Durak

How to play

Durak is played with a 36-card deck — only the 6 through the Ace of each suit. Everyone is dealt 6 cards and the bottom card of the stock is turned sideways: its suit is TRUMP for the whole game, and that card is drawn last.

The holder of the lowest trump attacks first. The attacker plays any card; the defender must BEAT it — a higher card of the same suit, or any trump on a non-trump (a trump only falls to a higher trump).

While the defense holds, the attacker may THROW IN more cards whose ranks already appear on the table (attacks or defenses), up to 6 per bout and never more than the defender can still cover — in this version only the current attacker throws in, neighbours don't pile on.

Beat everything and the bout is discarded face-down and the defender attacks next; take instead and the defender picks the whole bout up and the attack passes them by.

After each bout everyone draws back to 6 (attacker first, defender last) while the stock lasts.

Once it's gone, players who shed all their cards drop out safe — the LAST one holding cards is the durak (the fool) and loses; if the final bout empties every hand at once, the game is a draw.

Ways to play

• 🤖
  Against the computerPlay on one device against a computer opponent.
• 👪
  Play together, nearbyWith family and friends in the same room: up to 5 players, each on their own phone or tablet. No Wi-Fi or internet needed. In the Jambolaya app.
• 🎓
  Learn by playingA guided lesson on the real game teaches you the rules one step at a time.