Donkey — called Kazhutha in Kerala — is one of India's most beloved social card games. It is fast, loud, and ruthlessly simple: pair up all your cards and get rid of them. The last player left holding the one unpairable card becomes the Donkey. No complex scoring, no rounds to track — just the pure pressure of watching your hand shrink while one unlucky card hides somewhere in the deck.
This guide explains the rules from scratch and covers the beginner strategies that will keep you out of last place.
A standard 52-card deck is used, but one card is removed before dealing — typically a Queen. This leaves 51 cards: 25 matchable pairs and one lone card (the other Queen of the same colour) that can never be paired. That stranded card is the Donkey card.
Cards are dealt equally to all players. Everyone immediately discards all the pairs from their hand face-down. Then the game begins: each player in turn fans out their cards face-down and offers them to the player on their left, who picks one card blind. If the picked card pairs with something in their hand, they discard the pair. If not, they add it to their hand.
Play continues clockwise until every card has been paired and discarded — except the Donkey card. Whoever is holding it at the end loses the round.
A pair is two cards of the same rank and the same colour — Red matches Red, Black matches Black. So 7♥ and 7♦ are a valid pair (both red), but 7♥ and 7♠ are not (different colours). This colour rule is what makes the game work: it halves the possible pairs and means you always know exactly which card you're looking for.
When you first receive your cards, sort them mentally by colour then rank. Pairs become immediately obvious and you'll spot them faster than opponents who shuffle randomly. Discarding all your starting pairs quickly is a small but real advantage — less time holding cards means less time being at risk.
You won't know which specific card is the Donkey until late in the game — but you can narrow it down. As pairs are discarded openly (face-down pile, but players know what they discarded), watch for cards that seem to be attracting attention. If a player always fans their hand with one card slightly separated, or hesitates before offering their hand, they are likely managing the Donkey card.
In online play, you cannot see body language — but you can watch patterns. A player who picks from the same position repeatedly may be trying to avoid the Donkey card. A player who seems relieved after your pick probably just passed you the Donkey.
When it is your turn to offer your hand, shuffle the order of your cards before fanning them out. If you always keep the Donkey card on the left, experienced players will learn your tell. Randomising position removes the easiest read opponents have on you.
Players who have discarded all their cards drop out of the offering rotation — the game continues only between players still holding cards.
Most players instinctively slide the Donkey card to one edge of their fan. When you are picking from an opponent's hand, favour the middle of their spread. You are less likely to hit the deliberately-placed outlier card. It is not foolproof, but it beats picking randomly.
If you are holding only the Donkey card, you are not out yet. You still have to offer it, and whoever picks it now holds the card. The game is not over until the last pairable cards have been discarded — then and only then is the holder confirmed as the Donkey.
Being down to one card is actually a good position: you will be offering it to your neighbour every turn, and the odds of passing it on are 100% (they must pick it — it is your only card). The card will travel until the final elimination, so even holding the Donkey card early is not a death sentence.
If you pick the Donkey card early in a 4-player game, stay calm. With three other players still active, the card has many turns to travel before the game ends. Panic leads to tells. Treat the Donkey card like any other card and let the randomness of picking work in your favour over successive rounds.
Mistake 1: Forgetting colour rules. Trying to pair 8♥ with 8♣ is not valid — different colours. Always check colour before discarding a pair. An invalid discard is embarrassing and slows the game.
Mistake 2: Giving away the Donkey's position with body language. Looking away, hesitating, or always placing the card in the same spot telegraphs exactly which card to avoid. Stay neutral when offering your hand.
Mistake 3: Picking from the edge every time. Predictable picking strategies are easy to exploit. The player offering you cards will learn where you always pick and position the Donkey card accordingly.
Mistake 4: Celebrating too early. Discarding your last pair does not mean you are safe if you passed the Donkey card just before — it is still in play. Watch until the round is fully resolved.
All points on Tricksy are virtual and have no monetary value. Donkey on Tricksy is for entertainment only. Read the full rules →