When you choose this, you make another bet, which is at least the current Ante Bet. You can bet higher than the ante, but it cannot be more than twice of it.
Chaal – Playing chaal means deciding to see your cards. If you choose this, you have to place at least double the current bet placed by the blind players. But you cannot place more than four times the amount.
The Show
There will have to be a show when there are only two players left in the game. One of the players will ask for the show and they will both reveal their cards. The rules for the show depend if the players are playing blind or chaal, as explained in the different scenarios below:
If Both are Playing Blind
If the remaining two are blind players, any of them can ask for the show. Before the show occurs, they both have to wager the current bet amount again. After betting, they reveal their cards and the player with the best hand wins.
If One is Playing Blind and The Other is Playing Chaal
When only one of the two is a blind player, only that player can request a show. A chaal player cannot ask a blind player for a show. Chaal players can only continue to bet or fold when the other player is blind.
After the blind player asks the chaal player for a show, they must make additional bets. The blind player bets the current bet amount while the chaal player wagers twice the current bet amount.
Cards are shown and the player with the best hand wins.
If Both are Playing Chaal
If both players are chaal, any of them can request for a show. They will both have to wager twice the current bet amount. After the bet, they show their cards and the player with the best hand wins.
In all cases, the player with the best card hand wins after the show. If both players have equal hands, the one who asked for the show loses.
The winner becomes the dealer in the next game round.
Example of a Show
Let’s say players A, B, C, and D are playing 3 Patti. After the four players place the ante of ₹5, the game continues.
In the next betting round, players A and B decide to play blind and bet ₹5. At the same time, players C and D go chaal and bet ₹10.
In the next betting round, player A plays blind again while B looks at the card and folds. Player C also folds while chaal player D continues chaal. In the next round, player A, places a bet of ₹10, and asks for a show.
Players A and D will show their cards and the best card hand will win. If the card hands are equal, player A loses.
Compromise
Compromise is also known as a sideshow. It can only be requested after everyone has placed the ante bet and the game has begun.
When it is your turn to make another bet, you can ask the previous player for a compromise. But you can only do this if you’re a Chaal player and if the previous person is also playing Chaal.
You have to place the current bet of the previous player first. Then, the player can choose to accept or reject the compromise. If the player rejects, the game round continues as usual. But if the player accepts, there is a sideshow.
In the sideshow, the two of you must compare your cards privately. The person with the lowest ranking hand has to fold. If both card hands are equal, the one who asked for the compromise loses.
Example of a Compromise
Considering the previous example where players A, B, C, and D participated. In the first betting round after the ante, player D can ask player C for a compromise during his turn.
If C agrees, they show their cards privately and the one with the lower hand folds. If both cards are equal, player D must fold. In case player C rejects the compromise, the game continues. It will become player A’s turn to bet again.