"We start having card parties a month prior to Diwali. The whole month is celebration time for us," enthuses Ranjay Sikka who moved to New Zealand with his family eight years ago.
Ranjay says it's more than just playing your cards right.
While there is a sense of anticipation as the cards are shuffled and dealt, it's the festive atmosphere with sumptuous cuisine accompanied by drinks and lots of fun and laughter that everyone looks forward to.
"Normally during the month of Diwali, most Indians eat only vegetarian food, but we North Indians love our food so we make sure we have a virtual feast."
"People from the north of India celebrate Diwali a little differently," says Heena, who is known to host lavish parties.
"The card parties give us an excuse to bond and celebrate with friends," adds Ranjay.
The successful businessman says they normally break up into small groups and play Flash (Teen Patti-three cards) or Rummy.
The stakes could vary from a dollar to a couple of hundred dollars-slightly different from some of the hard-core card parties hosted in India where the stakes go up to thousands of dollars as they play all night long.
Diwali card parties are usually hosted on Diwali night, once the rituals are done and the blessings of the pantheon of deities have been evoked.
Over the years, gambling on Diwali has become a tradition, with some up-scale theme parties being more elaborate than others.
It's not unusual to start playing a month or weeks in advance.
It is believed that the tradition of playing dice and gambling on Diwali may have originated during the harvest festival of yore. It was the season when the farmers were feeling a little rich and decided to gamble with friends in the hope of striking it lucky.
With the passage of time, the shuffling of cards took over from the game of dice, though the new kids on the block have since taken to playing poker during Diwali.
Adding a mythical twist to the story is the legend that an Indian Goddess, Parvati, played a game of dice with Lord Shiva, who gave it the stamp of approval. This led to the belief that whoever gambles on Diwali night will prosper.
It's not very often that gambling gets a divine nod, which is probably why the age-old tradition caught on, in a bid to invite prosperity and wealth on an auspicious occasion.
