How to play Durak: rules of the Russian card game for 2–4 players
Durak, “the fool”, is the most popular card game in Russia. It uses a 36-card deck, six cards each, and the bottom card of the deck sets the trump suit. One player attacks, the next defends by beating each card with a higher card of the same suit or a trump, and others throw in more cards of the same ranks. The last player left holding cards is the fool.
Dealing and trumps
Use a 36-card deck, sixes to aces. Deal six cards each, turn up the next card: its suit is trump. It goes face up under the deck and is the last card drawn.
Who attacks first?
The player holding the lowest trump. Play then goes round the table: the attacker always leads against the next player.
Defending
Each attacking card must be beaten by a higher card of the same suit or by any trump; a trump can only be beaten by a higher trump. A defender who cannot or will not beat everything picks up all the cards on the table.
Throwing in
The attacker, then the other players in turn, may add cards of any rank already on the table. There can be at most six attacking cards, and never more than the defender held when the bout began.
After the bout
If the defender beat everything, the cards are discarded and the defender attacks next. If they picked up, they lose their turn. Everyone draws back up to six: the attacker first, the defender last.
Who is the fool?
When the deck is gone, players who run out of cards are out. The last one still holding cards is the durak.
FAQ
How many cards can be thrown in?
Up to six per bout, and no more than the defender held at the start of it.
Who goes first in Durak?
The player with the lowest trump card.