How to Play Mendicot (Dehla Pakad)
Mendicot is an Indian partnership trick-taking card game, also known as Mendikot, Mindi and Dehla Pakad. Four players in two teams chase the four tens: capture three to win the hand, all four for a Mendicot. It rewards partnership play and card memory over simply holding high cards.
Players and time
Exactly four players in two teams of two, partners sitting opposite each other, with a standard 52-card deck. A sitting of several hands runs about 20 to 40 minutes. The rules are quick to learn, and the partnership play is what keeps families coming back to it.
Deck and setup
Each player is dealt 13 cards, usually in batches of five, four and four. Partners sit opposite each other, so the turn alternates between the teams as play moves anticlockwise. Depending on the version you play, the trump is either a card set aside face down before play (hidden trump) or decided by the first off-suit card played during the hand (cut trump).
Objective
Capture the tens. Your team wins the hand by capturing three of the four tens, and scores a Mendicot by capturing all four. If each team captures two tens, the team that won seven or more of the thirteen tricks wins the hand.
How a turn works
The player to the dealer's right leads the first trick, and play continues anticlockwise. Everyone must follow the led suit if they can; otherwise they may play any card, including a trump. The highest trump wins the trick, or the highest card of the led suit if no trump was played — ace high. The winner of each trick leads the next.
Ending the round and scoring
The hand ends when all 13 tricks are played. Count the tens in each team's tricks: three or four tens win the hand, and a two-two split goes to the team with seven or more tricks. Capturing all four tens is a Mendicot, and taking all thirteen tricks is a whitewash — the biggest win of all. Play as many hands as the family enjoys and keep a running count of the wins.
Family variations
The main split is how the trump is set: the hidden version puts a card face down before play and reveals it on the first failure to follow suit, while the cut version lets the first off-suit card played set the trump. Families also differ on deal direction and on who deals the next hand after a loss. Lazy Patta offers both trump styles as house rules, with the hidden trump as the family default.
Common mistakes
The most common mistake is spending a trump on a trick that carries no ten — hold your trumps for the tricks that matter. Another is leading a ten yourself, gifting it to the table; a ten is safest played onto a trick your partner is already winning.
Strategy tips
Track which suits your partner is out of and lead them, so a trump can capture a ten. Keep count of the tens as they fall — once three are decided, the target shifts to winning seven tricks. When you hold a ten in a weak suit, wait for a trick your partner controls before letting it go.
Try it now
The best way to learn is to play a slow round against the computer, then invite your family to a private room.
Frequently asked questions
- Why is Mendicot also called Dehla Pakad?
- Dehla means the ten card in Hindi, and Dehla Pakad means 'capture the tens' — which is exactly the object of the game. Mendicot, Mendikot, Mindi and Mindi Coat are regional names for the same partnership game.
- What happens if each team captures two tens?
- A two-two split of the tens is decided by tricks: the team that won seven or more of the thirteen tricks takes the hand. That is why strong teams keep fighting for tricks even after the tens are shared.
- Can I play Mendicot on Lazy Patta yet?
- Yes — play against the computer or start a private family room on Lazy Patta. The full rules are here whenever you need them.