Durak Rules & Strategies

A cozy, step-by-step guide to Durak — the base rules, throw-in (podkidnoy) and transfer (perevodnoy). Brew a coffee and read on, then play free against a smart bot.

The fundamentals

1. Play with 36 cards (6 to Ace) or a full 52-card deck. One card is turned up at the start — its suit is the trump (kozir).
2. To beat a card, play a higher card of the same suit, or any trump. A trump beats any non-trump, whatever the rank.
3. Empty your hand before your opponent. The last player still holding cards is the durak — the fool.

Throw-in Durak

1. The attacker plays a card; the defender must beat it or take it. Cards of a rank already on the table can be thrown in.
2. No more than 6 cards may be added in a single turn — and the very first discard of the game is capped at 5.
3. Once every card is beaten, the attacker calls bita (discard) and the turn passes to the defender.

Transferring Durak

1. Instead of defending, play a card of the same rank to transfer the attack to your opponent.
2. You can only transfer before you've beaten any card, and only if the receiver has enough cards to take the whole table.
3. Holding the trump of the matching rank, you may reveal it to transfer without playing it — once per rank each round.

Frequently asked questions

Meet our regulars

• Uncle Joe — A sweet, slightly clumsy relative playing cards on Thanksgiving. He laughs out loud when beaten and often plays the wrong card by accident.
• Grumpy Gary — The old-school neighbor who sighs loudly at every move you make. Plays rationally but gets easily annoyed by chaotic strategies.
• Aunt Beatrice — A highly intellectual, tea-drinking aunt. She plays with calculated precision and remembers every card that has left the deck.