Taash Housie: Diwali Card Kitty Party Game Rules and Twists

What do you need to play Taash Housie?

• Ticket decks: one deck of playing cards for every 10 ladies, Jokers taken out
• One calling deck for the host, with all the Jokers from every deck shuffled in (4 to 6 Jokers works well)
• A table, a durrie or any flat space where every lady can lay out 5 cards
• One host to flip and call the cards
• A small prize like a toffee, a chocolate or a box of mithai

How to play Taash Housie, step by step

1. Take the Jokers out of the ticket decks and shuffle them into the host's calling deck.
2. Deal 5 cards from the ticket decks to every lady. She lays them face up in front of her: this is her Housie ticket.
3. The host flips the calling deck one card at a time and calls it out loud in Hindi or English, for example "Paan ki satti" for the 7 of hearts.
4. Every called card is placed face up in a line in the middle so everyone can check what has already been called.
5. Any lady holding the called card turns it face down. With two ticket decks, two ladies can hold the same card and both turn it down.
6. When the host flips a Joker, every lady passes one of her open (face up) cards to the lady on her right at the same time. If the card you receive was already called, turn it down at once.
7. The first lady with all 5 cards face down shouts "Diwali!". The host checks her cards against the called line and she wins the prize.

Rules: how do you win?

• A lady who turns down a wrong card must keep her ticket frozen for the next 3 calls.
• Only open cards can be passed on a Joker. A face down card passed by mistake is turned face up again.
• A false "Diwali!" call costs one card: turn one of your face down cards back up.
• No money or betting at all. The prize is a toffee, chocolate or mithai.
• The first lady with all 5 cards face down is the Taash Queen.

Fun twists to make it crazier

• Second Joker rule: after the first Joker, every new Joker changes direction, so cards go to the left next time.
• Mute round: the host shows the card only with hand signs and faces, no words.
• Housie prizes: a small prize for the first lady with 3 cards down and the big prize for the full house of 5.

Tips for the host

• Use the Hindi card names (Paan, Eent, Hukum, Chidi; Ekka, Badshah, Begum, Ghulam) to make the calling more fun.
• Keep the line of called cards in the middle tidy so passed cards can be checked quickly.
• For older ladies or big groups, let each lady sit with her 5 cards on a plate or tray so they do not slide.
• If the game runs long, the host can call two cards at a time near the end.

Frequently asked questions