Test yourself: 10 Thulla situations
Think you know the rules? Here are ten situations, from the easy to the tricky ones that catch out experienced players. Work out your answer first, then tap the question to see it. Each answer is how Thulla Champions rules the position.
The questions
1. Hearts are led and you hold ♥2, ♥K and ♠3. Can you play the ♠3?
Answer: No. You hold hearts, so you must follow suit with the ♥2 or the ♥K. The game greys out the ♠3.
2. Hearts are led and you hold only ♠3 and ♣8. What happens if you play the ♣8?
Answer: It is a thulla. You had no heart, so any card is allowed, and the ♣8 ends the trick at once.
3. Ahmed leads ♦3, Sara plays ♦K, and Bilal, who has no diamond, throws ♣2. Who picks up the pile?
Answer: Sara. The highest diamond on the table is her ♦K. Ahmed, the leader, does not pick up, and Bilal, who threw the thulla, never does.
4. Ahmed leads ♦9, Sara plays ♦4, Bilal plays ♦J and Hina plays ♦2. What happens?
Answer: Everyone followed suit, so it is a clean trick. Bilal's ♦J is the highest and wins. The four cards leave the game and Bilal leads next. Nobody picks anything up.
5. On the very first trick Hina has no spade and plays ♦2. Is that a thulla?
Answer: No. The first trick can never make anyone pick up cards. Hina's ♦2 is a dead card, the trick runs to its end, and the highest spade, the Ace, wins.
6. Your last card is the ♥Q, the highest heart in the trick, and the next player has no heart and throws a thulla. Are you safe?
Answer: No. Your ♥Q is the highest card of the led suit, so you pick up the whole pile and are back in the game. A last card is only safe if the trick ends without that happening.
7. Two players are left. Ahmed holds ♥5 and ♥2, Hina holds ♣K and ♣7, and Ahmed is about to lead. What is the result?
Answer: A shootout. The hands share no suit, so the game ends at once: Ahmed, who would lead next, is the Bhabhi and Hina is safe. Whatever Ahmed leads, Hina cannot follow, and he would pick up every card she throws.
8. Two players each play their last card in the same clean trick. Who is the Bhabhi?
Answer: Nobody. Both hands are empty, so it is a draw. Everyone counts as a winner and every entry fee is returned.
9. Can the player about to lead make a Hand Call on the first trick of the round?
Answer: No. A Hand Call is available only from the second trick, because on the first trick the Ace of Spades must be played.
10. Only two players are left holding cards. Can the leader ask the other for their hand?
Answer: No. A Hand Call can never be made on the last opponent, because taking that hand would leave the asker alone with all the cards.
How did you do?
- 9 or 10: you know the rules better than most. Go and read the endgame guide.
- 6 to 8: solid. The questions about the last card, the draw and the shootout are the ones that catch most people: see every way a game ends.
- 5 or fewer: read How to play Thulla (Bhabhi), then follow a round trick by trick.
The best test is still a real game: play against the bots and watch how the rules decide each trick.
Frequently asked questions
Where do the answers come from?
From the rules the Thulla Champions game engine enforces. They are the same rules as on the how-to-play page.
Do house rules change the answers?
They can. Thulla has many house rules. These answers are for Thulla Champions, and the glossary shows where other tables differ.
More guides
How to play Thulla (Bhabhi)
The full rules, step by step.
A Thulla round, trick by trick
A worked example: a clean trick, a thulla, and how a round ends.
Thulla, Bhabhi or Bhabi? The names and every term
The names of the game, where house rules differ, and every word explained.
Thulla strategy tips
Habits that keep you from being the Bhabhi.