How to Play Andar Bahar — Rules, Payouts & Odds
Andar Bahar rules explained in full, with the real payout table, the house edge on every bet, a worked round dealt card by card, and the apps that offer it.
By Teen Patti Gold Master Editorial · Updated
- Deck
- 52 cards, no jokers
- Players
- Unlimited — everyone bets against the house
- Round length
- About 30 seconds
- Main bet
- Andar or Bahar
- House edge
- ≈2.15%
- Skill involved
- None — the outcome is fixed once the deal starts
Andar Bahar is the simplest real-money card game you will find in any Indian gaming app, and one of the fairest. There is a single card, two piles, and one decision: which pile will match it first. A round is over in about thirty seconds.
It comes from southern India, where it is also called Katti or Mangatha. The version in Teen Patti Master and similar apps is the same game, dealt by software instead of by hand.
The rules step by stepThe rules, step by step
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The joker is revealed. The dealer turns one card face up in the middle of the table. This is the joker, sometimes called the house card or hukum. Everything in the round is measured against it.
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Betting opens. You bet on Andar (the "inside" pile) or Bahar (the "outside" pile). You are betting on which pile will produce a card matching the joker's rank — suit is irrelevant. A joker of 7♠ is matched by any 7.
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The deal begins on the side the joker's colour dictates. If the joker is black, the first card goes to Andar. If it is red, the first card goes to Bahar. This single rule is why the two sides pay differently — the side dealt first gets one extra chance to match.
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Cards alternate. One to Andar, one to Bahar, one to Andar, and so on, until a card appears whose rank matches the joker.
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The pile that produces the match wins. Everyone who bet on that side is paid. Everyone on the other side loses. The round ends there — there is nothing left to play out.
A worked roundA worked round
The joker is turned over: 9♣. It is black, so the deal starts on Andar.
| Card dealt | Pile | Match? |
|---|---|---|
| K♦ | Andar | No |
| 4♠ | Bahar | No |
| J♥ | Andar | No |
| 7♣ | Bahar | No |
| 2♠ | Andar | No |
| 9♥ | Bahar | Yes — rank matches the 9♣ joker |
Bahar wins on the sixth card. Because the joker was black, Andar was the first-dealt side, which means Bahar was paying the full 1:1. A ₹100 bet on Bahar returns ₹100 profit. A ₹100 bet on Andar loses.
Note what did not happen: nobody made a decision after the joker was revealed. The deck was already shuffled. The result was fixed before the first card landed.
Why the two sides pay differentlyWhy the two sides pay differently
This is the part most guides skip, and it is the only genuinely interesting thing about the game.
The first-dealt side gets to see one more card than the other before the deck runs out. Over many rounds that extra card converts into roughly a 51.5% / 48.5% split in its favour. If both sides paid even money, betting the first-dealt side every time would be profitable — so the house pays it 0.9:1 instead, which removes the advantage and a little more.
That "little more" is the house edge: about 2.15%. For every ₹100 wagered over a long run, roughly ₹2.15 stays with the house. That is genuinely low — lower than roulette, lower than most slots. It is not zero, and no way of playing makes it zero.
What this means for youWhat this means for you
Andar Bahar rewards understanding rather than technique, because there is no technique. Know the payout difference between the two sides, ignore the side bets if you want your money to last, and set a limit before you start — a thirty-second round is faster than most people's judgement.
Payouts and true odds
Every bet available, what it pays, and how often it actually wins. Odds are for standard rules — an individual app may vary, so check its table before you stake.
| Bet | Pays | Wins | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andar (when the joker is black) | 0.9 : 1 | ≈51.5% | The first-dealt side wins slightly more often, so it pays slightly less |
| Bahar (when the joker is black) | 1 : 1 | ≈48.5% | Second-dealt side, full even money |
| Andar (when the joker is red) | 1 : 1 | ≈48.5% | Red joker reverses which side is dealt first |
| Bahar (when the joker is red) | 0.9 : 1 | ≈51.5% | Now Bahar is the first-dealt side |
- First-dealt side wins51.5%Gets one extra card before the deck runs out — which is why it pays only 0.9:1
- Second-dealt side wins48.5%Pays full even money to compensate
- Baccarat (Banker)1.06%
- Andar Bahar2.15%
- Roulette (European)2.7%
- Dragon vs Tiger3.73%
- 7 Up 7 Down16.67%
The edge is what the house keeps on average over many rounds. It is not a prediction of any single result.
Strategy
There is no strategy that changes the odds
Once the joker is turned over, the entire outcome is already determined by the shuffled deck. No betting pattern, no timing, and no sequence of previous results alters it. Anyone selling you an Andar Bahar trick is selling you nothing.
Always take the even-money side if you want the lower edge
The first-dealt side wins about 51.5% of the time but pays only 0.9:1. The second-dealt side wins about 48.5% but pays a full 1:1. Worked through, the two are close, with the even-money side carrying marginally the better expectation on most rule sets. It is a small difference, and it is the only real decision in the game.
Previous rounds tell you nothing
The deck is reshuffled every round. Six Andar wins in a row does not make Bahar due. This is the gambler's fallacy, and Andar Bahar is one of the games where it costs people the most.
Side bets carry a much higher edge
The card-count and suit side bets look attractive because the payouts are large. Their house edge is several times the main bet's. If you are playing to make your money last, skip them.
Set a session limit before you start
Rounds resolve in about thirty seconds, which is far faster than most card games. At that pace a bankroll disappears quickly without a limit set in advance. Decide the number before you sit down, not during.
Side bets
Optional extra bets. They pay more and win less — the house edge on these is several times that of the main bet.
- First card / suit of the winning cardUp to 12 : 1
Payouts vary widely between apps — check the table before betting
- Number of cards dealt (1–5, 6–10, 11–15, …)2 : 1 up to 24 : 1
Longer bands pay more; the short bands are the most common outcomes
- After-joker betsVaries
Not offered by every operator
Common questions
Is Andar Bahar a game of skill or luck?
Pure luck. Once the joker card is revealed, the result is already fixed by the order of the shuffled deck. The only choice you make is which side to bet and how much.
Which side has better odds, Andar or Bahar?
The side dealt first wins about 51.5% of the time, but it pays 0.9:1 instead of even money to compensate. After the payout difference the two sides are very close, with the even-money side holding a slight edge on most rule sets.
What is the house edge in Andar Bahar?
About 2.15% on the main bet under standard rules. That is lower than most casino games, though side bets are considerably worse.
Can you count cards in Andar Bahar?
No. The deck is reshuffled before every round, so there is no information carried between rounds to count.
How long does a round take?
Usually around 30 seconds. It is one of the fastest real-money card games, which is worth knowing when you set a budget.
Is Andar Bahar legal to play in India?
It depends on your state. Several Indian states restrict or prohibit real-money gaming, and the rules change. Check your own state's current position before playing for money.
Practice table
No money, no signup — a real shufflePick a side to deal a round. Watch which pile gets the first card — it depends on the joker’s colour, and it decides which side pays even money.
The deck is genuinely shuffled and nothing is weighted in your favour. Play enough rounds and the running total drifts negative — that is the 2.15% house edge, working exactly as it does with real money.
Where to play Andar Bahar
Other games to learn
Real-money gaming carries financial risk and the house holds an edge in every game listed on Teen Patti Gold Master. Play only what you can afford to lose, and check your state's current rules before playing for money. Read the full disclaimer.