In classic Durak the trump suit is fixed from the first move to the last. Anyone who collects a few high trumps early and keeps them until the end goes into the endgame with a clear advantage. The Double Trump Durak mode in Durak Advanced challenges exactly that certainty: the trump suit changes once during the game, and you only find out which suit it becomes at the last moment. This article explains how the rule works and why it makes the game more exciting.
For an overview of all custom modes in Durak Advanced, including Cheating Durak, see our article on Double Trump, Cheating and combinations.
How Double Trump works
The game is played as usual with 36 cards from six to ace, and every player receives six cards. The difference lies at the bottom of the stock. Two trump indicators are placed there:
- The face-up card sets the first trump suit, just as in standard Durak.
- Underneath lies a second card, face down. It is guaranteed to be of a different suit from the first. Its suit later becomes the new trump.
Both cards belong to the normal deck, so no extra cards enter the game. They are drawn like any other card: the face-up first trump card as the second-to-last card of the stock, the hidden second one as the very last.
The first attack is made by whoever holds the lowest trump of the first suit. As long as cards remain in the stock, the first trump suit applies.
The moment of the switch
The switch happens as soon as the stock runs out while players draw after a round. From the next round on, the suit of the second indicator card is trump, until the end of the game. Only at that moment is the second suit revealed.
The exact timing matters: drawing always happens between two rounds. A defence that has just been completed therefore stays valid. Nobody loses in the middle of a round because the trump suit suddenly changes.
After the switch, the cards of the first trump suit are entirely ordinary cards. An ace of the old trump suit then only beats cards of its own suit. Cards of the new trump suit, on the other hand, beat everything else.
Why the rule makes the game more interesting
Hoarding becomes risky
In standard Durak one of the most important rules of thumb is: save your high trumps for the endgame. In Double Trump that can backfire. Anyone who clings to three trumps of the first suit until the end may be left with three ordinary cards after the switch.
This creates a real trade-off. Do you play an old trump now, while it still counts? Or do you keep it in case the game is decided before the switch? There is no answer that is always right, and that is exactly what makes every round near the end of the stock interesting.
Uncertainty about the second suit
The second trump suit stays hidden until the stock is empty. All you know is that it differs from the first suit. That leaves three possible suits, and any card of those three suits could suddenly become very valuable in the endgame.
This changes how you value your hand. A high card of an ordinary suit is worth more in Double Trump than in standard Durak, because it may become a trump. If you keep your strong cards spread across several suits, you are ready for any outcome of the switch.
More tension in the endgame
In classic Durak the endgame is often predictable: whoever holds the most high trumps usually wins. In Double Trump the cards are reshuffled shortly before the end, at least as far as their value is concerned. A player who has been under pressure for a long time can suddenly hold the stronger hand after the switch. Games stay open for longer, and comebacks become more common.
The last card counts twice
The hidden second indicator card is drawn as the very last card. Whoever gets it is guaranteed to hold a card of the new trump suit. Because players draw in a fixed order after every round, first the attacker, then the other players and finally the defender, it pays to count towards the end who will receive that card.
Strategy tips for Double Trump
- Keep an eye on the number of cards in the stock. The closer the switch comes, the less the old trumps are worth.
- Play old trumps somewhat earlier than in standard Durak, especially in defence, while they still beat other cards.
- Do not throw away high cards of the other three suits carelessly. One of them will become trump.
- Watch the second-to-last and the last card of the stock, and who is going to draw them.
- Plan your first move after the switch: cards of the new trump suit now let you defend safely, and the devalued old trumps can be used to open attacks.
The general principles from our article on strategy for attack and defence still apply. Above all, Double Trump shifts the question of when a card is valuable.
Double Trump with transfers
Durak Advanced also offers Double Trump combined with Transfer Durak, as the Double Trump Transfer mode. The usual rules for passing an attack on apply there as well. In addition, this mode alone has a special rule: the player whose turn it is may exchange the six of the first trump suit for the face-up trump card if that card is an ace and still lies in the stock. The six then takes the ace's place, and the hidden second card underneath stays unchanged. The exchange does not use up the turn and does not change the trump suit. Whether the ace is worth it depends, of course, on how long it will remain a trump.
How passing an attack on works in detail is explained in our comparison of standard and transfer Durak.
Try it yourself
The best way to learn Double Trump is to play it. In Durak Advanced, choose the Double Trump Durak mode when you create a game and practise against bots first. After just a few games you will notice how much a single change of suit alters your decisions.