Maghe Satra (also known as "Beg 17") is a fun counting type card game that is found to be played in parts of Nepal, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Bhutan. Although most common played by, and best for, four players, it can realistically and easily be played by 3 to 7 players.
The game is played using one standard 52 card deck. Although there is no real concept in this game of relative card ranking and the suits are irrelevant, each card in the deck does have a specific count value to which it contributes to a player's hand. The following chart shows the value of each card as found in the deck:
| Card | Count Value |
|---|---|
| Ace | 1 |
| 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 | Value as marked on card |
| Jack | 11 |
| Queen | 12 |
| King | 13 |
Determination of seating positions and identify of the first dealer can be performed in a variety of ways, with cutting for high card a common method. Using this method, each player would randomly draw one card from a shuffled, face down deck. The players should then take their set of preference at the table in order card value drawn, starting with the player drawing the highest valued card and continuing down to the lowest card drawn. The player drawing the highest card of all is set as the first dealer, and thereafter the role of dealers rotates around the table in a counter-clockwise direction around the table.
Once the players are seated, and the first dealer selected, the dealer should then thoroughly shuffles the deck and offers it to the player at his left to cut. After the cut, the dealer then deals one face card down in front of each player. Once each player has been dealt his card, the player may look at the card in front of himself, being careful to ensure no other player sees the value on the face of the card.
The player to the immediate right of the dealer has the first turn, and the turns then rotate around the table in a counter-clockwise direction around the table.
The object of the game is for each player to get as close to a count value of 17 in his hand, without going over. This is done by
being dealt one or more additional cards on the turn in order to obtain a
count as close to 17 without exceeding this value for the player.
To start each player's turn, that player must request an additional card, which the dealer deals face up in front of that player. The player then, having looked at his face-down card, decides if he wants to request to be dealt (to "Beg") additional cards, one at a time. All cards dealt to that player are dealt face up on the table in front of the player. If a player ever obtains a count total in cards over 17, his turn ends and he may no longer draw any cards (saying "Pass"). If a player, at any time has a count total of exactly 17 he immediately wins the current hand, showing his cards. The hand ends, and no other players have their turn on that hand. However, if the player has any total under 17 he may (but is not required to) ask for an additional card, continuing to ask for additional cards until he either reaches 17, exceeds 17 or is satisfied with his current total. He then says "Pass" and the turn moves to the next player in turn.
In this way, each player automatically receives one additional card and then has the option to "Beg" (have one or more additional cards dealt to them), unless a previous player managed to obtain a count of exactly 17.
If no player obtained a total of exactly 17, once each player (with the dealer playing last) has had their turn, all players expose their face down card to show their card count total.
The winner is the player with the total closest to a count of 17 without going over. That player wins the hand and earns one Game Point. Any player with a count of 18 or more can never be in contention for that hand. If the count of every player on a hand has exceeded 17, there is no winner on that hand (the round is considered a tie), and no player earns a Game Point.
If two or more players tie with the closest count to 17, the player with the most number of actual cards used to make their total wins the hand, winning a Game Point. In the event of two or more players tying with the high count and also have the same number of cards, the player who had their turn the latest is declared the winner of that hand and earns one Game Point.
After each hand the cards are gathered together, reshuffled and the next dealer in turn deals the next hand.
It is usual to play to a predetermined number of Game Points (such as 10 or 17), with the first player to reach that total at the end of a hand declared the overall game winner.