Teen Patti terms explained: boot, blind, seen, chaal, pack and show

Teen Patti has its own vocabulary, mostly Hindi words mixed with English. Learn these and the game is easy to follow.

Before the cards

Boot: The starting amount each player puts into the pot before the deal. It is also called the ante. If the boot is 10 and five players join, the pot starts at 50.
Pot: All the money staked in the hand. The winner takes it.

Blind: A player who has not looked at their cards. A blind player bets the current stake and may raise.
Seen: A player who has looked at their cards. A seen player must bet at least double the current stake. A blind player can turn seen at any turn but cannot go back.
Chaal: A bet, or the act of betting. "Chaal chalo" means to put in the stake and stay in the hand. If the stake is 10, a blind chaal is 10 and a seen chaal is 20.
Raise: Increasing the stake for the players who follow. Most tables agree a maximum.
Pack: To fold. You put your cards face down and lose what you have already put in.

Show: When two players remain, one pays the stake and asks to compare. Both hands are turned over and the higher hand wins. If the hands are equal the player who asked for the show normally loses, but check your table rules.
Side show: A private comparison of cards between two seen players. A seen player asks the seen player just before them. The player with the lower hand has to pack. Some tables allow the other player to refuse.

Trail: Three cards of the same rank, such as 7-7-7. The best hand.
Pure sequence: Three consecutive cards of the same suit, such as 5-6-7 of clubs.
Sequence (run): Three consecutive cards of mixed suits.
Colour: Three cards of the same suit that are not in sequence.
Pair: Two cards of the same rank.
High card: None of the above. The hand is ranked by its highest card.

Player A and Player B: The two dealt hands in a live game. You bet on which one will win.
Pair Plus: A side bet on the strength of one hand.
Tie: A side bet that both hands will rank exactly the same.
Push: A bet that is returned unchanged, such as a main bet when the hands tie.

See the glossary on the game page for the full list, and how to play for these terms in action.

18+ only. This article is for information, not advice to gamble. Responsible gambling.