Teen Patti Terms and Meanings: The Complete Glossary
Reviewed by Kishan Modi, App Safety Researcher
Last updated: · Added what Teen Patti means and its English names.
For adults (18+) only. Real-money online games are prohibited in India under the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025, and real-money play carries financial risk and can be habit-forming. Play free where you can, and set a limit before you start. See Responsible Gaming and Disclaimer.
Teen Patti (तीन पत्ती) means "three cards" in Hindi, and in English the game is also called flush or flash; it comes from the British game three-card brag. The core Teen Patti terms are: boot, the compulsory starting bet everyone puts in the pot; chaal, a bet made on your turn; blind, playing without looking at your cards (you pay the current stake); seen, playing after looking (you pay double); pack, folding your hand; show, the final comparison of hands when two players are left; and sideshow, a private comparison a seen player can ask the previous seen player for. Hands from best to worst are trail, pure sequence, sequence, color, pair and high card. At home you'll also hear Hindi card names: hukum (spades), paan (hearts), eent (diamonds), chidi (clubs), and ekka, badshah, begum and ghulam for Ace, King, Queen and Jack.
Betting Terms
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Boot | The compulsory amount every player puts in before the deal. It also sets the first stake. See boot amount. |
| Pot | All the chips bet in a hand, won by the last player standing or the winner of the show. |
| Stake (current stake) | The amount a blind player must bet on their turn; seen players bet double it. |
| Chaal | A bet on your turn that keeps you in the hand. Often used for a seen player's bet. |
| Blind | Playing without looking at your cards. A blind player pays the current stake, or double to raise. |
| Seen | Playing after looking at your cards. A seen player pays twice the stake, or four times to raise. See blind vs seen. |
| Raise | Doubling the current stake on your turn, which raises it for everyone after you. |
| Pack | Folding: you give up the hand and lose what you've already bet. |
| Show | When two players are left, either can pay the bet and ask for a show. Both hands are revealed and the better one wins. |
| Sideshow | A seen player asks the previous seen player to compare hands privately while three or more players remain. The weaker hand packs; the request can be refused. See sideshow rules. |
| Pot limit | A cap some tables put on the pot; when it's reached, the remaining hands are shown. |
Hand Names
| Hand | Also called | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Trail | Trio, set, three of a kind | Three cards of the same rank, such as K-K-K |
| Pure Sequence | Pure run, straight flush | Three consecutive cards of one suit |
| Sequence | Run, straight | Three consecutive cards in mixed suits |
| Color | Flush | Three cards of one suit, not in sequence |
| Pair | Double | Two cards of the same rank |
| High Card | Top card | None of the above; the highest card decides |
The full order, tie-breaks and odds of each hand are in our Teen Patti sequence chart.
- Trail
- Pure Sequence
- Color
Variation Names
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Muflis | Lowball Teen Patti: the rankings reverse and High Card is best. See Muflis rules. |
| AK47 | Every Ace, King, 4 and 7 is wild. See AK47 rules. |
| Joker | One card is turned face up after the deal, and every other card of that rank is wild for the hand. See Joker rules. |
| Lowest / Highest Joker | The lowest (or highest) card in each player's own hand is wild. |
| 999 | Each player arranges their three cards into a three-digit number, and the number closest to 999 wins. See 999 rules. |
| Best of Four | Players get four cards and choose the best three. See Best of Four. |
All of these are compared side by side in Teen Patti variations.
Hindi Names for Suits and Cards
At a family table you'll often hear the Hindi names rather than the English ones.
| Suit | Hindi name |
|---|---|
| ♠ Spades | Hukum |
| ♥ Hearts | Paan |
| ♦ Diamonds | Eent |
| ♣ Clubs | Chidi (chidiya) |
| Card | Hindi name | Card | Hindi name |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ace | Ekka | 6 | Chhakka |
| King | Badshah | 5 | Panja |
| Queen | Begum (Rani) | 4 | Chauka |
| Jack | Ghulam | 3 | Tikki |
| 10 | Dehla | 2 | Dukki |
| 9 | Nehla | 8 | Attha |
| 7 | Satta |
Names for the Game Itself
Teen Patti means three cards. You'll also see it written as 3 Patti, Teen Pathi or Tin Patti, and in English it's sometimes called Flash or Flush. App names like Teen Patti Master or Teen Patti Gold are brands, not different games: the rules are the same Teen Patti. Learn them on our Teen Patti hub or practise on the free table.
Teen Patti Terms: FAQ
What does Teen Patti mean, and what is it called in English?
Teen Patti (तीन पत्ती) means "three cards" in Hindi, because each player gets three cards. In English it's also called flush or flash, and it descends from the British game three-card brag. People also describe it as Indian poker.
What does chaal mean in Teen Patti?
Chaal is the bet you make on your turn to stay in the hand. A blind player's chaal is the current stake; a seen player's is double.
What does pack mean in Teen Patti?
Pack means folding: you give up your hand and lose the chips you've already put in the pot.
What is boot in Teen Patti?
The compulsory starting bet every player puts into the pot before the cards are dealt. It also sets the opening stake.
What is the meaning of blind in Teen Patti?
Playing without looking at your cards. Blind players pay half what seen players pay, but can't ask for a sideshow.
What is a trail in Teen Patti?
Three cards of the same rank, such as three Kings. It's the highest hand, and three Aces is the best trail.
What is hukum in cards?
Hukum is the Hindi name for spades. Hearts are paan, diamonds eent and clubs chidi.