Andar Bahar happens to be the most popular and favored card game played in India. Because it is such an easy card game to play, it has become a fixture in all demographics throughout the country. Not only is the game easy to play, but the rules of play are quite simple making gameplay fun for everyone as learning how to play is far from difficult. In this article, we will take a closer look at how Andar Bahar is played and cover several things about the game you may not already know.
What Is Andar Bahar?
This is an old card game that originated in the south of India in the Bangalore region. What sets this game apart from many other standard casino games is that there is little in the way of strategy that can impact the results. In other words, this is a card game that relies entirely on pure chance. The only power a player has in this game is based on how much they choose to bet. The game uses a standard 52-card deck and unlimited numbers of players can participate in a game of Andar Bahar.
How The Game Is Played
A dealer shuffles the deck, cuts it, then deals one card face-up. That card is known as either the joker or the trump card, although it isn’t either but it is an important first step into a game. There will be two piles of cards on a standard live table of Andar Bahar. One is known as Andar, with the other identified as Bahar. Players in the game can then place their wagers on either side. The purpose behind the game is to predict which of the two piles of cards will be the first to draw a card that matches the value of the house card, or the Joker/trump card. The dealer will place cards in alternating order on each pile. The first card placement depends on the house rules. For example, if the house card is black, the first dealer card goes to the Andar pile. The opposite happens if the house card is red. There are other variations of the game which determine the deal order, so be sure to familiarize yourself with the version of real money Andar Bahar you are playing. If you had placed a wager on the pile that first matches the house card, your bet is a winner. If your prediction is incorrect, your bet loses. The payout varies depending on the wager with the main Andar Bahar casino game delivering an RTP rate of 94.85%.
5 Things About Andar Bahar You May Not Know
Here is a quick look at a few interesting things about the game Andar Bahar:
There Are Many Different Online Versions of the Game
Depending on the demographic being targeted by the online casino, there are different versions of the game. There are more traditional games intended to attract an Indian audience. There are also westernized versions that are used to target international players. There are also variations known as normal speed and fast-paced Andar Bahar, which alter the speed at which a bet has to be made.
Andar Bahar Has More Than One Name
The online casino trend gets credited for raising the name Andar Bahar to prominence, however, that is not the only name it is known by. In the small villages that dot the Indian landscape, the game is known as Katti. It also has several other regional names which are a result of what locals have tagged the game as. This should be an indication of how diverse Andar Bahar is.=
One Half Of The Game Pays Less Than The Other
The probability of halves influences payouts in this game. It means that if you bet on Andar, the payout is less than if you bet on Bahar. This puts Andar at the advantage but to lessen that advantage, casinos pay out less for winning Andar bets.
Andar Bahar Is No Longer Just An Indian Card Game
Due to the popularity of the game – likely due to how easy it is to play – Andar Bahar is now featured in many modern land-based casinos in places like Atlantic City and Las Vegas. It is now common to see tables in these casinos that are dedicated just to the Indian card game.
Several Side Bets Can Be Made
Another interesting aspect of Andar Bahar is that many different side bets can be placed and many have rather good payout odds. Examples of some of the side bets include predicting the suite of the master card, the number of cards to be dealt before the master card is revealed, and what the master card will be. The odds on the number of cards dealt side bet ranges from 2 to 1 (1 to 5 cards) to 119 to 1 (41 or more cards dealt). The house edge also fluctuates on that side bet where it sits at 18.68% on the 1 to 5 card side bet and drops to 4.92% on the 41 or more cards side bet. As you can see, side bets add an extra layer of excitement to a game of Andar Bahar.
Final Thoughts
There is no doubt that card games are popular. Card games that do not require a lot of skill and are essentially designed as a game of chance are easier for beginners to play as they are not complicated. A card game from Indian know as Andar Bahar, among other names, is one such game. It has gained so much popularity outside of Indian that it is now featured in major Western land-based casinos. Aside from the ease of play, Andar Bahar features multiple ways to win which adds additional layers of interest for players to participate. One of these layers comes in the form of side bets. The next time you feel like playing a card game that doesn’t require a lot of thought or serious math skills, give Andar Bahar a try.
