Bluff is the card game where lying is the whole point. You put cards face down, say 'Teen Badshah', and keep a straight face. The next player either believes you or shouts 'Bluff!'. If you were lying, you pick up the whole pile. If you were honest, they do.
This page covers the Bluff card game rules exactly as Mandli plays them: how a pile works, who can call, what happens when someone goes out, and how points are scored. We also list the ways people play it differently at home.
Mandli is points only. There's no money, no betting and no coins in the app, just a lot of 'pakda gaya!'.
Kya chahiye: Just phones. The app deals, hides the pile and flips the cards when someone calls.
Rules: kaise khelte hain
The deal
With 3 to 5 players, one 52-card deck is used. With 6 to 8 players, two decks (104 cards). Cards are dealt evenly. Any leftover cards go face down into the starting pile, so nobody knows what they are.
Ranks go A, 2 to 10, J, Q, K. Suits don't matter in Bluff, only ranks.
Playing and claiming
On your turn you play 1 to 4 cards face down and claim they are all one rank, for example 'Do Ghulam' or 'Chaar Ikke'. You can be telling the truth, or not.
- The first play on a fresh pile picks any rank.
- Everyone after that must claim the same rank, or pass.
You get 25 seconds a turn.
Calling Bluff
Only the player right after the last play can call 'Bluff!', and they must do it on their turn, before playing. When they call, the cards from that last play flip for everyone.
- If any card was not what was claimed, the player who lied picks up the whole pile.
- If every card was honest, the caller picks up the whole pile.
The winner of the showdown starts a new pile. Only the called cards are ever shown. The rest of the pile goes into the loser's hand without anyone else seeing it.
Passing and discarding
Instead of playing, you can pass (once a pile has started). If every other player passes in a row after a play, the pile is discarded face down and nobody ever sees it. The last player who played starts a fresh pile with any rank.
Going out
When you play your last cards, the next player gets one turn to call. If they don't call, or they call and you were honest, you are out and you win the round. If they call and catch you lying, you pick up the pile and the game goes on.
Timeouts and leaving
If your time runs out while starting a pile, Mandli plays your single lowest card and claims its real rank. Otherwise it passes for you. If a player leaves, their cards are set aside face down and never shown. If fewer than 3 players are left, the round ends.
Points kaise milte hain
The first player to go out wins 20 points. Among everyone else, the player with the fewest cards left gets 10 and the second fewest gets 5. If players tie on cards left, they all get that place's points and the next place is skipped. Every correct Bluff call is worth 2 more points. A wrong call or getting caught costs no points; your only punishment is picking up the pile. Points carry over into the room's total.
Jeetne ke tips
- Mix honest plays with lies. If you always lie, people will always call.
- Playing 4 cards of one rank is a big claim. With two decks it can be true, so think before you call.
- Watch the play log. If you hold three Badshahs, someone claiming 'Teen Badshah' is almost surely lying.
- You can only call the player right before you, so plan your honesty around who sits after you.
- When the pile is huge, a wrong call hurts. Sometimes passing is the smarter move.
- On voice, a nervous laugh gives more away than any card.
Ghar wale rules aur variants
In many homes anyone at the table can shout 'Bluff!', not just the next player. In Mandli only the player right after the last play can call, which keeps it fair on phones.
Some groups make each player claim the next rank in order (Aces, then 2s, then 3s). In Mandli, the first play picks any rank and everyone continues with that same rank.
With two decks, some tables allow bigger plays. Mandli allows 1 to 4 cards per play.
Bluff online kaise khelein
Create a room in Mandli and send the link on WhatsApp, or show the QR code if you are together. Anyone without the app opens the link in the browser, types a name, picks a colour and is in; no login. Bluff is a voice game, so Door mode shines here: the built-in voice chat (mic and speaker buttons, green ring when someone talks, nothing recorded) lets you hear every nervous 'sach mein'. In Saath mode you all sit together and talk out loud. Watchers see card counts, the play log and every showdown, never anyone's hand.
Sawaal jawaab
What are the rules of the Bluff card game?
Deal all the cards. On your turn play 1 to 4 cards face down and claim a rank. The next player can call Bluff. If you lied you take the pile, if you were honest they take it. First to empty their hand wins.
How many players do you need for Bluff?
In Mandli, 3 to 8 players. With 6 or more, two decks are used.
Who can call Bluff?
In Mandli, only the player right after the last play, on their turn. Many home games let anyone call; we keep it to the next player.
What happens when the last card is a bluff?
If the next player calls and catches it, the player picks up the pile and does not win. If nobody catches it, they win the round.
Can I play Bluff online with friends for free?
Yes. Mandli is free, has no ads and needs no login. It has voice chat built in and is points only, with no money.