How to play Durak
Durak ("fool" in Russian) is the most played card game in Russia — a duel of attack and defence with a 36-card deck running 6 up to ace. This is the classic Podkidnoy ("throw-in") version against Emma. Six cards each; the card turned sideways under the stock fixes the trump suit and is drawn last.
Just want the rules? Read the complete Durak rulebook.
- Attack — lead any card. The defender must beat it with a higher card of the same suit, or with any trump. Trumps are only beaten by higher trumps.
- Throw in — after the first attack you may add cards matching any rank already on the table (attacks or defences). At most six attacks per round, and never more than the defender held when the round began.
- Beaten off — the defender beats everything: the whole table goes to the discard, out of play, and the defender attacks next.
- Pick up — the defender can't (or won't) beat a card: they take the entire table into their hand and the attacker attacks again.
- Refill — after each round both players draw back up to six, attacker first, while the stock lasts.
- The fool — once the stock is empty, the first player with no cards wins. Whoever is left holding cards is the durak.
Strategy tips that keep you off the fool's seat
- Save your trumps. Spending the queen of trumps to beat a 7 in the first round is how fools are made. Take a small pickup early rather than burn a big trump — trumps decide the endgame.
- Attack with pairs. Leading a 6 when you hold two of them means a guaranteed throw-in after the defence — twice the pressure for one turn.
- Count what's beaten. The discard is out of play forever. If both black nines are gone, your red nine can never be matched for a throw-in — it just got safer to defend with.
- Watch what your opponent picks up. Every pickup shows you cards you will meet again. Attack into the suits they are weak in, not the ones they just stockpiled.
- Don't always beat what you can. Beating a 6 with a king leaves you naked later. Picking up two small cards while the stock still refills you is often the stronger play.
- Flip the switch at the empty stock. The moment the last card is drawn, hoarding ends and racing begins — shed aggressively, force the defence, and make every throw-in count.
Frequently asked questions
What are the rules of Durak?
Durak is played with a 36-card deck (6 up to ace). Each player holds six cards; the card under the stock sets the trump suit. The attacker plays a card, and the defender must beat it with a higher card of the same suit or with any trump. The attacker may then throw in more cards matching any rank on the table. Beat everything and the cards are discarded — you attack next. Give up and you pick up the whole table. After each round both players refill to six from the stock. Once the stock is gone, the first player with no cards wins; the one left holding cards is the durak — the fool.
How do you beat a trump in Durak?
A trump can only be beaten by a higher trump. Ordinary cards never beat a trump, no matter how high — an ace of a plain suit loses to the six of trumps. That is why experienced players hoard their high trumps for the endgame instead of spending them on cheap attacks.
What happens when you can't defend in Durak?
You pick up every card on the table — the attacks and any cards you already used to beat them — and they all join your hand. The attacker may even throw in extra cards matching a rank on the table before you take. Worse still, you lose your turn: the same player attacks you again.
What cards can the attacker throw in?
After the first attack, every additional attack card must match the rank of some card already on the table — either an attack or a defending card. So if a 7 was beaten by a 10, the attacker can throw in other 7s and other 10s. A round is capped at six attack cards, and never more than the defender held when the round began.
Can Durak end in a draw?
Yes. In a two-player game, if the defender beats off the final attack using their last cards while the attacker is also out of cards and the stock is empty, nobody is left holding anything — the game is a draw and there is no fool.
Who attacks first in Durak?
In the first game, whoever holds the lowest trump attacks first — traditionally showing it to prove the right to start. In a rematch the loser of the previous game deals, so the winner attacks first and the fool has to defend straight away.
More free card games
Enjoy the shed-your-cards battle? Try Idiot or the chaos of Switch. For a lighter matching game, deal out some Crazy Eights.