Durak Card Game

May 08, 2019 Durak is a strategy card game played with 2-5 people in which the aim of the game is for each player to get rid of all the cards in their hand by the time the deck runs out. Durak is played with 36 cards from a standard 52-card deck, with the numerical cards 2-5 removed. The ranking goes high-to-low: Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6. A digital version of the most popular card game in Russian and Ukraine. Play in your browser. Durak Card Game. More information. Status: Released: Platforms: HTML5.

Durak Card Game App
Durock Russian Card Game
Durak Card Game Vs Computer

Durak is a very popular card game amongst the people of the former Soviet Union.

The game requires a nice mix of luck, strategy, and focus.

In English, Durak is translated into a fool, a name that might confuse new players as they will have no clue why is the game named so.

Overview

2-6 players can play the game. In the case of 6 players, all cards will be dealt with in the first round.
A normal game has a deck of 36 cards.
The cards numbered 2, 3, 4, and 5, as well as, the joker cards are not part of the game.
A game will always use a power suit that trumps all other suits.
- A suit is one of the four symbols: diamonds, hearts, clubs, or spades.
Higher numbers are always stronger than lower numbers.
- The order of the cards from weakest to strongest is: 6 < 7 < 8 < 9 < 10 < J < Q < K < A.
- 6 is the weakest possible card, and ace is the strongest possible card.
- Any power suit card is stronger than all non-power suit cards.
  - For example, if the power suit is clubs, then the 6 of clubs is stronger than the ace of diamonds.
The game consists of 3 phases: attack, defense, and support.
To win the game, you must be the first to finish all the cards in your hand.
To lose the game, you must be the only one who is left with cards in your hand.
If the last remaining players finish their cards at the same time, then they finished in a tie, and there were no losers in that game.
The game continues until the pool deck is empty, and all players except for one finished the cards in their hands. In the case of a draw, all players have finished the cards in their hands.

Game Setup

Take a basic deck of cards.
Remove all cards with the numbers 2, 3, 4, and 5, as well as the joker cards from the deck, and put them aside (these cards are not part of the game).
Shuffle the cards that remain in the deck.
Deal 1 card to every player until all players have 6 cards each.
- Dealing happens clockwise, which means the player to the dealer’s left gets a card first, and the dealer gets a card last.
- If you’re playing the game with 6 players, then choose the power symbol before you start dealing cards to players.
Take a card from the bottom of the deck and put it on the field face-up so everyone can see.
- The symbol on the card that you pulled from the deck is the power suit for the rest of the game.
- For example, if you pulled the 9 of diamonds, then diamond cards are the power cards until the game ends.
- A power suit can be any of the 4 symbols: diamonds, hearts, clubs, or spades.
- In the case of 6 players playing the game, then you reshuffle the power symbol card back into the deck because all cards will be dealt to players.
Put the rest of the remaining deck on top of the power symbol card at a 90 degrees angle, so it is still visible by everybody.
- The remaining deck is referred to as the pool, and it is where players draw cards from to refill their hands.
- There is no pool of cards if you’re playing the game with 6 players.

Who Goes First

To decide who starts the game, all players look at their cards and name the lowest power symbol card they have in their hands. The one with the lowest one amongst all players goes first.

Players look at the cards in their hands.
If you think you have the lowest number with the power symbol on it, say it out loud.
- If someone else said a number that is lower than yours, then you do not have to reveal your card.
The player with the lowest power card in hand shows it to everybody and starts the game.
- You should always demand to see the card that players claim to have.
- Lying is a big part of this game, and it is up to you to notice when someone is lying.
- If no one has a power card in hand, then the player with the lowest regular card needs to show the card to everybody and start the game.
  - For example, the player with a regular 6 card will start the game if no other player also has a 6.
  - If multiple players have a 6, then they compete against each other for the next lowest card in their hands. Then the player with the next lowest card shows it to everybody and starts the game.
Remember that the lowest number card is 6, and the strongest is an ace.
In the case of 6 players, one of the players will always have the 6 of the power suit, which means this player goes first. The other players should not reveal their lowest cards in this case.
The player who goes first is the first to be the main attacker, while the player to the left is the first defender, and the rest of the players are support attackers in the first turn.

Playing The Game

What you do during the game will depend on which player’s turn it is. You can either be the main attacker, the defender, or a support attacker.

Main Attacker

On your turn, you are the main attacker, and you attack the player to your left.

You choose a card from your hand to attack the defender with it and put that card down on the field.
You can attack with multiple cards if they share the same number.
- For example, you can attack with three cards that all have the number 6 on them.
- You can not attack with a set of multiple cards of different numbers, such as a set of a 6 and a 7.
If the defender managed to answer your card, then you can continue the attack.
- You can keep attacking the defender by putting down any cards in your hand that share the same number of any card on the field.
  - For example, if you attacked with a 6 and the defender answered with a 9, then you can keep attacking with cards that have the numbers 6 or 9 on them.
If the defender tries to cheat by answering with an invalid card and you notice it, then you can choose to either accept it or reject it.
- If you accept the invalid play, then it becomes valid, and you and the support attackers can keep attacking the defender with cards that have the same number as the invalid card on them.
- If you reject the invalid play, then you must tell the defender to pick the invalid card back up.
If the defender cheated successfully and neither you nor the other players noticed it, then it is your problem, and you were turned into fools.
You can try cheating by attacking with numbers that do not exist on the field yet.
- If the defender notices that you cheated and demands that you pick the invalid card back up, then you must pick the card back up.
- If the defender gets tricked or chooses to answer the invalid card, then both your invalid card and the card the defender answered the invalid card with become valid.
- If invalid cards become valid, you may use the numbers on them to keep attacking.
- If you cheated and the defender didn’t notice it and picked up all the cards from the field because of it, then you just made the defender into a fool.
You and the other players can only attack the defender with as many cards as he/she has in his / her hand.
- For example, if the defender only has 3 cards left, you can only attack him/her with 3 cards.
- If you attacker with more cards then the defender has, then the defender may choose which cards to answer.
When you have no more valid options to attack, you must clearly declare: “I’m done!”.
If all attackers are done, then you should say: “Let it go!”, which means the round is finished, and all the cards from the field go to the trash pile.
You don’t have to attack unless you want to, even if you do have valid cards in hand.

Defender

If you’re the player to the left of the main attacker, then you become the defender during that round.

You need to answer the cards you’re attacked by with stronger cards of the same symbol.
- For example, if you’re attacked with the 8 of diamonds, then you must answer with a diamonds card that is stronger than 8, such as 9 of diamonds and above.
You can also answer the cards you’re attacked with, by using any power symbol cards.
- For example, if you’re attacked with 9 of clubs and the power symbol during that game is hearts, then you can choose to answer the 9 with a 6 of hearts.
If you’re attacked with a power card, you must use a stronger power card to defend against it.
- For example, if you’re attacked by the 8 of clubs and clubs is the power symbol during that game, then you must answer it with stronger clubs cards such as 9 and above.
You answer attack cards by putting your defense cards on top of the attack cards at a 45 degrees angle, so both cards are clearly visible by everybody.
You can try cheating by defending with different symbols or weaker numbers.
- If the attackers notice you’re cheating and demand you take the invalid card back up, then you must take the invalid card back up.
- If the attackers make their next move after you cheated, then your invalid card becomes valid for the rest of the round, and the number on that card can be used to attack you with.
- You can’t go back on an invalid move after the next move was made by the attackers, nor can they demand you to pick that card back up after they made a move that is based on your invalid move.
- If you cheated successfully, and it turned out to be in your favor by sending the cards on the field to the garbage pile, then you just made the attackers into fools.
If attackers try to cheat by attacking you with invalid cards, then you can choose whether to accept it or reject it.
- If you accept the cheating, then you can answer the invalid card, and both the invalid card and the card you answered with become valid, and the numbers on those cards can be used to keep attacking you.
- If you reject the cheating, then you must tell the attackers to pick their invalid cards back up, and they must pick the cards back up.
- If you didn’t notice that the attackers cheated and it made you pick the cards up to your hand, then you were just turned into a fool by the attackers.
If you’re attacked with more cards than you currently have in your hand, you can choose which cards you want to answer.
If you can’t answer all the cards on the field and you still have cards in your hand, then it means the defense has failed.
- If the defense has failed, then you must pick all the cards from the field to your hand.
- When you fail to defend, you also lose your turn, and the player to your left becomes the main attacker instead.
If you do manage to defend against all attack cards, then the defense was successful, and it becomes your turn to be the main attacker, and you attack the player to your left.
- A defense is successful when you answered all the cards on the field, and attackers have no more valid options to attack you with.
- A defense can also be successful when you finish all the cards in your hand, even if there are still open cards on the field.
There is a special case where you can deflect the attack to the next player by putting down a card with the same number of the card you were attacked by.
- For example, if you’re attacked by a 6 of clubs, you can put down a 6 of diamonds next to the 6 of clubs and deflect both cards to the player that sits left to you.
- If you deflect an attack, then you become the new main attacker, and the player to your left becomes the new defender for the rest of the round.
- If you have the same number of the card you were attacked by, but your card is a power card, then you can deflect by just showing it to the next player instead of putting it down.
  - For example, if you’re attacked by a 7 of spades and you have the 7 of hearts in your hand and hearts is the power symbol of that game, then you can show the 7 of hearts to the next player, and he/she has to become the new defender.
  - A power symbol card can be used to deflect cards twice in a round, once by showing it, and the second time by putting it down.
  - You may not deflect by showing the power card more than once per round.
- You can’t deflect an attack after you started defending by answering attack cards, you can only deflect the first set of cards you’re attacked with.
You can always choose to fail the defense in purpose to keep cards for later stages.
- In this case, you pick all the cards from the field to your hand and skip your turn.

Support Attacker

If you’re neither the main attacker nor the defender, then you become a support attacker during that round.

You can attack the defender with any cards that share the same number with the cards on the field, cards that the main attacker used, or cards that the defender used.
If the defender finished the cards in her/his hand and you still have open cards on the field, then you must pick them back up to your hand.
You can do everything that the main attacker can do except that the main attacker leads the attack by putting down the first attack cards.
The same rules that apply to the main attacker apply to you too.
If you play the game with just 2 players, then there are no support attackers in that game.
You don’t have to attack unless you want to, even if you do have valid cards in hand.

Ending A Turn

A turn can end in one of three ways:

The defender got no cards left.
- In this case, the defense was successful, and the defender becomes the main attacker in the next round.
There are no more valid cards that the attackers can use or want to use.
- In this case, the defense was also successful, and the defender becomes the main attacker in the next round.
The defender picked up all of the cards from the field.
- In this case, the defender has failed to defend and therefore loses his/her turn, which means the next player in line becomes the main attacker.
  - In the case of 3 or more players, the main attacker would be the player to the left of the failed defender, and the defender instead becomes a support attacker.
  - In the case of just 2 players, then the defender has to defend again against the other player.

When a turn is finished, all players must refill their hands until each player has 6 cards.

The main attacker takes a card from the top of the pile first.
The support attackers take 1 card each from the top of the pile in turns that go counter-clockwise.
The defender takes a card from the top of the pile last.
This process repeats itself until all players have at least 6 cards in their hand.
If you have 6 or more cards in your hand, you do not pick cards from the pile.
If the pile is empty, you do not need to draw a card and instead continue playing with how many cards you still have in your hand.
If you have no cards in your hand and the pile is empty, then you are done playing.
- If you were the first to be left with no cards, you just won the game.
- If you were the 2nd player to be left with no cards, then you finished in 2nd place and so on.
The last card in the extras pile will always be the face-up power card that was revealed since the beginning of the game.
- Every player wants to get lucky and get the last power card.
The number of players playing the game affects the number of cards available in the extras pile.
- Having more players mean having fewer cards in the extras pile.
If you’re playing with 6 players, there is no pile to draw cards from.

The Field

The field is the area in between the players where all the action happens.

Players sit in a circle around the field.
Attack cards are placed face-up inside the field and are separated from one another.
Defense cards are put face-up on top of the attack cards in an angle, so both cards are clearly visible by everybody.
When a round is finished, all cards from the field are collected.
- The defender collects the cards from the field into his/her hand if he/she has failed the defense.
- If the defense was successful, the cards from the field are collected and put face-down in the garbage pile, these cards are no longer part of the game.
Players are not allowed to check the garbage pile to see which cards are out of the game.

Game End

Durak Card Game App

The game continues until the extras pile is empty, and all players except for one finished the cards in their hands.

The extras card pile is empty.
All players except for one finished the cards in their hands.
- In this case, the one player that still got cards in his/her hand is the loser of the game.
All players finished the cards in their hands.
- In this case, the last 2 players to finish the cards in their hands have finished in a tie.

Spots are determined in the order you finished the cards in your hand. First to finish is in the first place, second to finish is in second place and so on.

Winning The Game

To win the game, you must be the first to finish all the cards in your hand after the pile of extra cards gets empty.

If you finish your cards first as a defender, then you win the game.
If you finish your cards first as an attacker and the defender still has cards in his/her hand, then you win the game.
If you finish your cards first as an attacker, but the defender also finishes his/her cards by answering your cards, then you and the defender finish in a tie.
- In this case, there is no winner in that game.

Losing The Game

To lose the game, you must be the only player left with cards in your hand.

If you are an attacker and you were the only player that still has cards in his/her hands, then you just lost the game.
If you’re the defender and you are the last player with cards in hand, and you can not answer the last card you were attacked by, then you just lost the game.
If you’re a defender and all other players finished the cards in their hands, but you also managed to get rid of all of your cards by answering attack cards, then you finish in a tie with the last player to finish before you.

Strategies

There are a few well known used strategies out there that you can use to play. However, it is recommended for you to find your own play-style.

Basic Strategy

One of the most basic and simple strategies that are often used by new players is: to always get rid of the weakest cards at any cost.

When you’re attacking, always use the weakest cards first.
Keep attacking with any valid cards that are weaker than a J.
When you’re defending, always answer attack cards, even if you have to waste really strong cards, such as power cards.
This strategy is focused on getting rid of cards rather than making moves.

This strategy is very simple and straight forward and is kind of dependent on luck, which is why it is the most suitable for beginners.

Collections Strategy

In this strategy, you will focus on getting rid of single cards and collecting similar number cards to your hand.

If you’re attacked with a number that you already have in your hand, then you pick it up instead of defending against it.
You do not answer attack cards with cards that you have multiples off in your hand.
- For example, if you have three 7s and an 8 and you’re attacked with a 6 that you can either answer with a 7 or with the 8, then you use the 8 to answer the 6 and keep the set for your attack moves.
When you’re attacking, you attack the defender with sets of cards instead of a single card.
- By attacking with sets of suits, you force the defender to waste different suits or stronger cards, and by doing so, you make the defender weaker.
- When you attack with sets, you also have a higher chance to burn the defender’s power cards or make him/her fail the defense and pick up the set of cards.
This strategy is focused on making the defender’s life much harder.

This strategy is only used by players that are comfortable with the game as it involves some risk in the hopes that the risk will pay off to make other players’ life harder.

Advanced Strategy

In this strategy, you will focus on keeping the strong cards in your hand for most of the game, even if it means having to pick up super weak cards.

If you’re attacked with a card that you can only answer with a card stronger than a 10, then you pick it up instead of defending against it.
You do not answer cards with power symbol cards.
You only attack with weak cards and keep the strong cards to the end of the game.
If you have to attack and you only have strong cards, then you attack with only 1 of them, even if you have a set of cards of the same number.
You only start using your strong cards near the end of the game.
This strategy is focused on the end game and ignores the beginning.

This strategy is often used by more advanced players of the game and is the most popular amongst them.

Keeping Score

The game can be played without keeping score, but more often than not, players will use some kind of scoring system to make it more interesting.

There are multiple ways to keep score in this game.

Basic Scoring System

The winner of a single game gets 1 point.
Loser and other spots get nothing.
In the case of a winning tie, then players get no points.
The first one to gain 3 points wins the whole game.

Basic+ Scoring System

The winner of a single game gets 1 point.
Loser of the game loses 1 point.
Players that neither won nor lost get nothing and lose nothing.
In the case of a winning tie, players get no points.
In the case of a losing tie, players lose no points.
First, one to reach 3 points wins the whole game.

Medium Scoring System

This system depends on how many players are in the game.

You get points based on which spot you finished in. The highest possible points per game would be the number of players – 1.

To win the game, you must reach the number of maximum points per game multiplied by 3.

For example, in the case of 6 players:

Winner gets 5 points.
2nd place gets 4 points.
3rd place gets 3 points.
4th place gets 2 points.
5th place gets 1 point.
Loser gets nothing.
In the case of a draw, you get points based on the next spot on the list.
- For example, if 2 players won at the same time, then they both get 4 points each, and no one gets 5 points.
The first to reach 15 points wins the game.

In the case of only 2 players:

Winner gets 1 point.
Loser gets nothing.
In the case of a draw, no points are added to anyone.
The first player to reach 3 points wins the game.

Advanced Scoring System

This is the most advanced scoring system of the game and is rarely ever used nowadays.

This system is based on keeping track of losers rather than winners.

When a single game ends, the loser counts the values of the remaining cards in his/her hand.
- Number cards are equal to the amount that is written on the card.
- J is equal to 11, Q to 12, K to 13, and A to 14.
- Power cards are equal to double values when calculating scores.
  - For example, a power card of 6 is worth 12 points, and a power card ace is worth 28 points.
You write the added amount of all of the remaining cards next to the loser’s name in the scoreboard.
- For example, if the loser is left with 6, K, 10 and 7, then the value is 6 + 13 + 10 + 7 = 30 points.
Points in this system are used as negatives.
If you reach 100 points, then you lose the game and don’t play in the next games.
The game continues until all players except one reach a score of 100.
The winner is the remaining player that did not reach a 100.
In case that all of the players passed 100, then the one with the lowest score is the winner.
In case that the winning players have the same score, then a tie-breaker should be played.
- The winner of the tie-breaker wins the entire game.

Alternative Rules

There are multiple different variations of the game rules that you can use to play this game.

You can also come up with your own rules to add to current rules or change the current rules.

Durock Russian Card Game

Some ideas for alternative rules:

Power Cards

Use 2 power suits instead of just 1.
Play without power suits.
Play with a consistent power suit for all games instead of picking a new one every game.
Make the power card 6 be able to beat the power card ace so it will no longer be unbeatable.
- The power card 6 can still be beaten by any higher power card including the ace.
Choose an invincible suit that can’t be beaten by power cards.
- For example, make spades immune to power cards, which means you can only beat spades with spades.
Shuffle the power symbol card back into the deck instead of putting it on the bottom of the extras pile.
Add a rule that when you draw the 6 power card from the extras pile, you can exchange it for the face-up power card that sits below the pile.
- You can only exchange if the 6 was drawn from the pile.
- You can not exchange if the 6 was dealt at the beginning.
Put a face-down trump card below the face-up trump card that sits underneath the extras pile.
- When the new trump card is picked, the symbol on it becomes the new power symbol for the rest of the game.
- For example, if you played a game where the clubs symbol was the power symbol, and then a player picks the hidden trump card and reveals it to be diamonds, then diamonds become the new power symbol for the rest of the game.

Regular Cards

Play with a full deck of cards where 2 would be the weakest card and ace would be the strongest card.
Play with jokers in the deck where a joker can beat any card of the same color.
- Play with all-mighty jokers that can beat any card, even power cards.
Change the ace to be the weakest card and make the K the strongest card.
Play with multiple decks that will allow more than 6 players to play.
Deal all cards at the beginning, even if you have less than 6 players.
You can change 2 cards from your hand to 2 cards from the top of the deck. You must do it before your turn starts and can only do it 3 times in a game.
When you play a 6, you can choose which suit it is going to have, regardless of what it actually has.

Gameplay

Play without the option to cheat.
Make players fully refill their hands before the next player starts his/her refill.
Make attackers rotate in turns where the support attackers can only attack once the main attacker is done.
Limit possible attacks per round to 6 cards.
Play without the option to deflect attacks.
Play with the rule that when you finish the cards in your hand, you’re done even if there are still cards in the extras pile.
Play with the very old rule that if the last defender has lost to a 6, then the defender becomes a fool, and if the defender lost to a pair of 6s, then he/she just became a very big fool.
Make the loser to be the dealer of the next hand.
If you are playing with 5 or 6 players, then add a rule that the defender can only be attacked by the players that sit to his/her left and right.

Team Play

Durak Card Game Vs Computer

You can also decide to play in teams of 2v2 or 3v3 instead of free for all.

Team members should not sit next to each other.
Team members can not attack nor help their allies.
The goal is to be the first team to have all players on the team to finish their cards.
You can vary it so team members will be able to help defend when necessary.