- Players
- 3 to 6
- Cards
- One 52-card deck
- Goal
- Get rid of all your cards
- Loser
- The last player holding cards
Bhabhi rules
The aim
Get rid of every card in your hand. Players drop out one by one as their hands run out, and the last player still holding cards is the Bhabhi, the loser of the round.
Dealing
Shuffle one standard 52-card deck and deal all of it out, one card at a time, around the table. Some players may end up with one card more than others. Aces are high.
Starting the game
Whoever holds the ace of spades leads it to start the first round. In the first round, nobody picks up: if you have no spades, you can play any card, and the round’s cards are simply set aside.
Following suit
Each player in turn plays one card. You must play a card of the suit that was led if you have one. If everyone follows suit, the cards are set aside, and whoever played the highest card leads the next round.
Throwing a thulla
If you can’t follow suit, you play any card you like. That’s a thulla. The round stops right there, and whoever played the highest card of the led suit picks up every card on the table and adds them to their hand. They lead the next round.
A well-timed thulla is the heart of the game: it’s how you dump a dangerous high card onto someone else.
Getting out and the Bhabhi
When your hand is empty, you’re safe. Play carries on without you, skipping you in turn order. When only one player still holds cards, they’re the Bhabhi.
Play Bhabhi online
Start a table with family and friends, or practise against the computer. Free in your browser.
Play Bhabhi nowTips to win at Bhabhi
- Get rid of high cards early, while everyone can still follow suit and nobody can thulla you.
- Watch who runs out of a suit. Once a player can’t follow a suit, leading that suit invites a thulla.
- When you’re not sure, play just under the highest card on the table. Being the highest when a thulla lands means picking up the pile.
- Lead your low cards in suits that others still hold plenty of. Someone else will usually end up highest.
- Save a thulla for the moment a player with lots of cards is sitting on the highest card.
House rule: Barter mode
A popular family house rule: at any point, you can offer all your remaining cards to another player of your choice. If they accept, they add every card to their hand and you’re out. They’re free to say no. Taash Club lets you play Bhabhi with this rule switched on, or with the classic rules.
Bhabhi questions
Is Bhabhi the same game as Thulla?
Yes. Bhabhi and Thulla are two names for the same game, and it’s also known as Bhabhi Thulla or Get Away. The word thulla also names the move of playing a different suit when you can’t follow.
How many players can play Bhabhi?
Bhabhi works best with 3 to 6 players using one deck. With more players, hands are shorter and rounds move faster.
Are aces high or low in Bhabhi?
Aces are high, so the ace is the highest card in each suit.
What happens if you have no cards of the suit that was led?
You play any card you want. That’s a thulla, and the player who played the highest card of the led suit picks up all the cards on the table.
Can I play Bhabhi online with friends?
Yes. On Taash Club, you can start a table, share the code, and play Bhabhi with friends and family anywhere, for free. Computer players fill any empty seats.