Durak Rules: How to Play the Russian Fool Card Game
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Durak (Russian for "fool") is the most popular card game in Russia and the former Soviet countries. Two to four players use a 36-card deck: attackers lay cards, the defender must beat them or pick everything up. You do not win Durak so much as escape it: the goal is to get rid of your cards and not be the last player holding cards, who becomes the durak.
▶ Play Durak (Fool Card Game) nowFree, no download, no sign-up.
Deck, trumps and the deal
Durak uses a 36-card deck: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, jack, queen, king and ace in each suit. Aces are high and sixes low. After shuffling, each player gets 6 cards. The bottom card of the deck is turned face up; its suit is the trump suit and that card is the last one drawn.
The player holding the lowest trump makes the first attack. Zipi announces who it is after the deal.
Attacking and defending
The attacker lays a card on the table. The next player is the defender and tries to beat it:
- with a higher card of the same suit,
- or with any trump if the attacking card is not a trump,
- while a trump can only be beaten by a higher trump.
Each attacking card is beaten separately, with the defending card laid across it.
Throwing in
While the defender is beating cards, the attacker and the other players may increase the pressure by throwing in cards of a rank already on the table. If an 8 has been beaten by a king, for example, any 8 or king can be added.
- At most 6 attacking cards can be played in one round.
- The number of unbeaten cards on the table may never exceed the number of cards in the defender's hand.
Zipi variant: many tables limit the very first attack to 5 cards. In Zipi the limit is 6 in every round.
Discard pile or pick up
- Successful defence: if the defender beats every card and nobody throws in more, all the cards go to the discard pile and are out of the game. The defender attacks next.
- Picking up: if the defender cannot or will not beat a card, they say Take. Attackers may still throw in their last cards within the limits, then the defender picks up every card on the table and loses the chance to attack; the player after them attacks next.
Refilling hands and the end
After every round, anyone with fewer than six cards draws back up to six. The main attacker draws first, then the other attackers, and the defender draws last. Once the deck and the face-up trump are gone, nobody draws.
After the deck runs out, a player who plays their last card leaves the game safely. The last player left holding cards is the durak. If the last cards run out at the same time and nobody is left, the game is a draw.
Throw-in and Transfer Durak
| Rule | Throw-in (podkidnoy) | Transfer (perevodnoy) |
|---|---|---|
| Throwing in | Yes | Yes |
| Passing the attack on | No | Yes |
In Transfer Durak the defender, before any card has been beaten, may add a card of the same rank as the attacking cards and pass the whole attack to the next player. That player must hold at least as many cards as are then on the table, and the table may not exceed 6 cards. The new defender may transfer again in the same way.
Some tables allow a transfer just by showing a trump of the right rank; in Zipi the card has to be played.
Common mistakes
- Wasting trumps: using a high trump on a low card leaves you defenceless at the end.
- Opening new ranks: every card you beat with adds a rank that others can throw in.
- Beating everything: sometimes picking up a few low cards is better than spending your trumps.
- Not counting after the deck is gone: in the endgame, knowing what has been played tells you what everyone holds.
Tips to avoid being the durak
- Beat cheaply: use the next card up in the same suit when you can and save trumps for later.
- Attack with pairs: two cards of the same rank make the defender beat twice.
- Dump low cards early: sixes, sevens and eights are the hardest to get rid of late on.
- Watch the defender's hand size: you cannot throw in more unbeaten cards than they hold.
- Remember the trump card: the face-up trump is drawn last, so you can work out who will get it.
- In Transfer, keep matching ranks: holding the same rank as the attack lets you pass the load on.
Play Durak online on Zipi
Durak runs in your browser on Zipi. In the career you play bots at two-, three- or four-player tables; the bots hoard trumps, beat with their cheapest card, throw in when you are weak and remember what has been played in the endgame. Finish without being the durak and the next level starts straight away. Online you can play a two-player game against a friend via room code or a random world opponent; the room creator's device shuffles and the opponent's hand is never visible.
FAQ
Who attacks first in Durak?
The player holding the lowest trump card makes the first attack.
What happens when the defender beats every card?
The cards go to the discard pile and are out of play, and the defender becomes the next attacker.
How many cards can be thrown in?
In Zipi at most 6 attacking cards per round, and never more unbeaten cards than the defender holds.
What is Transfer Durak?
Before beating any card, the defender may add a card of the same rank to pass the attack to the next player, who must hold enough cards to face it.
What if I cannot beat a card?
Say Take and pick up every card on the table. The player after you then attacks.
Who loses at Durak?
The last player still holding cards after the deck is gone is the durak. If nobody is left, the game is drawn.
How many cards are used in Durak?
36 cards, six to ace in each suit, with six cards dealt to each player.
