Andar Bahar: How to Play, Rules, Odds and Payouts
October 17, 2026
Andar Bahar is a traditional Indian card game played with one standard 52-card deck. The dealer turns over one card, the joker, and then deals cards one at a time to two sides, Andar (inside) and Bahar (outside), until a card of the same rank as the joker appears. You bet on which side that matching card will land. There is no skill and no decision after the bet, which is why a round takes well under a minute. This guide covers how to play, the full rules, the exact odds of each side, what each payout costs and how the side bets in Super Andar Bahar work.
How to play Andar Bahar
- The joker is dealt. The dealer places one card face up in the middle of the table. It is called the joker, but it is an ordinary card: only its rank matters, not its suit.
- Place your bet on Andar or Bahar. Many tables also offer side bets at this point.
- Cards are dealt alternately, one to each side in turn. In Evolution’s Super Andar Bahar the first card always goes to Andar; at some tables the side that starts depends on the colour of the joker.
- The round ends as soon as a card of the same rank as the joker appears. If the joker is a 7, the first 7 dealt decides the round, and the side it lands on wins.
Example: the joker is the 7 of clubs. The cards go A♠ to Andar, K♦ to Bahar, 10♦ to Andar, 9♣ to Bahar, 7♥ to Andar. The seven landed on Andar, so Andar bets win and Bahar bets lose.
Andar Bahar rules at a glance
| Rule | Standard version |
|---|---|
| Deck | One 52-card deck, shuffled before every round |
| Joker | The first card, placed face up in the middle; only its rank counts |
| Main bets | Andar or Bahar |
| Dealing | One card at a time, alternating between the two sides |
| Winning side | The side that receives the first card matching the joker’s rank |
| Payouts | Close to even money; the side dealt first usually pays a little less (see below) |
Andar Bahar odds
After the joker, 51 cards remain and three of them match its rank. The chance that the first match is the 1st card dealt is 5.88%, and it falls a little for every card after that. Because the side dealt first gets the 1st, 3rd, 5th card and so on, it collects the larger share of those chances:
| Bet | Chance of winning |
|---|---|
| Side dealt first (Andar in Super Andar Bahar) | 51.50% |
| Side dealt second (Bahar) | 48.50% |
A round lasts 13 cards on average after the joker, and half of all rounds are over within 11 cards. Every shuffle is new, so earlier results do not change these figures.
Andar Bahar payouts and house edge
Because the side dealt first wins slightly more often, it usually pays less than even money. The paytable differs between versions, and each table shows its own. Here is what each payout costs on average:
| Bet | Pays | House edge |
|---|---|---|
| Side dealt first | 0.9 to 1 | 2.15% |
| Side dealt first | 0.85 to 1 | 4.72% |
| Side dealt second | 1 to 1 | 3.00% |
| Side dealt second | 0.95 to 1 | 5.43% |
The house edge is the share of each bet the casino keeps on average over many rounds. On the most common paytable, 0.9 to 1 on Andar and 1 to 1 on Bahar, both main bets cost between 2% and 3%.
Side bets: how many cards until the match?
Most live versions add side bets on how many cards are dealt after the joker before the match appears. In Evolution’s Super Andar Bahar there are ten of them, covering 1–5 cards, 6–10, and so on up to 46–49, and one to five of them get a random multiplier each round, up to 4,000x on 46–49. Ezugi’s Andar Bahar offers similar bets, and its highest-paying side bet returns up to 120 times the stake. These are the true chances of each range:
| Cards dealt after the joker | Chance |
|---|---|
| 1–5 | 27.11% |
| 6–10 | 21.70% |
| 11–15 | 16.90% |
| 16–20 | 12.70% |
| 21–25 | 9.10% |
| 26–30 | 6.10% |
| 31–35 | 3.70% |
| 36–40 | 1.90% |
| 41–45 | 0.70% |
| 46–49 | 0.10% |
Most side bets carry a higher house edge than the main bets, and the longer ranges pay a lot because they almost never come up.
Is there an Andar Bahar trick or strategy?
No. The cards are shuffled before every round, and no betting pattern, streak or card count changes which side the matching card lands on. The only real difference between the bets is the paytable:
- The side dealt first wins 51.50% of rounds and usually pays 0.9 to 1.
- The side dealt second wins 48.50% of rounds and usually pays 1 to 1.
- Side bets pay more and land less often, and most of them cost more than the main bets.
Sites selling Andar Bahar “tricks” or “winning formulas” cannot change these numbers.
Andar Bahar online and live
Online, Andar Bahar comes in two forms. Live tables stream a real dealer: Evolution’s Super Andar Bahar, and Ezugi’s Andar Bahar, OTT Andar Bahar and Ultimate Andar Bahar. RNG versions are software games from studios such as JILI, KA Gaming and King Midas, played at your own pace. 22bet carries all four live tables above, plus RNG versions from those studios, in its live casino and casino lobbies. Our live casino guide covers the studios behind them, our Teen Patti guide the other Indian card game in those lobbies, and our Dragon Tiger guide explains another fast card game decided by a single comparison.
Play responsibly
Andar Bahar is for players aged 18 and over. Every bet has a house edge, and rounds are quick, so a session moves faster than it feels. Set a budget before you play and stop when it is spent.
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Andar Bahar FAQ
What is Andar Bahar?
A traditional Indian card game played with one 52-card deck. After a joker card is turned over, cards are dealt alternately to two sides, Andar and Bahar, and you bet on which side receives the first card matching the joker’s rank.
How do you play Andar Bahar?
Bet on Andar or Bahar after the joker is shown. The dealer then deals one card to each side in turn until a card of the same rank as the joker appears. The side that gets it wins.
What are the odds in Andar Bahar?
The side that receives the first card wins 51.50% of rounds and the other side 48.50%. A round lasts 13 cards on average after the joker.
What does Andar Bahar pay?
Usually 0.9 to 1 on the side dealt first and 1 to 1 on the other side, for a house edge of 2.15% and 3.00%. Some tables pay 0.85 or 0.95 to 1, which costs more; each table shows its paytable.
Which is better, Andar or Bahar?
Neither has an edge for the player. The side dealt first wins more often but pays less; on the usual paytable it costs 2.15% against 3.00% for the other side.
Is there an Andar Bahar trick?
No. The deck is shuffled every round and no pattern or streak changes where the matching card lands. Sites selling tricks cannot change the odds.
What is Super Andar Bahar?
Evolution’s live version. Cards are dealt to Andar first, and ten side bets on how many cards come before the match (1–5 up to 46–49) can get random multipliers of up to 4,000x.
What does joker mean in Andar Bahar?
The first card dealt to the middle of the table. It is not a wild card; only its rank matters, because the round ends when another card of that rank appears.