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Notes on a game with too many names

Rules, regional variations, and the odd bit of history about the card game you might call Bhabhi, Thulla, Laad or Donkey.

6 min read

One game, ten names: mapping Bhabhi across South Asia

The same 52-card game is played from Lahore to Kerala to Kuala Lumpur under at least ten different names. The names aren't random — each one is named after a different part of the game.

4 min read

How to teach Bhabhi to someone in 90 seconds

Most people teach this game badly — they start with the exceptions. Here's the order that actually works, tested on people who've never held a trick-taking hand.