Durak rules
- 1The dealSix cards each. The next card is turned up — its suit is the trump — and laid under the deck.
- 2The first moveWhoever holds the lowest trump starts. They lay any card against the player on their left, who defends.
- 3DefendingBeat a card with a higher one of the same suit, or with any trump. Can't, or won't — take every card on the table.
- 4Throwing inWhile the defence goes on, the others throw in cards of a rank already on the table — never more than the defender holds.
- Passing onPEREVODNOYIf the defender holds a card of the same rank, they can lay it beside the attack and pass it to the next player, who now has to defend.
- 5The end of the gameAfter each round everyone draws back up to six. Once the deck runs out, whoever has no cards is out. The last one holding cards is the durak.
Durak is a Russian card game for 2 to 6 players. The aim is to get rid of your cards; the last player still holding cards loses and is the durak — the “fool”. Below are the rules in order: the deck, the trump, attacking and defending, throwing in, drawing and the end of the game, and then how Podkidnoy (throw-in) and Perevodnoy (transfer) Durak differ.
The deck and the number of players
Durak is usually played with a 36-card deck, six through ace. A 24-card deck (nine through ace) and the full 52-card deck (two through ace) are played too. Everyone is dealt six cards, so the deck limits how many can play.
| Deck | Cards | Players |
|---|---|---|
| 24 cards | 9, 10, J, Q, K, A | 2–3 |
| 36 cards | 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K, A | 2–5 |
| 52 cards | 2–10, J, Q, K, A | 2–6 |
Cards rank from low to high: two (in the 52-card deck) … ten, jack, queen, king, ace. All suits are equal except the trump suit.
The deal and the trump
The cards are shuffled and six are dealt to each player. The next card is turned face up and placed under the stock: its suit is trump for the whole game, and that card is the last one drawn.
A trump beats any non-trump card, even an ace. A trump can only be beaten by a higher trump.
Who goes first
The player with the lowest trump leads. If nobody holds a trump, the player with the lowest card leads. In a rematch — the same players again straight after a game — the loser of the last game leads.
Play goes clockwise: the player after the attacker defends.
Attacking and defending
The attacker plays any card. The defender must beat it: with a higher card of the same suit, with any trump if the card is not a trump, or with a higher trump if it is.
A defender who cannot or will not beat the attack says “Take” and picks up every card on the table.
Throwing in
While the defence goes on, more cards can be thrown in to the attack — any card of a rank already on the table, from an attack or a defence. Everyone except the defender may throw in; a stricter variant lets only the defender's neighbours do it, and it is chosen when a table is set up.
- One bout holds at most six attacking cards, and never more than the defender has in hand.
- In the first bout of a 36- or 52-card game the limit is five.
- Once the defender has said “Take”, the others may still throw in up to the limit — and the defender picks those up too.
“Beaten” and “Take”
A bout ends when every card on the table is beaten and nobody wants to, or can, throw in more. The cards go to the discard pile — “beaten”, bito — and never come back. The defender who beat the bout leads next.
A defender who took the cards loses their turn: the player after them leads.
Drawing cards
After every bout, everyone with fewer than six cards draws back up to six: the attacker first, then the others clockwise, and the defender last. The face-up trump is the last card drawn.
The end of the game, and the draw
Once the stock runs out there is nothing left to draw, and a player with no cards left is out. The last player still holding cards is the durak.
If the last players run out of cards in the same bout, the game is a draw — when the table plays with “Draw” on. Without it, the last defender loses.
Perevodnoy (transfer) Durak: how to transfer
In Perevodnoy the defender has a third choice besides beating and taking: lay down a card of the same rank and pass the attack on to the next player, who now has to beat every card on the table — and may transfer it again.
- You can transfer only before any card is beaten and before you have said “Take”.
- The transfer card must match the rank of every attacking card on the table.
- The player you transfer to must hold at least as many cards as the table will then have.
- Transferring is allowed in the first bout too.
Transfer by showing is a variant where you don't lay the card down but only show a trump of the same rank: the attack moves on and the trump stays in your hand. It is a separate rule; tables in Ultimate Durak are set up with the ordinary transfer.
Podkidnoy and Perevodnoy: the difference
| Podkidnoy (throw-in) | Perevodnoy (transfer) | |
|---|---|---|
| What the defender can do | Beat or take | Beat, take or transfer |
| Throwing in | Yes, up to six cards | Yes, up to six cards |
| Best with | Any number, from two | Three or more |
| For | First games, two players | Players who want more than Podkidnoy |
Durak online: what the game does for you
In Ultimate Durak the server keeps the rules: an illegal move cannot be made, and it counts the throw-in and transfer limits itself. A turn lasts 10, 15, 30 or 60 seconds, as the table's host chooses. When time runs out, the defender takes and the attacker passes; after three missed turns in a row (two at a table of two) a bot plays the seat out.
Common questions about the rules
Can you throw in more than six cards?
No. One bout holds at most six attacking cards, and no more than the defender holds. In the first bout of a 36- or 52-card game the limit is five.
Can you beat a plain card with a trump if you have a higher card of its suit?
Yes. A trump may beat any non-trump card — the defender chooses.
Who leads after the defender takes the cards?
The player after the one who took: they lose their turn.
Can you transfer after beating one card?
No. A transfer is only possible before the first card is beaten.
Can Durak end in a draw?
Yes, when the last players run out of cards at the same time, in one bout. In Ultimate Durak the draw is switched on when a table is set up.