What is the Bhabhi card game called in English?

In English it is usually called Getaway (or Get Away). In south India the same game is called Kazhutha, and in English-speaking Indian homes simply Donkey.

What is a thulla in the Bhabhi card game?

A thulla is an off-suit card played by someone who has no card of the suit that was led. It ends the round at once, and the player who played the highest card of the led suit picks up all the cards on the table.

Can I play Bhabhi online with friends for free?

Yes. On donkeycardgame.com one person creates a room and shares the link; 3 to 8 people can play in the browser with no sign-up or download.

Bhabhi (Thulla) card game: rules and how to play online

Bhabhi, also called Thulla or Bhabhi Thulla, is the card game where everyone races to get rid of their cards and the last player left holding cards becomes the Bhabhi. It is played across north India and Pakistan, and in Kerala and Tamil Nadu the very same game is known as Kazhutha (Donkey). You can play it online with friends right here, for free.

What is Bhabhi called in English?

In English the game is usually called Getaway (or Get Away), because the aim is to “get away” by emptying your hand. In many Indian homes it is simply called Donkey, after the loser. Bhabhi, Thulla, Getaway, Kazhutha and Donkey are names for the same game; only small house rules change from family to family. See all the names across India.

What is a “thulla”?

A thulla is the most important move in the game. When a suit is led and you have no card of that suit, you play any other card. That card is the thulla, and it ends the round immediately. The player who has played the highest card of the led suit so far must pick up every card on the table. In Kerala the same move is called vettu (a cut).

Example: Ravi leads 6♠, Simran plays Q♠, and Aman has no Spades, so he plays J♦ as a thulla. The round stops. Simran played the highest Spade, so she picks up 6♠, Q♠ and J♦, and she leads next.

The rules

Bhabhi is played exactly like Donkey: the Ace of Spades starts, everyone follows suit, a clean round is thrown away, and a thulla makes the highest card of the led suit pick up the pile. The last player left holding cards is the Bhabhi. The full rules with examples cover dealing, who starts the next game, Ace penalties and declaring.

House rules you may know

Bhabhi is learnt at home, not from a book, so families differ. Common variations include:

In some groups the very first round, started by the Ace of Spades, is always thrown away even if someone plays a thulla.
Some play many games in a row and keep score, so the loser of the whole session is the real Bhabhi.
Who starts the next game changes: the Ace of Spades again, or the last loser.

Online, this site gives the previous loser the Ace of Spades so they start the next game, and keeps score with Ace penalties: lose four games and you are the final loser.

Winning: the thulla is everything

Most of the skill in Bhabhi is about thullas: running out of a suit early so that you can play one, and remembering who has already played one so that you are never holding the highest card of that suit when they cut. The strategy guide explains this in 12 tips.

Play Bhabhi online

You can play Bhabhi online here for free, with 3 to 8 friends on their own phones and no download.

Frequently asked questions

Is Bhabhi the same as Donkey or Kazhutha?

Yes. It is the same follow-suit game in which a thulla (cut) makes the highest card pick up the pile. Only the names and a few house rules change.

Can Bhabhi be played with 2 players?

It is really a game for 3 or more. With two players every thulla simply hands the pile to the other person, so most of the fun is lost. The online version needs at least 3 players.

How long does a game take?

About 5 to 10 minutes with 4 to 6 players.

Play Bhabhi online free