Russian Bank Rules

Overview

Russian Bank (also called Crapette or Robuse) is a competitive solitaire card game for 2 or 3 players. Each player has their own 52-card deck, stock pile, waste pile, and four house columns. Foundation piles in the center are shared by all players. The object is to be the first player to empty your stock pile.

What makes Russian Bank unique is the Touch challenge mechanic. Certain moves are compulsory — if your opponent misses one, you can call “Touch!” to freeze the board and prove they made an error. This vigilance mechanic adds a layer of strategic tension found in few other card games.

Setup and Deal

Each player uses a standard 52-card deck (different backs recommended so cards can be returned to the correct player). To set up:

1. Shuffle your deck thoroughly.
2. Deal 13 cards face-down to form your stock pile (also called the reserve). Turn the top card face-up.
3. Deal 4 cards face-up in a row to form your four house columns (tableau).
4. The remaining 35 cards become your draw pile (hand), kept face-down.

The player whose top stock card has the lower rank goes first. If tied, compare suits (Spades > Hearts > Diamonds > Clubs).

Table Layout

Here is how the board is arranged for a 2-player game:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                                             │
│  [Stock]   [T1] [T2] [T3] [T4]   [Waste]   │
│   P1        Player 1 Houses        P1       │
│                                             │
│           ┌──────────────────┐              │
│           │ [F1][F2][F3][F4] │              │
│           │ [F5][F6][F7][F8] │              │
│           │    Foundations    │              │
│           └──────────────────┘              │
│                                             │
│  [Waste]   [T1] [T2] [T3] [T4]   [Stock]   │
│   P2        Player 2 Houses        P2       │
│                                             │
│         [Draw Pile] — each player           │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────┘

F1-F8: Shared foundation piles. T1-T4: House (tableau) columns. Each player has their stock, waste, and draw pile on their side.

Gameplay

Players alternate turns. On your turn, you make as many moves as possible in a specific priority order. Key principles:

1. Compulsory foundation plays come first. If any visible card (stock top, waste top, or house top) can go on a foundation, you must play it before doing anything else.
2. Play from your stock to houses, foundations, or opponent's piles whenever possible.
3. Move cards between houses — build down in alternating colors.
4. Play from your waste to foundations, houses, or opponent's piles.
5. Load cards onto opponents — place matching-suit cards on their stock or waste.
6. Draw from your hand: when no more moves remain, flip a card from your draw pile to your waste. If the flipped card cannot be played anywhere, your turn ends.

Foundations

The 8 foundation piles (12 in 3-player) are shared by all players. Foundations are built up by suit from Ace to King:

Foundation plays are compulsory. Whenever any of your visible cards (stock top, waste top, or any house top card) can legally be placed on a foundation, you must play it before making any other move. Missing a compulsory foundation play is grounds for a Touch challenge from your opponent.

Houses (Tableau)

Each player has 4 house columns. Cards on houses are built down in alternating colors:

• Only single cards may be moved between houses (not stacks).
• Empty house spaces can be filled with any card from your stock, waste, or another house.
• You may play onto your opponent's houses — this is a legitimate strategic move to block them.

Loading

Loading is the act of placing cards onto your opponent's stock or waste piles. Loading is built by suit, either up or down:

• You can load onto an opponent's stock (top card) or waste (top card).
• Loading is by same suit, either up or down in rank.
• Loading is a powerful strategic tool — it adds cards to your opponent's stock, making it harder for them to win.
• You cannot load from your draw pile. Only stock, waste, and house cards may be loaded.

Stock and Waste

Each player has three personal piles:

• Stock (Reserve): Starts with 13 cards face-down, top card face-up. The stock card is always available for play. Emptying your stock is how you win. Stock cards have priority — play from your stock before your waste when possible.
• Waste: Receives cards from the draw pile when you flip. The top waste card is available for play to foundations, houses, or opponent's piles.
• Draw Pile (Hand): Your remaining 35 cards. Flip one card at a time to the waste when no other moves are available. If the flipped card cannot be played anywhere, your turn ends immediately. When the draw pile is empty, turn the waste face-down to form a new draw pile (no shuffle).

Compulsory Move Priority System

Certain moves are compulsory and must be performed in priority order. Failure to follow this priority is grounds for a Touch challenge. From highest to lowest priority:

Touch Challenge

The Touch (or “Crapette!”) challenge is the signature mechanic of Russian Bank. It enforces the compulsory move rules and adds a layer of strategic vigilance.

How to Call Touch

1. While your opponent is playing, watch for missed compulsory moves (especially foundation plays).
2. When you spot a violation, press the Touch button.
3. The board freezes immediately — no more moves can be made.

Proving the Touch

1. A countdown timer starts (default: 60 seconds, configurable in house rules).
2. You must demonstrate the missed compulsory move on the frozen board by clicking the source card and then the destination.
3. The game verifies your proof automatically. If valid, the Touch is proven.

Touch Outcomes

• Touch proven: The active player loses their turn. Play passes to the challenger (or next player in 3-player).
• Touch fails (timeout or invalid): The active player resumes their turn. Depending on house rules, the challenger may face a penalty.

Classic vs Advanced Touch

SuitedGames offers two Touch rule variants:

Scoring and Match Play

Russian Bank can be played as a single hand or as a match to a target score.

Single Hand Scoring

• The winner is the first player to empty their stock pile.
• The winner scores points equal to the number of cards remaining in the loser's stock.
• Example: If you empty your stock and your opponent has 5 cards left in theirs, you score 5 points.

Match Play

• Matches are played to a target score (commonly 100, 200, 300, or 500 points).
• After each hand, scores accumulate. A new hand is dealt and play continues.
• The first player to reach the target score wins the match.

3-Player Variant

Russian Bank can be played with 3 players. The key differences:

• Three decks are used (one per player), giving 156 total cards.
• 12 foundation piles instead of 8 (4 per deck × 3 decks with distinct suits).
• Each player still has 4 houses, for 12 house columns total.
• Turns rotate among all three players. Play passes clockwise.
• You can load cards onto any opponent's stock or waste.
• Touch can be called by either non-active player. If the first challenger fails, the second player may get a chance to prove the Touch.
• The first player to empty their stock wins.

House Rules

SuitedGames lets you customize several rules before starting a game:

Interactive Examples

Here are common scenarios you'll encounter in Russian Bank:

Quick Reference

Quick Answers