Games Of Russia

дурак - 2 players

This game might appear familiar.

Using a standard deck of cards, minus 2, 3, 4 and 5 with no jokers each player is dealt 6 cards.

One card is visible, face up at the bottom of the draw deck. This is card indicates trump suit.

The first player (usually the winner of the prior game) ‘attacks’ the other player by selecting a card from their hand and putting it face up on the table. This card is usually as low as possible, although it pays to discard cards of the same rank.

The other player, the ‘defender’ has to put down a higher card in the same suit. Or, any card in the trump suit.

Once the defender puts the card down, the attacker can put down any card, of any suit, that matches the rank of the cards on the table. If the attacker cannot put down a card. The face up cards are discarded and both players draw back to ten.

If the defender cannot put down a card, they have to pick up the cards on the table and put them in their hand. Both players draw up to six cards. The attacking player continues to attack.

The idea is to be the player to discard all their cards after the deck has been exhausted.

This is the Vietnamese game I played but with fewer cards and some additional rules. The Russian version of the game allows you, if you have two or more of the same card, to attack with any or all at the same time and the defender has to defend against all attacks.

Дурак means fool or imbecile. Some Russian’s thought this was a naughty word. Others, thought it was harmless.

when: Wednesday, April 23, 2014