Shandar Andar Bahar is an online live casino game based on the traditional Indian card game. It features real cards, real dealers, and a collection of side bets you won’t find anywhere else. Made by OnAir Entertainment, it boasts an RTP of 97.85% with a minimum bet of $0.2 and a $1,000 maximum bet. It’s available on both desktop and mobile on all casinos supplied by OnAir Entertainment.
In this post, the LiveCasinos.com team of gaming experts reviews Shandar Andar Bahar. Our review contains all of the information about the game, how to play it, and where to find it with suitable online casino bonuses. We’ll also compare it to other titles of a similar type and give you our opinion about how it ranks.
Game Specifications | |
---|---|
Game name | Shandar Andar Bahar |
Game provider | OnAir Entertainment |
Game type | Andar Bahar |
Streaming from | Latvia |
RTP | 97.85% |
Bet range | €0.2 - €1,000 |
Max win | 500:1 |
Side bets | Yes |
Supported platforms | |
Supported OS | |
Languages |
Chinese
Danish
Dutch
English
Finnish
French
+12
All supported languages
|
One way or another, Andar Bahar has become a mainstay game of pretty much every live casino out there. We assume that has a lot to do with the growth of live online casinos in India. However, it’s also down to the fact that this simple card game has its charms. It’s quick, exciting, and produces a decent RTP rate compared to most other casino betting games.
OnAir Entertainment is the latest casino software company to add Andar Bahar to its portfolio. Unsurprisingly, the game looks and plays quite well. It’s smooth, well-made, and presented from a purpose-made studio inspired by Indian aesthetics. However, the same can be said for many competing Andar Bahar games which have been popping up from all corners of the industry. So what does OnAir Entertainment’s Shandar Andar Bahar have that its competitors don’t?
Most notably, it contains several side-betting options that you won’t find anywhere else. These can greatly enhance your experience with the game – especially since some of them have fairly decent RTP returns, which is not a common trait among side bets. If you’d like to know more, our Shandar Andar Bahar review details everything you need to know about this online live casino game.
OnAir Entertainment’s version Andar Bahar is no different from most other variants of the game available online. It uses one deck, handled by trained dealers.
The goal of Andar Bahar is to predict which of two card piles, named Andar and Bahar, will first draw a card of the same value as the so-called Joker card. This ‘Joker’ is drawn at the beginning of every round. All you need to do to play is set the size of your stake and place it on one of the betting positions. You options include the two main positions – andar and Bahar – and various side bets. A new round starts every 12 seconds and doesn’t last too long, so it’s a fairly dynamic game.
In other words, those familiar with how Andar Bahar works will immediately know what to do. If not, you should check out our beginner’s guide to Andar Bahar. It contains basic information such as the rules, moves, and game flow.
Importantly, Andar always draws the first card, which is not always the case with this game. This means that Andar is somewhat more likely to win, which is why it pays less. Specifically, Andar pays 0.9:1 if you win, while Bahar pays 1:1.
Shandar Andar Bahar stands out from the crowd thanks to a wide offer of side bets. Some of these have been developed specifically for this title, so it’s somewhat innovative. Here’s a rundown of all of the side bets available and how they work.
The smaller betting positions at the bottom of the screen are called Ranges. The goal of this side bet is to predict how many cards will be drawn before the game ends. It’s by far the most common side bet in Andar Bahar, and we’ve seen it in dozens of versions before.
The idea is simple – just pick the range of cards in which you believe the Joker will appear. For instance, if you pick 6-10, you’re hoping that the winning card will be drawn as number 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10.
There are 8 ranges available: 1-5, 6-10, 11-15, 16-25, 26-30, 31-35, 36-40, and 41-49.
Andar First wins if the first card dealt to Andar has the same value as the Joker. Conversely, Bahar First wins if the first card dealt to Bahar is the same value as the Joker.
Essentially, you’re hoping for a “natural win”. Naturally, this means that this pair of wagers is extremely risky, but also pays a lot at 15:1 and 15.5:1.
Shandar 5 is an interesting addition. The idea is to use the first 4 cards drawn and the Joker to make Poker hands. If you manage to assemble Three of a Kind, Flush, Straight, Full House, or Straight Flush, you win a payout based on the strength of the winning hand.
Both Andar and Bahar cards are taken into account. In other words, the first two cards from both piles. If the round ends before at least 4 cards are drawn, the Shandar 5 bet is considered a push. In other words, your full stake is simply returned to you.
This wager predicts that the first card drawn to that side will be of the same suit as the Joker. For example, if you bet on Suited Andar, the side bet wins if the first Andar card is of the same suit as the Joker.
In the case of Suited Bahar, the bet pushes if Andar wins on the first card.
This simple wager wins if there are exactly 11 cards dealt in the game round. It counts cards from both sides, however. In practice, this means that you can only win this wager if Andar wins on its sixth card.
You can find all of the possible payouts in Shandar Andar Bahar listed below. As we mentioned previously Andar has a slight advantage because it draws first. This means it has lower payouts but higher RTP, which is why it’s arguably the best bet in the game. The side wagers also have many possible outcomes, which you can see below. We’ve also listed the RTP rate for each available option.
Bet/Outcome | Payout | RTP | |
---|---|---|---|
Main Bets | |||
Andar | 0.9:1 | 97.85% | |
Bahar | 1:1 | 97% | |
Ranges | |||
1-5 | 2.5:1 | 94.87% | |
6-10 | 3.5:1 | 97.67% | |
11-15 | 4.5:1 | 92.97% | |
16-25 | 3.5:1 | 98.10% | |
26-30 | 14.5:1 | 94.53% | |
31-35 | 24.5:1 | 94.29% | |
36-40 | 49:1 | 94.84% | |
41-49 | 119:1 | 95.08% | |
Shandar 5 | |||
Straight Flush | 500:1 | 96.66% | |
Full House | 250:1 | 96.66% | |
Flush | 150:1 | 96.66% | |
Straight | 50:1 | 96.66% | |
Three of a Kind | 30:1 | 96.66% | |
Other Side Bets | |||
Andar First | 15:1 | 94.12% | |
Bahar First | 15.5:1 | 93.18% | |
Suited Andar | 3:1 | 94.12% | |
Suited Bahar | 3:1 | 94% | |
Exact 11 | 24:1 | 93.64% |
If you need a good strategy for Shandar Andar Bahar, just check the table above. Stick to the bets with the highest RTP rates.
In other words, Andar is the superior main bet. However, the 16-25 Range bet offers the highest RTP in the entire game at 98.10%, so it’s a great choice. Other good options include the 6-10 range and the Shandar 5 poker game. We suggest avoiding the others – especially Exact 11.
Make sure to choose the game that suits your taste and budget. For more extensive guides on live Andar Bahar basics, read this article.
There aren’t many other features worth mentioning. The side bets are the most noticeable ones, and we have already explained how they work. However, we should also note that the game keeps detailed records of the previous 500 rounds or so. You can use them to get a feel for the probabilities of various bets winning. For instance, you’ll quickly figure out why Shandar 5 pays so much – because it doesn’t win often.
Beyond that, OnAir Entertainment offers a solid suite of features common among casino games with real dealers. For instance, you can use the live chat function to communicate with other players and dealers in real-time. You can also use the options menu to tweak various aspects of the game, such as sound levels and graphics.