Durak

About Durak

Durak is the great Russian card game, played two-handed against the Cellarer with the thirty-six card deck: attack, and either beat every card or take the whole table. The stock runs dry, the hands play down, and the one left holding is the durak, the fool. There is no winner’s title, only the loser’s. Play solo, or take a seat at a live, rated table. Free in your browser, no ads, no sign-up.

How to play

Six cards each, sixes up; the next card turns as trump and sleeps under the stock, drawn last. The lowest trump attacks first. Beat an attack with a higher card of its suit or any trump; a trump falls only to a higher trump. The attacker may throw in cards of any rank already on the table, up to six a bout and never more than you can cover. Beat everything and the bout goes face down and the attack passes to you; take, and you carry it all, and the attack stays where it was. Hands refill to six while the stock lasts, attacker first. First hand emptied is safe; both at once is a rare drawn game.

Controls

• Tap a cardAttack, or choose your answer
• Tap the glowing attackBeat it with your chosen card

Tips

Spend your low plain cards on the attack and hoard trump while the stock lasts. Taking early junk is cheaper than burning a high trump. Everything he takes is public: read the ledger and press the ranks he cannot answer.