Thread: Russian card games

Ages ago I remember playing cards with Russians on the train back from Sochi. I remember that the Russian card deck has fewer cards than the English version, but I don't remember any of the games or the rules.

What are some simple Russian card games and what are the rules to them?

Дурак (карточная игра) — Википедия
Кинг (игра) — Википедия
Верю не верю — Википедия
Бура (игра) — Википедия
Очко (игра) — Википедия

Преферанс is the king of card games. My favourite one.

In USSR Sochi and trains to/from Sochi were the most traditional places to play Преферанс. Now this game is not so popular though. I think the closest more or less popular analog in USA is bridge. The rules of Преферанс are more complicated though.

Originally Posted by it-ogo

In USSR Sochi and trains to/from Sochi were the most traditional places to play Преферанс. Now this game is not so popular though. I think the closest more or less popular analog in USA is bridge. The rules of Преферанс are more complicated though.

More complicated than Bridge? Not for me then But it's interesting that you have different card games from the rest of Europe.

We had a super pretty deck of card from Russia at home when I was a kid - I think it was a souvenir or a gift to my dad.
The cards were black and the figures very ornate and elegant. Never seen such a smart deck of card again.

Nothing can be harder than Penuche....

I'm more of a "solitary" card player myself

I played many times in 501 and in 1000 (Thousand)


The variant of 1000 (Тысяча) which I played is described here:
http://card-games.com.ua/thousand.html

I only played the version of 1000 for 2 players (so without a widow but with a pack and with marriage changing the trump suit) and 501 for 3 or 4 players

501 is quite similar to 1000, the differences are described here:
http://igry.dljatebja.ru/Kartochnye_...7sot_odno.html
http://card-games.com.ua/five-hundred-and-one.html

To me 501 is as interesting as Преферанс, but with much easier rules. Although I played Преферанс several times I forgot the most of the rules by now.

I also played of course in Durak (which everybody knows how to play as opposed to 501 or Преферанс) and in Веришь-не веришь.

I play Преферанс on the daily and it is quite fun. I don't play for money like most Russians though) It's a great game, and the rules are a bit complex, but once you get used to it, there is not nearly the skill involved as in Bridge. The rules of Bridge are not particularly difficult to understand, but strategy-wise it is on the level of chess. I recommend playing both!

My favorite is
Одесский покер — Википедия

However, the name "Одесский" surpised me a lot.
"Покер на взятки" is ordinary name.

Wow! thanks everyone! There are so many different games!

The only Russian card game I've played is Дурак. I quite liked it, though it's hard to find people willing to learn to play. (If you click wanja's link above, and then click the English link on the left hand side of the page, you can get the rules in English).