DURAK!
The Set Up:
Decks: 1 → remove jokers and cards 2-5
ONLY cards 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K, A are used
Players:2-5
6 cards are dealt to each player. The remaining cards are placed in a pile in the middle of the table. The bottom card of the stack is flipped and determines the trump suit.
The Play:
The person with the lowest trump suit starts the play. This means that 6 of trump starts, unless no one has this it moves to 7, then 8, then 9…
The person the starts is the first attacker. The first attacker always attacks the person to their left. An attack is launched by playing any card in their hand face up on the table. The moment an attack is played, anyone at the table can join in the attack by adding cards of the same number face up.
Once an attack is launched, the defener then can either pass the attack or defend. To pass an attack, the defender must have a card of the same number as the attack. They add this to the attack and it passes to the left. If the defender does not have the same number in their hand or does not wish to pass, they must begin defending each card played in the attack.
To successfly defend a card. A higher card of the same suit must be played. The trump suit may also be played on any suit and beats any other suit. To defend a trump card, you must play a higher trump card.
As new numbers are played, the other players in the game can now begin attacking with the newly played numbers.
Only up to 6 cards (or however many cards were originally in the defenders hands) can be used in an attack.
For example: The trump suit is hearts. The first attacker decides to attack with a 7 of diamonds. Another player at the table adds a 7 of spades. The defender must now defend both cards. The defender plays an 8 of spades and a 9 of diamonds to defend. The table can now attack the defender with an 7’s, 8’s or 9’s in their hand. If a 9 is played on the defender, and they defend with a 10, now players can play a 10. This continues until either the defender gives up and states they can no longer defend (they pick up all the cards) or until up to 6 cards have been attacked and the defender successfully defends each card.
At this point, the person who attacked starts by replenishing their cards from the deck up to 6 cards and goes around the table. The defender is the last one to replenish their cards. If the defense was successful, the defender now launches the next attack to the person on their left. If the defense was unsuccessful, the person to the left begins the next attack.
This continues on until one person is left with cards and they are the DURAK
The Scoring:
Scoring of this game is simple. You write everyones name on the score sheet, and a tally is placed under the name of the Durak for each round. Whoever has lost the most is the biggest DURAK!