With Diwali around the corner, it’s time for some 'taash' parties!

Along with good food, crackers and good will, if there is anything special about Diwali then it is the taash parties. With B-Town, the entire city will be enjoying the revelry and festivities, particularly the youngsters.

While these parties initially were about winning games and good-luck, increasingly they have become about money. A top model who is a regular at these card parties says money is definitely involved in huge amounts.

“I get invited to the best taash parties in the city and the amount of money at stake is insane. Almost everyone being invited to these parties arrives with 500 rupee note  wads and as much as two lakh is on stake per move. There is intense competition at these parties and I have seen distraught people at the end of the game.

A night’s winning and losing can add up to Rs5-10 lakh or at times even run into crores. I lost a considerable amount of money last year so this year I am going to be more careful,” she said.
The model adds that the starting stake is nothing less than 10,000, which increases as the game progresses.

Actor Chunky Pandey, a regular at these parties, says that he’s going off as he lost a lot of money last year. “I will attend these parties, but I won’t play as I hate losing money. Money is a relevant aspect at a taash party so this time, I have learnt my lesson and will just attend the party to meet my friends and eat some good food.”

Industry insiders reveal that the stakes are on an all time high this year. According to an event management company, this year’s most expensive card parties marked the expenditure of approximately 50 lakhs which has marked as a tremendous rise of 20 percent over last year.

Actor Tusshar Kapoor’s sister Ekta Kapoor hosts one of the most lavish Diwali parties in B-town each year and though the actor is not a card person, he attends each party for fun. “I don’t like to play because I don’t have the patience. It is just an excuse for me to catch up with friends.”

Ditto for socialite Queenie Singh who says she indulges in a one off game just to keep up with the spirit of the festival. The card games that are usually played at these parties include, Teen Patti, Bridge, Poker and Rummy. And now, comes the best part. If you thought it was only money people bet on, hold your breath, even designer handbags, sunglasses, expensive watches and branded footwear is on stake when people run out of money.