Flagship games
Durak card game rules
In Durak you try to get rid of all your cards, and the last player still holding cards is the fool and loses. You attack, defend, throw in cards and refill your hand, and this page explains each step for both variants: Durak with throw-ins and Transferable Durak.
- Players
- 2-6
- Deck
- 36 cards, from six to ace
- Goal
- Do not be the last player holding cards
- Move timer
- 20 seconds per move
On this page
What Durak is
Durak is a card game for two to six players. The word "durak" means "fool", because the game has no winner: only one loser, the player who is left with cards at the end. Everyone else goes out and is safe.
There are two variants. In Durak with throw-ins (podkidnoy) the defender can only beat a card or take the cards. In Transferable Durak (perevodnoy) the defender may also pass the attack on to the next player. We offer both: play free in Telegram, open our bot, tap Play and pick Durak.
Players and cards
You play with a 36-card deck. The ranks go from lowest to highest: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, jack, queen, king, ace. Two to six players can sit at a table.
Everyone gets 6 cards. The bottom card of the deck lies face up, and its suit is the trump suit. That card is drawn last. With six players the whole deck is dealt, so there is no draw pile: the trump is the dealer's last card, shown face up.
A trump beats any card of another suit, and a trump can only be beaten by a higher trump. Even a trump six beats an ace of another suit. You have 20 seconds for each move.
The goal
Get rid of all your cards. When the draw pile is gone, a player with an empty hand leaves the game. The last player who still holds cards is the fool. If everyone goes out at the same moment, the game is a draw.
How a game works, step by step
- Deal and trumpEveryone gets 6 cards. The face-up bottom card of the deck sets the trump suit.
- Who attacks firstThe player with the lowest trump attacks first. If nobody holds a trump, the first player at the table starts. The next player in turn is the defender.
- AttackThe attacker puts down any card. The defender must answer it.
- DefendThe defender beats the card with a higher card of the same suit, or with any trump. A trump can only be beaten by a higher trump.
- Throw inWhile the defender fights back, the other players may throw in more cards. You can add cards of the ranks already on the table, both attack cards and the cards that beat them. The suit does not matter. The defender cannot throw in.
- Mind the limitsA bout has at most 6 attack cards, and at most 5 in the very first bout of the game. You also cannot put down more cards than the defender held in hand at the start of the bout.
- Take or bitoIf the defender cannot or does not want to beat a card, they say "take". The attackers can still throw in cards within the limits, and then the defender takes all the cards on the table. When every card is beaten and nobody adds more, the bout ends with bito (done) and the cards leave the game.
- Refill your handWhile the deck lasts, everyone draws back up to 6 cards: first the player who opened the bout, then the other attackers, and the defender last. After bito the defender attacks next. After "take" the defender skips the attack, and the player after them attacks.
- The foolThe game ends when the deck is empty and only one player still holds cards. That player is the fool.
What Transferable Durak adds
Transferable Durak has all the rules above, plus one move. When you are attacked, you have three options: beat the card, take the cards, or transfer the attack. To transfer, you put down a card of the same rank next to the attack, of any suit, even a trump. Then the next player has to beat all the cards on the table, and you join the attackers.
You cannot transfer after you have beaten a card or said "take". You cannot transfer if the next player holds fewer cards than there would be on the table after the transfer. With two players there is no transfer. The full rules and examples are in Transferable Durak explained.
A worked example
Attack cards
Beaten with
Three players sit in turn: Anna, Ben and Cara. Trump is spades. Anna attacks, so Ben defends.
Anna puts down 7h. Ben beats it with 9h, a higher heart.
Anna adds 9d. The rank 9 is on the table because of Ben's 9h, so this throw-in is allowed. Ben has no higher diamond, so he beats it with the trump 6s.
Cara throws in 7c, because the rank 7 is on the table. Ben has no card that beats it, so he says "take".
Nobody can add more. Ben takes the five cards on the table: 7h, 9h, 9d, 6s and 7c. The bout had 3 attack cards, which is inside the limit.
Because Ben took, he skips the attack. Cara, the player after him, attacks next. Everyone draws up to 6 cards, Anna first, then Cara, and Ben last.
This is one possible bout. In a real game the best choice depends on the cards in your hand and on the cards that have already left the game.
Strategy tips for beginners
- Save your high trumps. Beating a low card with a high trump costs you the cards that decide the end of the game.
- Get rid of low cards early. Attack with small cards of different suits, and keep aces and kings for later.
- Count the cards that have gone to the discard pile. After a few bouts you can see which trumps are still out and what your opponent might hold.
- Sometimes taking is better than beating. If beating costs you a strong trump, taking a few low cards can be cheaper. You skip the next attack, so check how heavy your hand becomes.
- Watch the draw pile. The outcome is usually clear after the deck is gone, and the player with trumps and high cards usually goes out first.
- Remember what taking costs. After "take" you miss the attack, and you hold more cards, so some of them will be hard to get rid of.
These tips are rules of thumb. Durak has luck in the deal, and no advice decides every hand.
Common mistakes
- Beating a six or a seven with a high trump when taking the card would be cheaper.
- Forgetting that a throw-in must match a rank already on the table.
- Putting down more attack cards than the defender can answer: the limit is the defender's hand at the start of the bout, with a cap of 6, or 5 in the first bout.
- In Transferable Durak, trying to transfer after you have already beaten a card. It is no longer allowed.
Frequently asked questions
How many cards do you need for Durak?
You need a 36-card deck, from six to ace, and each player starts with 6 cards. With six players the whole deck is dealt and there is no draw pile.
How many players can play Durak?
Two to six players can play Durak. The rules are the same, but with two players there is no transfer in the transferable variant.
Who attacks first in Durak?
The player with the lowest trump attacks first. If nobody holds a trump, the first player at the table starts, and the next player in turn defends.
What does bito mean?
Bito means "done": every attack card is beaten, nobody adds more, and the cards on the table leave the game. Then everyone draws up to 6 cards and the defender attacks next.
What is the difference between Durak and Transferable Durak?
In Transferable Durak the defender can pass the attack to the next player by putting down a card of the same rank. In Durak with throw-ins the defender can only beat or take.