Durak
How to play Durak: your first game, one bout at a time
Durak looks chaotic the first time you watch it. Played slowly, it falls into a simple loop of attack, defence and drawing back up.
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Durak
When to spend a trump in Durak, and when to keep it
New players lose most rounds the same way: by beating a small card with a trump in the first bout and having nothing left at the end.
Durak
Transfer Durak: the variant that sends the attack round the table
In the transfer variant a defender can pass the whole attack on with one card. It sounds small. It changes almost every decision.
Durak
Agree these five things before a game of Durak
Durak is played from memory, so no two households quite agree. Settle these before the first card goes down.
Durak
Keeping track of cards in Durak without a memory trick
With only 36 cards, a player who keeps half an eye on the discards can often name an opponent's last three cards.
Games
The last player loses: Durak, Old Maid and Black Peter
Most games crown a winner. A small family of card games picks a loser instead, and the mood at the table changes.
Games
Hearts, acorns or cups: the playing cards you meet in different countries
Ask for a deck of cards in Bavaria, Seville or Naples and you may be handed something you do not recognise.
Games
Card games for two: Durak, Gin Rummy and Cribbage
Many card games feel thin with two players. These three work best that way.
Student life
How to run a card night in student halls
A deck of cards costs less than a round of drinks and works in any shared kitchen.
Student life
Choosing a university city, not only a university
You will spend more hours in the city than in lectures. It deserves a place on the shortlist.
About Redshtick
Redshtick is an online magazine about card games, table games and student life, with a soft spot for Durak. It is a new, independent publication. More about the magazine.