What is Durak?
Durak (The Fool) is a Russian classic. There are no winners, only one loser! The last person holding cards is the Durak.
Setup
- 2 - 6 Players
- 36 Cards (6 to Ace)
- The bottom card of the deck is revealed to determine the Trump suit for the entire game.
Attacking
The player to the dealer's left starts. Play a card face up. Others can 'add' to the attack.
Defending
The defender must attempt to beat the attacking cards played against them.
Cards are discarded from play (Graveyard).
Trump beats everything (except higher Trump).
Take (Failed)
Can't defend? You must pick up ALL cards from the table. The round ends, and you lose your turn to attack.
Round End & Refill
durak.deal.description
- The attacker refills their hand first.
- Draw until everyone has 6 cards again.
Game Over
Goal: Avoid being the last player holding cards at the end.
Common Variants
Passing (Podkidnoy)
Before defending: Add a matching card to pass the attack to the next player.
Team Durak
2vs2 or 3vs3. Partners sit opposite. No secret communication allowed!
No Trump
No trump suit exists. Only higher cards of the same suit can beat attacks.