Teen Patti (तीन पत्ती) is a highly competitive game of skill that originated in India over 200 years ago, evolving out of a British card game known as the “Three-Card Brag” – a predecessor of poker. Teen Patti is in fact widely referred to as ‘Indian poker since the player holding the highest-ranking cards becomes the winner of the game!
If you have read our Step-by-Step Guide on How to Play Teen Patti then you’re almost ready to play. On this page, we describe in detail the various Teen Patti card-combinations and how they rank against each other to help you quickly understand whether you have a winning hand. With the complete knowledge of the Teen Patti sequence and a few basic strategies, you can easily improve your chances of winning at Teen Patti.
Teen Patti Sequence Rules
The Teen Patti resembles poker in many ways although one of the major differences between the two card games is that Teen Patti is played with three cards instead of 5.
In Teen Patti, there are different card combinations with varying ranks. Higher ranking combinations beat lower-ranking combinations but before having a look at the various Teen Patti hands and their rankings, let’s first take a look at the strength of each individual card to ensure you master the basics.
Card Strength
The first thing you need to know when playing Teen Patti is the strength of each card.
- An Ace outranks a King
- A King outranks a Queen
- A Jack outranks the number 10 card
- and so forth…..
Teen Patti Sequence: Understanding Teen Patti Hands and Their Ranking
Now that you know the strength of each card, we will proceed to show you the different 3-card combos. We have put together a simple illustration (below) to help you quickly grasp the different sequences, rankings and probabilities for each hand.
The ranking of the cards from high to low is:
- Trail or Trio (three of the same rank);
- Pure Sequence or Straight Flush;
- Sequence or Straight;
- Flush or Color,
- Pair (two cards of the same rank), and
- High Card.
1. Trail is also known as a ‘Trio’, ‘Set’, or ‘Three of a Kind’
Trail (or Trio or Set) consists of three cards of the same suit and is the strongest ranking sequence in Teen Patti. If two players happen to have the same hand then the player who has the higher suit wins. Three aces are the strongest while three twos are the weakest trio.
Probability 0.24% (Odds of 424:1)
In other words:
- A combo of 3 Ace cards outranks 3 King cards and anything below;
- A combo of 3 King cards outrank 3 Queen cards and anything below;
- A combo of 3 Queen cards outrank 3 Jack cards and anything below, and so forth…
2. Pure Sequence is also known as a ‘Straight Flush’
A Pure Sequence or Straight Flush in Teen Patti consists of three consecutive cards of the same suit and is the second strongest ranking sequence. If two players have the same hand then the player with the higher suit wins. A-K-Q is the strongest followed by A-2-3, K-Q-J, Q-J-10, and so on down to 4-3-2.
Probability 0.22% (Odds of 459.42:1)
3. Sequence is also known as a ‘Straight’, ‘Run’ or ‘Round’
In Teen Patti, a Sequence or Straight hand consists of three consecutive cards that are not all of the same suit. This is the third-strongest sequence in Teen Patti. As long as the cards are in consecutive order it counts as a sequence. A-K-Q is the strongest sequence followed by A-2-3, K-Q-J and so on down to 4-3-2.
Probability 3.26% (Odds of 29.69:1)
4. Flush is also known as ‘ Colour’
A Flush or Colour in Teen Patti consists of 3 cards of the same suit and is the fourth-strongest sequence. If two players in a game of Teen Patti both have flushes, then the player with the highest value card wins; if they match, then the next highest card is compared. If two players have the same card values, then the hands are ranked by suit, with spades first and clubs last.
Probability 4.96% (Odds of 19.16:1)
5. Pair is also known as a ‘Double’
A Pair or Double in Teen Patti consists of two cards of the same rank and is the fifth strongest sequence. Between two pairs, the one with the highest value wins. If the pairs are of equal value, the value of the third card decides the winner. Two Aces is the best pair you can have in Teen Patti whilst a pair of 2s is the lowest.
Probability 16.94% (Odds of 4.90:1)
6. High Card is also known as ‘No Pair’
A High Card or No Pair in Teen Patti consists of three cards that are not in sequence (i.e. the cards are not all of the same suit and there are no two cards of the same value). If two players have a common high card, then the next high card is compared based on its value to determine the winner. The best high card in Teen Patti would be A-K-J of different suits and the worst is 5-3-2.
Probability 74.39% (Odds of 0.34:1)
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How do you know which Teen Patti sequence wins if two players have the same?
In Teen Patti, hands that are of a higher category beat those of a lower category. On occasion, it is possible to have the same sequence as someone else. In that case, what you have to take into account is how the sequence is ordered in value.