How to play Durak online
Durak is one of the most widely played card games in Russia and across much of the former Soviet Union. The name means "fool". Unlike most card games, there is no winner. Players try to get rid of their cards, and the last person holding cards is the durak.
The deck and the deal
Durak uses a 36-card deck: the six through to the ace in each suit. Each player gets six cards. The next card from the stock is turned face up and placed under the stock, sideways so it stays visible. Its suit is trumps for the round, and it will be the last card drawn.
The player with the lowest trump attacks first. The defender is always the player to the attacker's left.
Attacking
The attacker plays any card face up in front of the defender. After that, the attacker and the other players (except the defender) may throw in more cards, but only cards whose rank is already on the table. If a seven and a nine are on the table, any seven or nine can be added, from any suit.
There are limits. A bout can have at most six attack cards, never more than the defender held at the start of the bout, and only five in the very first bout of the game.
Defending
The defender covers each attack card with a higher card of the same suit, or with any trump. A trump can only be beaten by a higher trump.
If the defender cannot or does not want to cover the cards, they pick up everything on the table. Other players may still throw in matching cards before the pickup. The defender then misses their turn to attack, and the next player clockwise attacks.
If the defender beats every card and nobody throws in more, the bout ends. The cards on the table are discarded, and the defender becomes the next attacker.
Drawing
After each bout, players draw back up to six cards from the stock, starting with the attacker and ending with the defender. Once the stock runs out, players continue without drawing.
The end
Players who run out of cards after the stock is gone are out of the game. The last player left with cards is the durak. In many groups the durak deals the next game.
Variants
| Variant | Difference |
|---|---|
| Podkidnoy (throw-in) | Other players can throw in cards, as described above. The most common way to play. |
| Perevodnoy (transfer) | Before covering anything, the defender can play a card of the same rank as the attack and pass the whole attack to the next player. |
| Simple Durak | Only the first attacker can add cards. |
Playing online
Durak is easy to play online because the software enforces the throw-in limits and checks that each defence is legal, which are the parts beginners get wrong at a real table.
Durak Card Game runs in a web browser on phones, tablets and computers, with no download or account needed. You can play against up to five computer opponents or create a room and share a link with friends, and empty seats can be filled with AI players. Its full rules page is a useful reference with worked examples if you want to check a situation mid-game.
On phones, RSTGames' Durak Online app on Android and iOS has public online tables as well as private games.
Tips for new players
- Keep low trumps rather than spending them early. They decide the end of the game.
- When attacking, lead with cards you hold pairs of, so you can throw in more of the same rank.
- Watch which ranks have been discarded. Later in the game you can work out what opponents may hold.
- Picking up is not always bad. Early in the game a pickup can give you useful pairs.
Related: best card game apps.
By the Mobiledista editorial team. Updated October 2026.