Durak (Fool) limits the number of players to 6. The deck of 36 cards is shuffled, and each player receives 6 cards. The top card on the remaining deck is made visible and placed at the bottom of the deck across it (so that its denomination is seen). This determines the trump suit and the revealed card is actually part of the deck, the last card to be drawn.
The player to the attacker's left is always the defender. After each turn play proceeds clockwise. If the attack succeeds the defender loses his or her turn and the attack passes to the player on the defender's left. If the attack fails, the defender becomes the next attacker. Aces are high. Trumps are higher than non-trump cards (e.g., a trump 6 always beats a nontrump ace). Non-trump attacking cards may be beaten by either a) a higher card of the same suit or b) a trump. Trump attacking cards may only be beaten by higher trumps.