How to play Durak

A simple guide for beginners — from the deal to victory

«Durak» is the most popular card game in Ukraine and across Eastern Europe. The goal is simple: be the first to get rid of all your cards. Whoever is left holding cards loses and becomes the «fool». Below are the full rules of basic and transfer Durak.

The deck and the trump

You play with a 36-card deck (from 6 to ace), less often 24 or 52. After the deal, the bottom card of the deck is turned face up — its suit becomes the trump for the whole game. A trump card beats any card of another suit.

Card ranking: 6 → 7 → 8 → 9 → 10 → J → Q → K → A (ace is highest).

The deal

Each player is dealt 6 cards. From 2 to 6 people can play. The player with the lowest trump goes first (or as defined by the table rules).

A turn: attack and defence

The player to the left of the dealer becomes the attacker, and the next one clockwise — the defender.

Attack. The attacker places a card on the table.
Defence. The defender must «beat» it: place on top a higher card of the same suit or any trump (and a trump can only be beaten by a higher trump).

Throwing in

While the defender is fighting back, the other players (and the attacker) may throw in cards — but only those whose rank is already on the table. The maximum is 6 cards per turn (or as many as the defender holds).

If the defender beats all the cards — they go to the discard pile, and the defender becomes the attacker of the next round.

If you can't beat it

A defender who cannot or does not want to defend takes all the cards from the table into their hand and skips the turn — the next player attacks.

Drawing cards

After each round players draw cards from the deck up to 6 in hand (the attacker draws first). When the deck runs out — you play with what's in hand. The bottom trump card is taken by whoever draws the last card of the deck.

Transfer Durak

In the transfer variant the defender can choose not to beat the card but to «transfer» the attack to the next player — by placing a card of the same rank as the attacking one. Then the next player has to defend. This adds tactics and surprises to the game.

Transfer Durak — rules, worked examples and tactics →

End of the game

A player who has got rid of all their cards (and the deck is already empty) leaves the game as a winner. The game continues until one player is left with cards — that player is the «fool».

«Allow cheating» mode

Durak Live has a unique mode where you can cheat — discard an extra card or defend against the rules. But be careful: opponents can catch you cheating. Play like in the backyard 😏

In-depth guides

Throw-in Durak — the rules of the basic game Who may throw cards in, when, and how big the pile is allowed to get Transfer Durak — rules, worked examples and tactics How to pass the attack to your neighbour — and when you really shouldn't Durak with a 24, 36 or 52-card deck Trump count, throw-in weight, and the exact moment the deck runs dry Durak with 2, 3, 4 or 6 players Why heads-up is a different game — and why at six only one player loses How to Win at Durak: Strategy and Tactics Trump economy, card counting and endgame play — the decisions that actually change results Durak glossary: every term at the table Attacker, trump, throw in, transfer, discard pile — in plain words, A to Z How to play Durak online with friends One private table, a four-digit password, one link for everybody Cheat Mode in Durak: how to cheat, and how to catch a cheater One illegal card on the table — and the round belongs to whoever spots it first

Try it right now

The best way to learn the rules is to play a game. Free, no sign-up.

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