Hazari Card Game Rules: How to Play and Score 1000 Points
A clear guide to Hazari (the 1000-point card game): dealing 13 cards, splitting them into 3-3-3-4, hand rankings from Troy to Indi, scoring and strategy.
Hazari means "thousand", and that's the whole goal: be the first player to reach 1000 points. It's one of the most popular card games in Bangladesh, loved because every hand is a small puzzle. You get 13 cards and have to split them into four groups that beat your opponents' groups. Here's how it works.
Players and cards
- 4 players, each playing for themselves.
- A standard 52-card deck, no jokers.
- Card rank from high to low: A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2.
- Card points: A, K, Q, J and 10 are worth 10 points; 2 to 9 are worth 5 points. That's 360 points in the deck.
Dealing and arranging your hand
The whole deck is dealt, so everyone gets 13 cards. Each player then secretly arranges them into four groups: 3, 3, 3 and 4 cards. Arranging is the heart of Hazari. Put your best three-card combinations in the groups you want to win, and use the four-card group to dump what's left.
Hand rankings (best to worst)
A higher type of combination always beats a lower one. Between two of the same type, higher cards win.
| Rank | Name | What it is | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Troy | Three cards of the same rank | A♠ A♥ A♦ |
| 2 | Colour Run | Three in sequence, same suit | Q♥ J♥ 10♥ |
| 3 | Run | Three in sequence, mixed suits | 9♣ 8♦ 7♠ |
| 4 | Colour | Three of the same suit, not in sequence | K♠ 9♠ 4♠ |
| 5 | Pair | Two of the same rank plus one other | 8♥ 8♣ K♦ |
| 6 | Indi | None of the above | A♣ 9♦ 5♥ |
A-K-Q is the highest run, followed by A-2-3, then K-Q-J and so on down to 4-3-2.
How a round is played
Players show one group at a time. Everyone reveals a group together, and the best combination wins all the cards shown in that round. Those cards count toward the winner's score. This repeats until all four groups have been played. Most versions show the strongest groups first and finish with the four-card group.
At the end of the deal each player adds up the points on the cards they won. Scores carry over from deal to deal until someone reaches 1000.
Strategy: how to split 13 cards
- Build one monster group. A Troy or Colour Run almost always wins its round, and every round won brings in the other players' cards too.
- Don't waste strength. Two strong groups that each win beat three medium groups that each lose by one card.
- Hide weakness in the four-card group. Put your leftover low cards there, but keep a pair in it if you can. A pair still beats an Indi.
- Watch the high cards. Aces and kings are worth 10 points each. Winning a round full of them swings the game.
- Think about the order. If your best groups go out early, the other players' strong combinations are gone too, which makes your mid-strength groups safer later.
Where Hazari comes from
Hazari is a partition game, a family where players split their hand into combinations and compare them. It's related to Teen Patti, which uses almost the same three-card rankings (see our Teen Patti hand rankings guide). For a detailed write-up of regional variations, see the Hazari page on pagat.com.
Play Hazari offline
Arranging 13 cards quickly takes practice. Our free Hazari app has a sort button that suggests the best groups while you learn, challenging computer players, and no internet requirement. Hazari is also included in Card Hero and Card Adda if you want it alongside 29 and Callbreak.
FAQ
How many cards does each player get in Hazari?
Each of the four players gets 13 cards, which they arrange into groups of 3, 3, 3 and 4.
What is the highest hand in Hazari?
A Troy of three aces (A-A-A) is the strongest possible combination.
How much is each card worth in Hazari?
Aces, kings, queens, jacks and tens are worth 10 points. Cards from 2 to 9 are worth 5 points. The whole deck is worth 360 points.
How do you win Hazari?
Win rounds to collect the cards shown, add up their points after each deal, and be the first player to reach 1000 points.
Hazari
Race to 1000 points in the Bangladeshi classic. Free, offline, on Android.
