Durak

Durak

A game of regular durak in progress 1 – deck, 2 – first attacker, 3 – defender, 4 – next defender.
Origin	Russian Empire
Alternative names	fool, Russian War, Kur
Type	Shedding-type games
Players	2–6
Skills	Probability, strategy, memory[citation needed]
Age range	10 and above (assuming appropriate maturity)
Cards	36–52
Deck	French
Rank (high→low)	A K Q J 10 9 8 7 6
Play	Clockwise
Playing time	5–15 min
Related games
Cheat • Kaschlan

Durak (Russian: дурак, IPA: [dʊˈrak] ^ⓘ; lit. 'fool') is a card game that is popular in many post-Soviet states. It is Russia's most popular card game, having displaced Preferans.^[1] It has since become known in other parts of the world.^[2] The objective of the game is to shed all one's cards when there are no more cards left in the deck. At the end of the game, the last player with cards in their hand is the durak or 'fool'.

The game is attributed to have appeared in late 18th century Russian Empire and was popularized by Imperial Army conscripts during the 1812 Russo-French war. Initially a social pastime of uneducated peasants and industrial workers, after the October Revolution Durak has spread to numerous social levels by mid-20th century to soon become the most popular Soviet card game.