Badam Satti is the calm-looking card game that turns into a quiet fight. Everyone builds the four suits out from their 7s, and the whole table waits on whoever is holding that one 6 or 8. It's easy to learn in two minutes, which is why it is a favourite with families, cousins and anyone who says 'mujhe cards nahi aate'.
Here are the Badam Satti rules exactly as Mandli plays them, with the scoring, some tips, and what people change at home. In English it is usually called Sevens.
Mandli is points only. No money, no betting, no coins.
Kya chahiye: Just phones. The app deals, shows which cards you can play and passes for you when you can't.
Rules: kaise khelte hain
Dealing
One 52-card deck is dealt out completely, one card at a time, starting from the seat after the dealer. With 3, 5, 6, 7 or 8 players the cards don't split evenly, so the first few seats after the dealer get one extra card. That's fine: scoring counts the cards you play, so nobody is punished for it.
In Satti, Ace is low (below 2) and King is high.
Opening with the 7 of Paan
Whoever holds the 7 of Paan (hearts) starts, and their first card must be that 7. It goes in the middle and starts the Paan row. Mandli shows the table as four rows, one per suit, with the 7s in the middle.
What you can play
On your turn you play exactly one card. A card is legal if it is:
- Any 7, which starts that suit's row.
- The next card up on a row that is already open: 8, then 9, and so on up to K.
- The next card down on an open row: 6, then 5, and so on down to A.
So on the Paan row, after the 7 you can add the 8 or the 6 of Paan. After the 8, the 9 opens up, and so on. Mandli lifts your legal cards and dims the rest.
Must play, no fake passes
If you have a legal card, you must play one. You can't hold everything back to block the table. Passing is not a button in Mandli: the game checks your hand and passes for you only when you truly have nothing to play. Everyone sees 'Koi chaal nahi' and the turn moves on.
You do still choose which legal card to play, and that choice is where the strategy lives.
Turn timer
You get 15 seconds per turn. If time runs out, Mandli plays your lowest legal card for you (lowest rank; ties go in the order Paan, Eent, Chidi, Hukum).
Winning the round
The first player to play their last card wins, and the round ends right there. Because all 52 cards are in play, the table can never get fully stuck; someone always holds the next card.
Points kaise milte hain
The winner, first to empty their hand, gets 20. Everyone gets 1 point for every card they played this round. You also get 2 points each time you close off a row by playing its Ace or its King. Cards left in your hand at the end score nothing and cost nothing. Points carry over into the room's running score, so you can play several rounds and see who comes out on top.
Jeetne ke tips
- When you have a choice, play cards that open the way for you, not for others.
- Holding a 6 or an 8 blocks a whole side of that suit. Play it only when you have other cards in that direction.
- Keep your 7s for when you want to open a new row. Playing one early helps everyone.
- Count passes. When someone gets 'Koi chaal nahi', you learn which cards they don't have.
- An Ace or King is worth 2 extra when you play it, but it only becomes legal after the 2 or the Queen is down, so plan for it.
Ghar wale rules aur variants
Many families count the cards left in each hand as minus points, or add up their values. In Mandli, leftover cards cost nothing; you score for what you played.
Some groups let the first player open with any 7. Mandli always opens with the 7 of Paan.
At some tables you may pass even when you could play. Mandli does not allow this: if you can play, you must.
Satti online kaise khelein
Open Mandli, make a room and share the link on WhatsApp, or let friends scan the QR code if you are sitting together. Anyone without the app joins from the browser link with a name and a colour, no login. Pick Saath mode to play in one room and chat out loud, or Door mode for friends in other cities, with voice chat built into the game (mic and speaker buttons, nothing recorded). Up to 8 play at the table and the rest of the room watches; after a round, the player with the most cards left makes room for the next person waiting. If someone's internet drops, their seat is held, and if they leave for good a bot plays their cards.
Sawaal jawaab
What are the rules of Badam Satti?
All 52 cards are dealt. The player with the 7 of hearts starts. After that, you either play any 7 to open a new suit, or add the next card up or down to a suit already on the table. If you can play, you must. First to empty their hand wins.
Who starts in Badam Satti?
The player holding the 7 of Paan (hearts) starts, and must play that card first.
Is Ace high or low in Satti?
Low. The rows go down from 7 to Ace and up from 7 to King.
Can you pass in Badam Satti if you have a card?
Not in Mandli. You only pass when you have no legal card, and the app does it for you.
How many players can play Satti online?
3 to 8 players at one table in Mandli. Others in the room can watch and join the next round. It is free and points only.