Do you want to gamble like a Russian? This country has a couple of unique and interesting games to play. So, why don’t you take a look at three popular Russian gambling games you can find at online casinos?
Playing casino games with a national character adds something special to the process. It helps to learn more about foreign cultures and history through the way to play card games or board games. Today, we will focus on some gambling games that originated in Russia long or not that long ago.
3 Russian gambling games to play
There are few Russian gambling games that take their origin from Russia or USSR. However, they are definitely worth your attention regardless of the way you play them: with friends, in casinos, or at online gambling sites. Take a look at the three most popular games from Russia to play for money.
Durak
Durak is number-one among Russian gambling games. This is also the most famous card game in the country and some of its closest neighbors. Durak means “Fool” in Russian and has pretty simple yet interesting rules. You can learn more about card games from our online casino game guides.
To play Durak, there should be from 2 to 6 players and a deck of 36 cards. A deck of 52 cards can also be used, but it is not too popular. Everyone is dealt six cards face down and one card is picked from the remaining deck. The suit of this card is the highest suit (trump suit) and all cards of this suit can beat the others. Then, the rest of the pack is placed face-down on the table and forms a talon.
The player with the lowest trump card starts the game. He picks any card from his hand, usually the weakest, and makes a move towards the player on his left. He has to beat the card either with a higher-ranking card of the same suit or with a trump card. The attacker can add matching cards if the defender beats the initial card with the one he also has. If the defender can’t beat the card, he takes it and misses his move. If he beats the card, both are put near the talon. Then, both players pick the upper cards from the deck to complete a 6-card hand and now the former defender makes a move. The game ends when only one player – the fool – is left with cards.
Russian Poker
Russian Poker is a variation of poker that originated in the 1990s. Its rules don’t differ much from other poker games and the goal is still to beat the dealer. However, Russian Poker has certain peculiarities that make it stand out from the rest.
The game starts with players placing ante bets. Then, the dealer gives 5 face-down cards to all players and leaves five cards for himself including one exposed card. Players can take one of the following steps:
- Fold – give up
- Bet – place a bet, which is twice the size of the ante
- Buy a card – pay another ante to buy an extra card and then either bet or fold
- Draw new cards – pay another ante to buy a new hand and then either bet or fold
Then, the dealer reveals his cards. Hands in Russian Poker are ranked the same way as in most poker variations, meaning that High Card is the weakest combination and Royal Flush is the highest one. The winner is determined in accordance with the value of all participants’ hands.
Russian Lotto
Russian lotto is probably the most popular board game in Russia you can play it either with friends or in casinos. This is a game that is pretty similar to British bingo with some important differences making Russian lotto a unique game with a national character.
So, Russian is a board game that can be played for cash too. The game is played with wooden kegs numbered from 1 to 90. Players are given paper cards with numbers arranged on them in random order. Besides players, a host is involved in the game process and is responsible for taking wooden kegs out of a bag and announcing their numbers.
To win, players should mark off numbers on the whole card or one/two lines. To do so, players cover numbers with small buttons when they hear the matching numbers being announced by the host. The first player to finish the pattern becomes the winner.
