How to play Durak

The idea in one line

Durak (Russian for “fool”) is a card game with no winner, only a loser: get rid of all your cards, and do not be the last one holding them. It is the most popular card game in Russia, Ukraine and among Russian speakers worldwide. Below are the full rules of classic throw-in Durak (podkidnoy) step by step, then transfer Durak (perevodnoy) and common house rules.

Rules step by step

1. Get a deck and players. Use a 36-card deck (six to ace) and 2 to 6 players. Card order, low to high: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, jack, queen, king, ace.
2. Deal 6 cards and turn up the trump. Deal 6 cards to each player. Turn the next card face up and place it under the deck: its suit is trump for the whole game. Any trump beats any non-trump card.
3. Decide who starts. In the first game the player with the lowest trump attacks first. In later games it is usually the player to the left of the previous loser. You always attack the next player clockwise.
4. Attack. The attacker plays any card. The defender must beat it with a higher card of the same suit or with a trump. A trump can only be beaten by a higher trump.
5. Throw in more cards. While the defence is on, the attacker and the other players may throw in cards of any rank already on the table. One round holds at most 6 attacking cards, and never more than the defender has in hand.
6. Beaten or picked up. If the defender beats every card, the round is “beaten”: the cards are discarded and the defender attacks next. If they cannot or will not, they pick up every card on the table and lose their turn to attack.
7. Refill to six. After each round everyone with fewer than 6 cards draws from the deck: the attacker first, then the other throwers, the defender last. The face-up trump is the last card drawn.
8. Find the Durak. Once the deck runs out there is nothing more to draw. Players with no cards left are out. The last player still holding cards is the Durak (“fool”). If the last two go out in the same round, it is a draw.

An example round

Hearts are trump. You are attacked with the eight of spades and beat it with the queen of spades. The attacker throws in the eight of diamonds, because an eight is already on the table. You have no higher diamond, so you beat it with the six of hearts, a trump. Your neighbour throws in the queen of clubs, since a queen is on the table too. Beat that and the round is “beaten” and you attack next; if not, you pick up every card on the table.

Transfer Durak (perevodnoy)

In transfer Durak the defender has one extra move. Before beating any card, they can add a card of the same rank and pass the attack to the next player, who now has to beat every card on the table, and may transfer again. A transfer is only allowed if the next player holds enough cards to beat them all. Once the defender has beaten one card, transfers are over. Full transfer rules (in Russian).

House rules

• At most 5 cards in the first round, so the opening attack does not decide the game.
• Only neighbours throw in: only the players on either side of the defender may add cards.
• 24 or 52 cards: 24 (nine to ace) for a fast game, 52 for a big group.
• Transfer by showing a trump: some groups let you transfer by showing a trump of the same rank without playing it.
• Teams: two against two, partners sit opposite and win or lose together.

In Durak Tab Joy these options are in the table settings.

Common beginner mistakes

• Throwing in a rank that is not on the table yet.
• Throwing in more cards than the defender holds.
• Drawing out of order: the attacker draws first and the defender last.
• Transferring after already beating a card.

Tips to avoid being the Durak

• Dump low non-trump cards first: they are the easiest to attack and throw in with.
• Save high trumps for the endgame, after the deck runs out.
• Picking up two small cards early is often cheaper than spending a trump.
• Track the discard pile: by the end you will know almost exactly what your opponents hold.
• Practise against the hard bot: it remembers every card played, like a strong human.

Where to play

Play Durak Tab Joy in your browser with no download and no sign-up: against bots at three levels, with friends online by link, or with two people on one phone. More answers on the FAQ.

Rules questions