Originating from the heart of India, Andar Bahar is a card game that has garnered popularity around the globe, thanks to live-action online casino games. The charm of this game lies in its simplicity and quick pace. Newbies can master it within minutes, as it doesn’t involve complicated rules or gameplay strategies.
Renowned software providers such as Playtech, Ezugi, Pragmatic Play, and BetGames offer live dealer versions of Andar Bahar.
The game’s widespread fan base in the Indian subcontinent assures its future expansion. You can find Andar Bahar in the Baccarat and Sic Bo section of the live casino games lobby at the top live casino sites in the UK.
How to Play Live Andar Bahar
Andar Bahar is played with a single, standard 52 card deck. The main goal is to predict which side (Andar or Bahar) will deal the first card matching the ‘middle’ or ‘joker’ card. The game starts with the deck shuffled, and the dealer placing one card face up to the right of the table. This is the middle or joker card.
After the betting phase closes, the dealer alternately deals one card each to Andar and Bahar until a card matches the middle card’s rank. The side that receives the matching card wins. Andar, which is dealt first, is more likely to win, so a £10 bet returns £9. Bahar, with slightly lower chances, gets even money: a £10 bet wins £10.
Do bear in mind, the BetGames version alters the deal slightly. If the Joker is a spade or club, Andar receives the first card; if it’s a Heart or Diamond, Bahar gets it. In this scenario, a £10 bet on either side pays £9.
Stats and Analysis
All software providers offer detailed analyses of past hands, though some delve deeper into the details than others. For instance, Playtech live casinos presents a percentage breakdown of which hands fell in which “Number of Cards” section.
They also provide the ratio of Andar vs. Bahar winners over the past 1000 hands and list the joker cards dealt, along with the number of cards dealt before a match, for each past hand.
Side Bets on Andar Bahar
Andar Bahar comes with a number of side bets with good payouts. Let’s have a look at these.
Andar/ Bahar on First Card
You can bet separately on whether Andar or Bahar will match with the Joker on the first card dealt. This is a very popular bet because of its relatively high payout of 15 to 1.
First Three
This unique bet uses the Joker or Middle card, the first card dealt to Andar, and the first dealt to Bahar to make a three-card poker hand. If it contains a straight flush, flush, or straight it wins.
Payouts can differ depending on the software provider, but Playtech offers 120 to 1 on a Straight Flush, 8 to 1 on Straight, and 5 to 1 on a flush.
Number of Cards
Due to very high payout odds, the most popular bet in all of Live Andar Bahar is the number of cards dealt. The count does NOT include the Joker card. There are 8 different bets offered. Starting with 1 to 5, then 6 to 10, and 11 to 15. Then 16 to 25, a ten number grouping, and then 26 to 30 and so on, increasing by 5 again till you get to the last bet, which includes nine numbers, 41 to 49, but pays out the most at 119 to 1.
Payoffs range from 2.5 to 1 on the Joker being matched in the first five cards, up to that monster payout of 119 to1 if it takes more than 40 cards.
Due to the vagaries of math, the best bet is the relatively decent 3.5 to 1 payout on the 16 to 25 cards dealt. It has less than a 2% house advantage.
Poker Card Bets
In some versions of Live Andar Bahar, you can place bets before the middle or joker card is dealt. You may be allowed to bet on the colour of the Joker card, or its suit, or even whether it is above or below 8.
Most of these will come with a 10% commission, so if you bet £10 on red, you will win £9. Currently, these Joker side bets are only offered on BetGames live-dealer version.
Conclusion
Andar Bahar is a fast-paced game, with some very large payouts available. You can bet the side bets without betting the primary wager if those big payouts are what appeals to you. This game is clearly aimed at the South West Asian market, but it is fun and easy to play.
It can often be found with minimum wagers of just £1, which is very good for a live dealer game. Some software providers have slightly different bets and rules. Make sure to look over bets and payouts before beginning wagering, and try a few different versions to find the one you like best.
My name is Yannis and I am also known as Mr Live Casinos in the iGaming industry. I have been playing casino games for more than 20 years and I have been reviewing and writting about casino games and online casinos for the last 10 years