Betting terms
Boot
The fixed amount every player puts into the pot before the cards are dealt. It is also the opening stake for the round.
Pot
All the chips bet in the current round. The winner takes the whole pot.
Stake
The current bet for a blind player. It starts at the boot and doubles whenever someone raises. Seen players bet twice the stake.
Blind
Playing without looking at your cards. Blind players bet half as much as seen players.
Seen
Playing after looking at your cards. Also called playing chaal. Once you look, you stay seen for the rest of the round.
Chaal
Matching the current bet to stay in the round. Used loosely for any bet, and for playing seen.
Raise
Doubling the stake on your turn. Everyone after you has to bet the new, higher amount.
Pack
Folding: giving up your hand and dropping out of the round. Whatever you have already bet stays in the pot.
Pot limit
An agreed maximum pot. When it is reached, everyone still in must show their cards and the best hand wins.
Show terms
Show
Asking to see the other player’s cards when only two are left. You pay one more bet, both hands are revealed, and the better hand wins. On a tie, the player who asked loses.
Sideshow
A seen player asking the seen player just before them to compare hands privately while three or more players are still in. If accepted, the lower hand packs.
Compromise
Another name for a sideshow, used in some parts of India.
Hand names
Trail
Three cards of the same rank, like 7-7-7. The best hand. Also called a set, trio or trey.
Pure sequence
Three consecutive cards of the same suit, like 9-8-7 of hearts. Also called a pure run or straight flush.
Sequence
Three consecutive cards of mixed suits, like Q-J-10. Also called a run or straight.
Color
Three cards of the same suit that are not consecutive. Also called a flush.
Pair
Two cards of the same rank. Also called a jodi or double.
High card
A hand with no pair, sequence or color, ranked by its highest card. Also called nothing or no pair.
Kicker
The third card of a pair hand, used to break a tie between equal pairs.
Table and variation terms
Dealer
The player who deals the round. The deal passes one seat on after every round, and the dealer often picks the variation.
Joker (wild card)
A card that can stand in for any card, chosen to make your hand as strong as possible. Used in AK47, King Little and other joker variations.
Muflis
A variation where the lowest hand wins. Also called lowball.
AK47
A variation where every Ace, King, 4 and 7 is a joker.
Teen patti
Hindi for “three cards”. Closely related to the British game three card brag, and sometimes called flash or flush.
Put the words to use
Read the full teen patti rules, check the hand rankings, then host a free table. The voice moderator explains each game and calls the shows, sideshows and winners, so new players pick up the words as they play.