Andar bahar rules

Pick a side and wait for the matching rank to land on it.

  • 2-10 players
  • Standard deck

A pure guessing game from southern India, and one of the fastest there is. There is no skill in it whatsoever.

The joker card

One card is turned face up in the middle. This is the joker, or the game card, and its rank is the only thing that matters for the rest of the round.

The two sides

Two betting areas sit either side of it: andar, meaning inside, and bahar, meaning outside. You bet on one of them.

The deal

Cards are then dealt alternately to the two sides, one at a time. The dealer keeps going until a card appears whose rank matches the joker.

The side that card lands on wins. Everyone who bet on that side is paid.

Which side goes first depends on the joker's colour, and the side that receives the first card wins slightly more often — so it usually pays a little under even money while the other side pays a little more. That difference is the whole of the house edge.

Some tables also offer side bets on how many cards will be dealt before the match appears.