Durak is a three-player mind game. It is almost a blend of War and Poker. The concept is simple: there are no winners, there is only one loser, the Durak. Durak is very different from classic card games, but once actually played, it becomes simple and extremely addictive very quickly. The main objective of this game is to run out of cards before everyone else.

The last person with cards is then the Durak and the other players are allowed to jeer and point fingers.

A: STARTING UP

The first step to playing Durak is to gather three, or preferably more people. The next step is to take all cards below the value of 6 out of the deck. Or, in other words, 5's, 4's, 3's, and 2's. Aces are high. Shuffle the deck.

Next, deal six cards to each player. If needed, use two or more decks. After dealing, the dealer turns over the top card off of the base deck, face up. The suit on this overturned card is "Trump Suit." So, if the card is a diamond, diamonds are trump. Trump Suits will instantly beat any suit, except itself.

After Trump Suit has been determined, the player with the lowest value trump plays it on top of the overturned card from the dealer. Move these cards into a seperate, discard pile. The player who played the lowest trump suit then is the Defender.

B: BASIC COMBAT

Combat is simple. There is one defender, and the rest of the players are attackers. Attackers can play any card they wish in front of the defender, at any time, in no particular order. The defender must neutralize these played cards with a higher value or a Trump Suit. So, if an attacker plays a 7 of Clubs, and trump suit is diamonds, then the defender must play a diamond or any club above an eight. If the defender cannot neutralize any cards played in front of him/her, the defender must take these cards. The defender can also take cards played in front of him. However, the total cards played by the attackers can only total 6.

After this "bout," the player to the left of the former defender then becomes the new defender, and the combat cycle resumes until everybody gets rid of their cards... except the Durak. Durak means "fool" in Russian, so feel free to point and laugh.

*

Keep in mind, this is a basic, home-grown version of Durak, and there are many variations. There are at least seven known by my sister. Most of them present Durak as a drinking game. If you play one of these variations, just be responsible.

C: Strategy

Strategy must be figured out through experience. :)

D: Conclusion

Durak is by far one of the most popular card games in Russia. However, I think that it will catch on anywhere if introduced. Remember though, house rules take precedence and this is simply the way that I learned from my sister when she visited Russia. Have fun! Remember... have a designated driver and be responsible.

Learn more about this author, David Hon.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

---

Add your voice

Know something about Durak: A classic Russian card game?
We want to hear your view. Write now!