Durak Card Game
Play Durak, the classic Russian card game, online for free. 36 cards, one trump suit, turn-based attack and defense — beat every attack card or take them all. Empty your hand first and avoid becoming the Durak!
Frequently Asked Questions
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What is Durak?
Durak (Russian for "fool") is the most popular card game in Russia and the post-Soviet countries. It is a shedding game for two or more players: one player attacks, the other defends, cards are captured or discarded in bouts, and the last player holding cards loses the title of Durak. This version is the classic two-player Podkidnoy Durak.
What does the trump card do?
Before the game starts, the bottom card of the 36-card deck is flipped face-up, and its suit becomes the trump for the whole game. A trump card beats any non-trump card of any rank, and trumps beat each other by rank (6 lowest, Ace highest). That flipped card stays visible and is the last card drawn from the pile.
How do I defend against an attack?
Play a higher card of the same suit as the attacking card, or any trump card. If the attack is already a trump, you need a higher trump. You must answer every attack card: once you beat everything on the table, the round is cleared to the discard pile and you become the attacker.
What happens when I take cards instead of defending?
Taking (conceding the bout) puts every card on the table into your hand — attack cards and already-beaten pairs alike. The attacker keeps the attack for the next round. It feels bad, but it is a legitimate move: sometimes taking two small cards is far cheaper than spending your best trump.
How many cards can be played in one round?
A bout allows at most 6 attack cards. The attacker can only add cards whose rank matches something already on the table, and only while the defender still holds at least one card to answer with. After each added card the defender gets a chance to beat it before the next one.
When does the game end, and who wins?
Hands are refilled to 6 cards after each bout (attacker first) until the draw pile is empty. From that point the first player to shed all their cards wins instantly, and the other player is the Durak. If both players empty their hands in the same bout, the game is a draw.
Is this Durak game free?
Yes, this Durak game is completely free to play in your browser — no download, no account and no real-money gambling. You play the classic two-player game against an AI opponent, and it works on both desktop and mobile.
Game overview
- Two players: you against one AI opponent.
- A 36-card deck (6 through Ace in four suits); each player is dealt 6 cards.
- Be the first to shed every card once the draw pile is empty. The player left holding cards is the Durak — the fool — and loses.
- The bottom card of the draw pile is flipped face-up to fix the trump suit for the whole game; that card is drawn last.
Card ranking and the trump suit
Within a suit, 6 is lowest and Ace is highest. A trump card beats every non-trump card regardless of rank; trumps compare by rank among themselves. Non-trump cards can never beat a trump.
6 < 7 < 8 < 9 < 10 < J < Q < K < A (trump suit beats all)
Attack and defense
- The attacker opens with any one card from their hand.
- The defender answers with a higher card of the same suit, or any trump (a higher trump if the attack is already a trump).
- After each successful defense the attacker may add another card whose rank matches any card already on the table, and the defender must beat it too.
- The attacker can stop at any time once everything is beaten. If every attack card is beaten, the table goes to the discard pile and the roles swap. A bout has at most 6 attack cards.
Taking cards (the "take")
If the defender cannot or does not want to beat an attack card, they concede the bout: every card on the table — attacks and successful defenses alike — goes into the defender's hand.
Who attacks after a take?
The attacker keeps the attacking role. Conceding is a real tactic: sometimes it is cheaper to take two low cards now than to burn your best trump.
Refilling hands
After each bout, players refill to 6 cards from the draw pile — the attacker first, then the defender.
End of the game
Once the draw pile is empty, the first player to empty their hand wins immediately. The other player is left holding cards and is the Durak — the loser.
A player who runs out of cards mid-bout (by attacking or defending with their last card) wins as soon as the bout is settled, provided the pile is empty. If both hands empty in the same bout, the game is a draw.
Strategy tips
Spend trumps wisely
Trumps are your only universal answers. Beat with plain suits when you can, and save low trumps — a 6 of trumps can still take down an Ace.
Taking is not losing
When the draw pile is nearly gone, taking a cheap attack refills your hand and keeps your high trumps for the endgame, where every card counts.
Attack in ranks
Lead with your lowest non-trump cards and pile on more cards of ranks already on the table — every extra attack card is another card your opponent cannot shed.
Watch the pile
When the draw pile runs low, count cards: whoever is forced to take when the pile is empty digs themselves a deep hole. Push attacks when your opponent's hand is small.
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