21- card Marriage
 
The Game
 
 The popular 21 card game, Marriage, was introduced into Nepalese Casinos by a member of the Calcutta Gambling Club, Hiralal in 1984. The game is the modern form of a 13-card Paplu game and is now viewed as a 28-card masala game. The large number of cards makes this game more than a mere game of luck. It is today seen as a mind game. Popular among gamblers from Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Tibet, it is an competitive and interesting game that displays the players skill.
 
 How it is played
 
 Marriage is a game played between individuals where the casino only receives a certain share in the players' earnings. Played with three decks of cards, the main theme of the game is to arrange all 21 cards before any other player. The cards can be arranged by making a pure sequence of three or more cards of the same suit. Three such sequences are a must. Thereafter, one can make 'dirty' sequences using one or more jokers or by making a 'trial' by keeping a joker with a pair. Besides this, a hand can also be declared if some one has eight pairs (two same cards of same suits) or eight jokers. A hand can also be declared if a player possesses three triplets (or tanela e.g. three Jacks of spade), which happens rarely. Another rarity, a double marriage (explained later) is also a declared hand and one doesn't need any sequences after getting a double marriage.
 
 After a player declares a hand, others have to count the points that they are carrying. If a player possesses three pure sequences or seven pairs or many jokers (varies with casinos), then they are in 'less' state and don't have to count their points. If they don't, then except for a four-or-more card sequence and tanelas, they have to count all remaining card points.
 
 While counting points, a 10 or a face card is counted as one point. For other cards, their sum is totaled and divided by ten to receive the remaining number of points. If a player has only one card with a value of less than five, then that is considered as zero point and a card with value more than five (including the Ace) is considered as one point.
 
 After the points are counted, the player declaring the game receives money from the other players according to the number of points that they are carrying. However, each player is entitled to receiving money according to the value possessed by him in the form of point cards, tanela or a marriage.
 
  Jokers and marriage
 
 Jokers are a vital part of the game. They are the moneymakers and are those cards that make this game fun by adding an element of luck in it. After 21 cards are dealt to all the players, one card is pulled out from the remaining deck and it is called a 'tiplu'. Then the surrounding cards to the tiplu are called 'paplu' and 'nichlu'. For example, if a 10 of hearts is pulled out from the remaining deck, it becomes the tiplu whereas the Jack of hearts is the paplu and the 9 of hearts becomes the nichlu. These tiplu, paplu and nichlu are called point cards and they have their values which one can collect from all other players in behalf of holding these cards.
 
 A joker is the card with the same value as the tiplu but of a different suit (a 10 of diamonds, clubs or spades, as per the previous example). The point cards are all jokers, the only difference between joker and a point card is that a joker has no point value whereas the point card does. Otherwise, both can be used in the same way in forming dirty sequences or trials.
 
 The sequence of paplu, tiplu and nichlu is called a marriage. A marriage is always worth the most number of points but its value may vary from casino to casino and among players.
 
  Flexibility
 
 One of the greatest reasons why this game is so popular is its flexibility. Various extra jokers kept in the deck make this game a rapid action event whereas absence of jokers turns this game to a slow time passing game. Another factor is that the players can determine the stakes for each point, as they want. For example, the value for one point can vary from anything the players want to set such as Rs.50 per point or Rs.500 per point.