Dehla Pakad
The Indian partnership card game where the whole hand is about catching the tens
About Dehla Pakad
Four players, two teams: you and your partner across the table against East and West. Every player gets thirteen cards. You follow suit when you can, and the first time someone cannot, the card they play decides the trump suit for the rest of the hand. The team that captures three or four of the tens wins the hand; first to five hands wins the match.
What is different about this version
Trump is not chosen at the start. It stays hidden until the first player who cannot follow suit, which makes every early void a big moment. The hand also ends the moment its result is settled, so games move quickly.
How to play Dehla Pakad
- Play a card from your hand. You must follow the suit that was led if you can.
- The highest trump wins the trick, otherwise the highest card of the suit that was led.
- Trump is hidden until someone cannot follow suit. Their card sets it.
- Capture three or four tens to win the hand. At two each, the team with seven or more tricks wins.
- All four tens is a Mendikot and counts as two hands.
Controls
| Desktop | Click a card to play it, or use Left and Right and Enter. Escape pauses. |
|---|---|
| Phone or tablet | Tap a card to lift it and tap it again to play it. |
| Players | One player. Any other characters on screen are run by the game. |
Strategy
When your partner is already winning a trick, throw a ten on it to bank it safely. Do not lead a ten unless you are sure it will hold. Running out of a suit early lets you set or use trump, so short suits are worth dumping.
Mistakes that cost you the game
- Playing a ten on a trick your opponents are winning.
- Leading an ace into a suit an opponent has run out of.
Tips
- The tallies in the corners show which tens each team has caught.
- Hard mode CPUs count cards and remember who has run out of which suit.
Questions about Dehla Pakad
Who is my partner?
The player at the top of the table. East and West play together against you.
Does it cost anything?
No. Dehla Pakad is free to play, runs in your browser, and needs no download, install or account.
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