Le Truc for two Players
One of the original versions of Le Truc often played was a version for two players. The two player version is played identically to the partnership version with the following exceptions.
Obviously, each player plays and scores for himself unlike the partnership version of the game.
The deal alternates between the two players from hand to hand. The non-dealer leads to the first trick with the winner of each trick leading to the next. If all three tricks are spoilt, the non-dealer is said to win the hand.
Trut:
Trut is a rare, French variant of Le Truc. The deck used for the card game Trut is somewhat different than that used for Le Truc. The 32 card deck used for this game consists of one card in each of the normal four suits in the following denominations: Ace, King, Queen, Jack 10, 9, 8, 7. The ranking of these cards used for the game are as follows (from high to low): 8, 7, Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9.
This game is usually played by four players in two partnerships of two players each, but is also sometimes played by two individual players. When played by two players the rules are identical other than the obvious difference of there being no partnerships.
Selection of partnerships is usually done by all players drawing a card, with the players drawing the two highest cards playing as partners against the players drawing the two lowest cards. The player who draws the highest card of all is set as the first dealer. If two or more players draw cards of the same denomination, those players originally drawing those tied cards should replace the card and draw new ones until drawing a card not equal to any other players drawn card. Each player should sit directly across the table from his partner.
After determination of partners and first dealer, the dealer shuffles the deck and offers it to the player to his right to cut. After the cut, the dealer deals each player three face down cards in a clockwise direction, one card at a time, starting with the player to his immediate left.
The player to the dealer's left then leads the first card to the first trick. Each other player in a clockwise direction then plays one card to the trick. They may play any remaining card from their hand to the trick. The highest card played to the trick wins the trick. If the highest card played to the trick is tied by two players from different partnerships the trick is a draw and won by no one (called patte). The winner of each trick leads the first card to the next trick. In the event of a patte, the leader from the previous trick leads again to the next trick. If both players in a partnership which wins the trick have played equally ranked cards to that trick, the player of the first of the high cards leads to the next trick.
The first partnership to win two of the three tricks in a hand wins the hand (called a Trut), scoring one point. If two tricks of the hand are patte, the partnership winning the third trick wins he hand. If each partnership wins one trick and the third is tied, the partnership winning the first of the two tricks wins the hand. If all three tricks are patte, neither partnership wins the hand and no one scores the point for the hand.
During the hand, any player at any time during play of the hand, may request a Trut. This is a request to raise the current value of the hand. If accepted by the opponents, the current value of the hand is set at 3 points, which is earned by the winner of the hand. If declined, the hand ends and the partnership requesting the Trut earns 1 point.
If one team currently has two points and the opposing team less than two, the opposing partnership must request a Trut on the next hand (called a forced Trut).
If both teams at the beginning of a hand each have 2 points, the players can request additional cards be dealt. After the initial deal, the dealer asks the first player in turn if they would like to receive additional cards. If the player indicates they would like to receive cards, the dealer continues the question around the table. If all players, including himself indicates they would prefer to receive additional cards, the dealer than asks the first player, How many? That player may request from one to three cards which the dealer provides. Each player in turn then receives the same number of cards. After this distribution, the dealer again asks each player in turn if they would prefer to receive additional cards. If all agree, he again asks the first player how many and distributes the appropriate amount to each player. This continues until one or more players indicates they do not prefer to receive additional cards. At this time, each player discards enough cards face down from their hand to leave them with a three card hand. After this, the play of the hand then begins, with a Trut automatically assumed for the hand.
Once a team scores three points, they are said to have won one Trut. The teams then reset their point scores to zero to begin the next Trut. The first team to win seven Truts is said to be the winner of the game.
 |
Put:
Put is a somewhat modernized version of the original game with the same name which was believed to be first published in Francis Willughby's
Book Of Games and a few years later in Charles Cotton's book
The Compleat Gamester. The rules for the original variant as described by Cotton are detailed
further below. The following rules are those in which the game is more
commonly played today.
This version of Put uses one standard 52 card deck and is designed to be played by two players. The cards in the deck are ranked in the following order (from highest to lowest); 3, 2, Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4. The suit of each card is irrelevant in this game.
Determination of the first dealer can be performed in a variety of ways, with draw for high card a common method. After this is determined the dealer thoroughly shuffles the pack and offers it to his opponent to cut. After the cut, the dealer deals each player (starting with his opponent) three cards, one-by-one and face down. After the cards are dealt, the non-dealer examines his cards and has several options he can perform, as follows:
- Resign the hand, which allows the dealer to immediately score one point.
- Challenge the dealer with a "Put". The dealer can either accept the Put which will increase the scoring value for the hand or resign. If the Put is accepted, the hand is played out as normal. If the dealer declines the Put, the non-dealer scores one point for the hand.
- Indicate his willingness to play the hand at the current point value. He does this by simply playing a card (his first card to the first trick).
In the case one or the other players resigns before any cards are played, the appropriate points are scored and a new hand dealt, this time by the previous non-dealer. However, if the non-dealer did not challenge with a Put, but played a card, the dealer now has several options:
- Resign, which allows the non-dealer to score one point.
- Challenge the non-dealer with a Put. If the non-dealer accepts the Put, the hand is played out as normal (albeit with an increased point value). If the non-dealer declines the Put, the dealer scores 1 point for the hand.
- Play a card of his own to the trick led by the non-dealer.
As suits do not matter, the winner of this trick is the player who plays the higher ranked card (of any suit) to the trick,
and a player may play any card from his hand to the trick. If both players play cards of the same rank to a trick, the trick is considered a tie. The winner of a trick would normally lead the first card to the next trick. In the event of a tied trick, the leader of the previous trick leads again to the next trick. However, after the first trick has been played (and no challenge has yet taken place by either player on the current hand), the non-dealer has the choice of two options for continuation of the hand. The following describes these actions:
- Resign the hand, in which no further cards will be played, allowing the dealer to score one point.
- Challenge the Dealer with a Put. If the dealer accepts the Put, the remaining two tricks in the hand are played out as normal. If the dealer resigns, the non-dealer scores 1 point for the hand.
If neither player has resigned by this time, the remaining two tricks are played out in the same manner as the first trick of the hand. The hand is then scored. As mentioned, resigning then allows the opponent to score 1 point. If the full hand is played out (which will require a Put from one of the players at some point), whichever player wins more tricks during the hand automatically has his score increased to exactly five points (thus winning the game). If each player wins the same number of tricks during the hand (due to one or more tied tricks), no points are scored for the hand by either player. Thus, the first player to earn five points is said to win the game.
Put - Original Rules:
The game Put as described above is a newer variant of the original version as published by Willughby and Cotton. Although the rules to the original version are similar they differ in several areas. The rules for the original variant, as described in the original rules publications are as follows:
One standard 52 card deck is used, with the following ranking (from high to low); 3, 2, Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4. The suits of the cards are irrelevant in play of this game.
The dealer deals three cards to each player, one-by-one and face down, starting with his opponent. After the deal, the dealer's opponent leads the first card to the first trick. The dealer may then respond with any card from his own hand. Suits are
irrelevant in this game, so a player can play any card to a trick, whether he is leading or following his opponent's lead to a trick. The higher ranked card played to the trick wins the trick. If both players play a card of the same rank to the trick, the trick is said to be tied, won by neither player. The winner of each trick leads the first card to the next trick. If the trick resulted in a tie, the player who led to the previous trick leads the first card to the next trick.
The player who won the most tricks during the hand earns one point. If each player won the same number of tricks, the hand is a tie (called trick and tie) and no points are scored for the hand.
Before leading to a trick, a player may, on his turn to lead to a trick, call "I put". This is a challenge to his opponent who can either resign or continue the hand. If the player resigns, the player who called "I put" scores one point and the hand ends. However, if the
challenge is accepted, the remainder of the hand is played out and the winner of this hand automatically scores 5 points, winning the game. If that hand ends in a tie, no points are scored for the hand, and the game continues as normal. The game is played to a total of 5 points, with the first player to thus score these 5 points declared the winner.
Put - Four Player:
Put is sometimes played by four players, in two partnerships.
Determination of partnerships can be performed using a variety of methods, including drawing for cards, with the players drawing the two highest cards playing against the players drawing the two lowest. The player drawing the lowest card of all cards drawn would be set as the first dealer. Thereafter, the deal should rotate in a clockwise direction around the table. In play of the hand itself, there are only two active players, thus it is academic where the four players actually sit at the table.
The dealer should deal three cards, in the normal manner to each of the four players. After the deal, one of the players in the non-dealer partnership selects his highest card in hand and passes it to his partner, face-down such that the other players do not see the face of the card. He then places his other two cards aside, as they will no longer be used in the hand and the player will take no further action in this hand. Similarly, one of the players in the dealer's partnership should also pass his highest card to his partner face down and set aside the other two cards dealt to him. The original rules do not specify which player should pass the card and which should play the hand, and thus there are a few methods that can be used. The partners can have a brief discussion at the table, in very general terms, without revealing any information about the composition of their hand, as to who will pass a card and who will play. Alternately, the rule can be adopted that the player to the immediate left of the dealer would pass his highest card from his hand, face-down to his partner and the dealer passes his highest card from his hand to his partner. Regardless of what method is used, once the card pass has occurred, the two players who received the passed card each discard any one card of his choice from his hand to the side.
After this discard, the game is played identically to the standard version of Put as described above, with all scores recorded for each partnership rather than for the individual players.
Put - Additional Players:
There is also a variation of Put which can be played by three or more players, although this is a much rarer version of the game. For four players, the four player, partnership version listed above is usually preferred, however this version can be used for four players as well. In this version each player plays for independently.
The game is played identically to the two-player version as described above, with the following differences:
- The dealer deals each player one more card than actual participants in the game. Thus, if there are 3 players, each player would receive four cards. This was done to ensure that at least one player will win two tricks or more.
- A number of tricks is played equal to the number of cards received by each player.
- If a player announces "Put", each other player in normal turn rotation after the player calling
"Put", if they want to accept the Put or resign from the hand. If every other player resigns, the player who called
"Put" scores one point. However, if one or more other players elect to continue play, the game is continued amongst those players. Upon completion, the winner
collects the appropriate number of points only from the players who remained in the game.
- As in the standard game, if the game is played to completion, the player who wins the most tricks is the winner of the hand. If two or more players tie for the most tricks won during the hand, no players earn a score on the hand.
In all other aspects this version of the game is played the same as the standard game.
Truco
A number of fairly recently developed games that are similar to Le Truc are often played, particularly in Spain and areas of South America, under the name Truco. These include some of the following currently popular games:
Brazilian Truco (Truco Miniero):
Truco Miniero is one of the most popular members of the Truco family of games. This game is widely played in many portions of South America, particularly in Brazil. The game itself originated from similar games played in Spain and is regularly played there as well as many other locations. This exciting and fast moving game encourages players to generate certain signals to indicate to their partner specific cards to play and gameplay can sometimes be quite noisy and seemingly very chaotic.
Truco is played by four participants, divided into two partnerships consisting of two players each. Truco uses a reduced 40 card deck which can be created from a standard deck of 52 cards. This deck is comprised by removing all Eights, Nines and Tens from a regular deck. The ranking of the cards in the Truco deck are as follows, from high to low:
4 of Clubs, 7 of Hearts, Ace of Spades, 7 of Diamonds, Threes, Twos, Remaining Aces (Ace of Clubs, Diamonds and Hearts), Kings, Jacks, Queens, Remaining Sevens (7 of Spades and Clubs), Sixes, Fives, Remaining Fours (4 of Spades, Hearts and Diamonds).
Other than the four highest ranking cards, cards of the same numerical designation are considered to be of equal rank for purposes of winning a trick.
 |
| The illustration shows the top eight ranking card denominations in Truco Miniero from left to right |
Because communication between partners is of vital importance during the play of the hand, in Truco, partnerships are often pre-arranged before the game. However, if this is not the case, partners can be determined by having all players draw a card from the shuffled deck. The two players drawing the highest cards would play as partners against the players drawing the two lowest. In the event cards of the same rank are drawn (as per the normal card ranking for Brazilian Truco) those participants would draw new cards. Determination of the first dealer can also be performed in the same manner, with all players drawing a card from the face down shuffled deck. The player drawing the highest card would become the dealer for the first hand. Thereafter the deal rotates counter-clockwise around the table.
Partners should sit at the table in such a way that each player is seated directly across from their partner.
The object of this game is to be the first team to score 12 points over the course of one or more hands. The team who reaches or exceeds 12 points at any point in the game are instantly declared the winners.
Players can earn these points during a hand in several ways; Winning of tricks, having the best combination of same suited cards (or single card) or lastly, by requesting an increase that the opposing team refuses.
Traditionally the score in many versions of Truco was recorded using seeds from a plant native to the area as counters kept in a basket or other small receptacle. However tokens or chips can also be used effectively. Whatever is used, an ample supply should be on hand, stored in a container or pile off to the side. As players earn scores, the counters are taken from the container and displayed in front of one of the players in the partnership to indicate their current score.
To begin the game, the dealer, called the Pie or Foot, shuffles the deck, the player to his left cuts, and the dealer distributes three face down cards to the player at his immediate right, called the Mano or Hand. The Mano then picks up his hand and after examining it has three options:
- He may elect to discard these cards, called Burning. If he elects to do this, the three cards are placed face up in the center of the table. After all players have seen their denomination, the cards are set aside and not used for the remainder of this hand.
- The Mano may pass these cards to his partner. He passes the face down packet of cards across the table to his partner, which becomes that player's hand.
- The Mano may keep these cards which then become his hand.
If the Mano elected to discard his cards or pass them to his partner, three more face down cards are dealt to him by the Pie. The Mano then again has the same options. However, if he has already passed a hand to his partner during this hand, he may not select this option again. In addition, the player may not burn or discard more than three groups of cards during the hand, passing (if this option has not yet been used during the hand) or keeping the next group.
After the Mano indicated he will keep his hand, the dealer then distributes the remainder of the hands in a counterclockwise direction, starting with his partner. If the Mano, had passed cards to his partner, that player is skipped in the deal as they already have a hand. Each player should end up with a three card hand.
After these dealing procedures are complete, the Mano or Hand, begins play by playing the first card to the first trick. Each subsequent player then plays one face up card to the trick as well in a counter-clockwise direction. The player who plays the highest ranked card to the trick (regardless of suit) wins the trick. If two or more cards of the same rank are tied for the highest card in the trick (i.e. two Kings), and the cards are from different partnerships the trick is won by no one, called a draw or parda. If the tied cards are all from the same team, that team wins the trick. In parda situations, the player who led to the first trick of the current hand leads to the next trick as well. This continues until all three tricks have been played during the hand. All played tricks remain in the center of the table until the end of the current hand. The winner of each trick leads the first card to the next trick.
At a players option they may play their card to a trick face down. When doing this, the face down card cannot win the trick, but might be done in a circumstance where a player does not want his opponents to determine other cards in the hand. However, a player may never play a card face down in the first trick of the hand.
A partnership that manages to win two of the three tricks in the hand is considered to have won the hand. This earns that partnership one point. If a team wins the first two tricks, the last trick is usually not played since the hand has already been decided. If, after the three tricks have been played, each partnership has won one trick (due to one trick ending in a parda), the team who won the first of the two tricks during the hand earns the score for the round. If there were two tricks ending in pardas during the hand, the partnership who has won one trick during the hand earns the point. If all three tricks during the hand ended in a parda, the partnership consisting of the player who led the first card in the hand wins the point.
During the hand, the players have the option to increase the point value for the hand by requesting a Truco.
Truco: Any active player in the hand can state Truco at his turn of play, before playing his card to the current trick. Either member of the opposing partnership then has the option to accept the increase (quiero) or reject the increase (no quiero). Accepting the increase indicates that the winner of the current trick instantly scores three points. However, if either opponent rejects the increase, the hand instantly ends with the partnership consisting of the player who stated Truco earning the one point for the hand.
ReTruco: If there has already been an accepted Truco during the current hand, either of the members of the opposing team can state Retruco. This is a request to increase the point value for the current trick by three more points. If accepted, the hand continues and the winner of the current tricks receives the newly raised value. However, if refused the partnership of the team last stating Retruco earns the previous value of the hand. Further Retrucos can continue until the trick value is raised to 12 points, the maximum (which also wins the game). Each Retruco must be requested by the opposing team who called the last Retruco on the trick.
In the event a Truco was called and accepted, the hand ends after the current trick is completed, with the winning team scoring the indicated number of points. If, at any stage in the Truco procedures, the opponents refuse the Truco, the team requesting the Truco earn the current number of points. A Truco can only be accepted (and not Retrucoed) when enough points could be earned by the acceptance to win the game.
If Truco was accepted and the hand ends in a parda, the winner is determined based on the cards already played to the current trick. If a card of the highest denomination was played to the trick before Truco was requested, the team that last called Truco or Retruco loses the hand, with the opponents winning the current Truco value. If the highest card (or cards) to the trick were played after the Truco was requested, the trick is still considered a tie and the players must play the next trick to determine the winner. If this occurred on the last trick of the hand, the hand itself is a tie and neither team wins any score for the hand.
At the Top:
There are special rules that govern the game when one or both partnerships have 11 points and thus are within one point of winning the game.
- All hands must be played as dealt. There are no passing or declining of the cards by the Mano.
- If both teams currently have exactly 11 points, they must play the hand blind. The players may not look at their hands at any time. When it is a players turn, they must select any of their remaining cards without looking at them and play it to the trick. The trick is still won by the highest card played to the trick. No Truco requests can be made by either team. If the hand ends in a tie, neither team scores for the hand and another hand is played with the same restrictions.
- If just one of the two teams has 11 points, that team has a few special privileges during the hand. The members of that team may pass their entire hand to their partner who look at them and then pass the cards back. After doing this, that team must make a determination if they will play the current hand for three points or decline which ends that hand, earning the opposing team 1 point. If the hand is played, no Truco requests are allowed. If the team having 11 points wins the hand they win the game. If they lose, the other team scores three points. If the hand is a tie, neither team scores for the hand, and the next hand is played in the same manner.
Gestures (Señas): As opposed to most other games, signaling to ones partner is allowed and common in this game. Thus, a large part of the game of Truco consists of
signaling to your partner the cards you contain. The players attempt to do this in such a way to convey specific information to their partner without the opponents detecting it. Thus, a system of gestures (called
Señas) have been developed to assist in this endeavor. The players may create their own, but the following are those that are widely accepted and used:
- To signal having the Four of Clubs, a player will wink one time.
- To signal the Seven of Hearts, a player will raise both eyebrows.
- To signal for the Ace of Spades, a player will press their tongue against their cheek with mouth closed.
- To signal the Ace of Diamonds, a player will stick out the tip of their tongue.
 |
| If the exposed card was an Ace, the Manillas would be the two of Clubs, two of Hearts, two of Spades and two of Diamonds, ranked in that order. |
Brazilian Truco (Truco Paulista):
Truco Paulista is another common version of Truco played in Brazil usually in the Sao Paolo region. The game is played almost identically to Truco Miniero in all respects with the sole difference being the ranking of the cards in the Truco deck which changes slightly from hand to hand.
After the hand has been dealt, the top card of the remaining stack is exposed in the center of the table. The ranking of the top four cards in the deck for this hand would be the four cards of the denomination directly higher than that of the card exposed, from the following base ranking (From High to Low); 3, 2, Ace, King, Jack, Queen, 7, 6, 5, 4. If the turned up card is a 3 (the highest card in the base ranking), the four highest ranked cards would be the 4's. These cards are called the Manillas. Amongst these four highest ranked cards, the suits of the card indicates its relative rank, in the following order (from high to low): Clubs, Hearts, Spades then Diamonds. All other cards rank in their normal place within the base ranking (skipping over the normal positioning of the highest ranked denomination). Other than in the highest denomination cards, any other cards of the same rank are considered equal.
Brazilian Truco - Clean Deck:
In some cases, often in more formal settings and tournaments, Truco will be played with a reduced deck. This is called a clean deck, and consists of removing the following additional cards from the standard Truco deck: Seven of Spades, Seven of Clubs, All Sixes, All Fives, Four of Spades, Four of Hearts and Four of Diamonds.
Other than the smaller deck, this version of the game is played identically to either version of Brazilian Truco described above.
Argentine Truco:
Argentine Truco uses a special deck and is widely played in Argentina and some areas of Spain. This game is usually played with a special Spanish deck which is significantly different from the familiar French deck. This Spanish deck consists of four suits; Gold Coins, Cups, Swords and Batons. The royalty cards are also somewhat different, consisting of the following; Jack, Knight and King. Thus the Spanish deck used for this version of the game consists of the following card denominations; Ace, King, Knight, Jack, Seven, Six, Five, Four, Three, Two.
The ranking of these cards is as follows, from high to low; Ace of Swords, Ace of Batons, Seven of Swords, Seven of Coins, all Threes, all Twos, remaining Aces (Ace of Cups, Ace of Coins), all Kings, all Knights, all Jacks, remaining Sevens (Cups and Batons), all Sixes, all Fives, all Fours. Other than the top four ranked cards, cards of the same denomination are considered to be of equal value with regards to winning a trick.
Argentine Truco is designed for four players in two partnerships. If the partnerships have not been pre-determined, the players can all draw cards from the shuffled deck. The players drawing the two highest cards play as partners against the two players drawing the two lowest. Players drawing cards of the same denomination (as per the card ranking for this game) should redraw until they pull a card that is not tied by any other player. Each player should sit directly across the table from their partner.
As in other variations of Truco, the goal of a partnership in each hand is to win two of the three tricks in a hand, thus scoring points for the hand. The player to the dealer's immediate right plays the first card to the first trick. Each other player in a counterclockwise direction then plays one card to the trick. The trick is won by the highest card played to the trick. If the two highest cards played to the trick are played by members of different teams, the trick is tied (parda) and neither partnership wins it. In the circumstances where each partnership wins one trick and one is parda, the winner of the hand is the partnership who won the first trick during this hand. If all three tricks are parda, the partnership of the player who led the first card to the first trick wins the hand. The winner of the previous trick leads the first card to the next trick. In the event of a parda, the player who led to the tied trick leads to the next one. The winner of each hand scores one point.
On a players turn, before he plays a card to the current trick, he may shout Truco. This is an offer to increase the value of the current hand to two points instead of one. Either member of the opposing team may either accept or refuse. If the increase is refused, the hand ends and the partnership who offered the Truco scores the current value of the hand (one point in this case). If they accept, the current trick is played out and the winner of this trick wins the hand, scoring the increased value. In addition to refusing or accepting, the opposing partnership may also respond with Retruco at the current time, or later during the same trick. Retruco is an offer to raise the score during the current hand to 3 total points. If the original partnership who shouted Truco accept, the hand is worth 3 points, which is won by the winner of the current trick. If they refuse, the partnership who offered the Retruco scores the current value of two points for the hand. In the event of a Retruco, the partnership who originally shouted "Truco" on the trick can make one last increase request, called Vale Cuatro. This is an offer to increase the value of the current hand to 4 points if accepted. If the opponents rejected, the hand ends and the partnership who offered the Vale Cuatro scores three points for the hand.
Envido: Argentine Truco also features an additional method of raising the point value potential for a hand, called Envido. Only the current Dealer and the player to his immediate left can make this call during a hand. When a call of Envido is made during the hand, the opposing partnership may respond in one of five ways, as follows:
Quiero: Accepts the challenge, which awards the team with the highest pair two points at the end of the hand.
Envido: Not only accepts the challenge, but offers to raise the points for the challenge to four points instead of two.
Real Envido: Accepts the original Envido challenger, but also offers to increase the point value for the challenge by three more points.
Falta Envido: Stating this accepts the Envido, but places additional emphasis on the value of the pairs held by the players (see below).
No Quiero: This can be stated after any Envido or request to increase the point value of the challenge. When this occurs, the last player to request an increase earns the current value of the last accepted increase in value (2, 4 or 5). If it was the original Envido that is declined, the partnership who originally requested the Envido in the hand receives one point.
 |
| As an example, if a player calls Envido, the next player calls another Envido, the next Real Envido and the last player calls Quiero. The winner of this Envido would earn 7 points. |
After a response of No Quiero or Quiero, no additional calls of Envido, Real Envido or Falta Envido can be made during the current hand.
Thus, a series of these requests will eventually end in a Quiero or No Quiero. If ending in a Quiero, a comparison of the most cards of the same suit held by the players is performed to determine who has the highest, earning that partnership the current accepted Envido agreed value.
Each player, starting with the player who played the first card in the hand, then states the value of their highest two card combination of the same suit (called a pair in this game).
The value of these cards are calculated as follows. A player adds the total value of cards in the same suit in his hand (usually this would be the suit the player has the most cards in) and adds 20 to that total. The following chart shows the various values of cards for determining these values:
| Card | Value in a Pair |
|---|
| King, Queen, Jack | 0 |
| Ace | 1 |
| 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 | Face Value of Card |
If the player does not have two or more cards of the same suit, they may simply use the value of their highest card, but may not add 20 when using a single card.
If the player has three cards of the same suit, they would select the total of the highest two point scoring cards in their hand plus addition of a 20 point bonus to that total.
When declaring his points, a player must accurately state the score of his highest such group.
In calculating his score a player may use cards still in his hands as well as cards he may have already played to a trick during the current hand. A player may also concede the points for the Envido by stating "Son Buenas", which ends the procedures at once and the opponents scoring for the highest Envido. A player may also, however, make no claim and remain silent if his partner already states his total and has the current highest Envido. However, if the next player calls a higher Envido than his partner, he must either state his own or state Son Buenas, conceding defeat for the Envido.
In the case of a Falta Envido that is accepted the partnership with the higher pair score instantly wins the game if both partners have less than 15 points. If one or both partnerships have a current score of more than 15, the partnership with the higher pair value earns as many points as the opposing partnership is short of 30 total points.
If two players from opposing teams tie for highest Envido, the first of the two stated totals wins for the Envido. At the conclusion of the hand, the player who won for having the highest Envido must show the cards which made up the Envido to verify his claim. Any player who says Envido during the game is automatically assumed to be requesting an Envido (or increasing the scoring value of one currently in progress), regardless if that is his true intention. Of course, if an Envido has already been played during the current hand, this does not apply.
In the event that a call of Envido and Truco are both said in quick succession or simultaneously, both calls are valid, but the Envido procedures occur before that of the Truco.
The first team to score 30 points wins the round, called a Chico. Often, chicos are played as a rubber, with the first team to win two of three chicos being declared the overall winner.
Flor:
A rule that is sometimes used in Argentine Truco and similar variants played in Spain is the Flor. Although Flor can also be used in the Brazilian versions of Truco it usually is not.
A Flor is having three cards of the same suit in a player's hand. A player so having this must, on his first turn, shout "Flor". In so doing, this player has the opportunity to score additional points on the hand. Declaring a Flor on a hand prohibits any use of Envido by any player during the same hand. If an Envido is already in progress, it is instantly canceled. Only players who actually have three cards of the same suit may declare or increase the point value for the Flor.
In the rare case that a member of the opposing partnership also has Flor, they must also announce it and can respond in one of three ways (with the announcement going in a counterclockwise direction from the first player to actually announce Flor):
- Con flor me achico: This is an acknowledgement that you also have Flor, but you surrender the score for the Flor to the opponent team. In stating this, the partnership who first stated "Flor" scores three points for the Flor and one additional point for the opponents surrender.
- Contraflor: This is an announcement that you also have a Flor and challenge the opponents. The opponents must then respond to the Contraflor. The response to the Contraflor can be one of three options:
- Con flor quiero: The partnership originally calling "Flor" accepts the challenge, with the team with the highest Flor winning 3 points per Flor announced by either team.
- Con flor me achico: This declaration indicates that the team accepts that the team who called Contraflor is entitled to score the three points for the Flor and one point for a surrender.
- Contraflor al resto: Announce your own Flor and request that the score for the winning Flor be raised to the exact value the currently winning team needs in order to win the Chico plus three points per Flor announced by either team. If the Contraflor al resto is declined, the partnership offering it scores 4 points.
- Contraflor al resto: This is an indication that the partnership also has a Flor and requests that the score be increased to the exact value needed by the winning team to win the Chico plus three for each Flor announced by both teams. When this declaration is made, the opponents can respond in three ways:
- Con flor quiero: Accepts the requested score increase for the Flor. The team having the highest Flor scores 3 points per Flor announced by either team.
- Con flor me achico: Surrenders the current Flor, allowing the opposing team to score 4 points total.
After all players have responded regarding Flors, and one partnership has not surrendered, the players then must announce the actual value of their Flor.
Each player having such a Flor must then state the total point value of their Flor, starting with the player to the immediate right of the dealer. When announcing the value of his Flor, a player may instead state "Son Buenas", indicating that a Flor announced by a previous player is higher, conceding the Flor to that player. The scoring for Flors is similar to that with Envido. The three cards of the Flor are
totaled together and an additional 20 points is added. Kings, Knights and Jacks are worth 0 points, Aces 1, and all other cards are worth the value printed on the card. The player with the highest Flor then wins the agreed upon amount upon completion of the hand (whether they actually win the play of the hand or not).
 |
| As an example, say the North player announces "Flor", the next player in turn states Contraflor, the next player passes and the original declarer states Con flor me achico. The team who stated Contraflor would then win 4 points total, 3 for their own Flor and one for the opponents surrender of the Flor increase. |
After play of the Flor, the regular game then continues. At the end of the hand, the player announcing the highest valued Flor must also show it to prove his claim. Similar to the procedures for Envido, a Flor takes precedence over a Truco, and the Flor announcements must occur before returning to any in progress Truco call.
A player who has a Flor may also decline to announce it, however they risk a score penalty to their partnership. At the end of any hand, any opponent who suspects a specific opponent may have such an unannounced Flor may call "Pido Flor". The challenged player must show the cards that were in their hand. If they did in fact have a Flor for which they did not announce for, the accusing team instantly scores three points. However, if they did not have a Flor the partnership of the accused player scores one point instantly.
As in all other commonly played versions of Truco, Argentine Truco players use a variety of gestures or signals to indicate what cards they have in their hand to their partner. The following are some that are commonly used with the Argentinean version of the game:
- No high cards - briefly close both eyes
- High cards for potential Envido - Player moves head to one side
- Ace of Coins or Cups - Open mouth as if silently saying "Go"
- Any 2 - Open and close mouth briefly
- Any 3 - Bite lower lip
- Seven of Coins or Swords - Player moves mouth to one side of face
- Ace of Batons - Briefly close one eye
- Ace of Swords - Raise both eyebrows
Uruguayan Truco:
Another version of Truco which uses the special Spanish suited deck is Uruguayan Truco. This game is played identically to Argentine Truco with the following differences:
The major difference between this version and that played in Argentina is that in this version there is the determination of a special suit. The cards in this "suit" have additional capabilities during the game, particularly with regards to Flor and Envido. After each player has been dealt their hand, the next card from the stock is turned face up (for all players to see) and placed partially under the remainder of the stock. The suit of this card is identified as the "Muestra" for this hand. This muestra suit thus directly affects the ranking of the cards used for the hand. Thus, the ranking of the deck is as follows (from high to low): 2 of the muestra suit, 4 of muestra suit, 5 of muestra suit, Knight of muestra suit, Jack of muestra suit, Ace of Swords, Ace of Batons, Seven of Swords, Seven of Coins, all Threes, all Twos, remaining Aces (Aces of suits other than Swords, Batons or muestra suit), all Kings, all Knights, all Jacks, remaining Sevens (Seven of suits other than Swords or the muestra suit), all Sixes, all Fives, all Fours.
Certain cards in this muestra suit have additional capabilities that may affect play:
- Muestra King - If the faced up card was a Jack, Knight, Five, Four or Two, the King of the same suit of the turned card, when in a player's hand, is set as an exact replacement for the faced card. Thus, if the faced card was a Five, the King of the same suit would be considered for all purposes to have the same value as that muestra suit Five. However, if the faced card is a Three, Six or Seven, the King retains its standard value for ranking and with regards to an Envido or Flor.
- Muestra Jack - In regards to a Flor or Envido, this card can be considered to be of any suit and adds 7 points to a Flor or Envido.
- Muestra Knight - In a Flor or Envido, the Muestra Knight can be considered to be of any suit and adds 7 points to a Flor or Envido.
- Muestra Five - In a Flor or Envido, this card of the muestra suit can be considered to be of any suit and adds 8 points to a Flor or Envido.
- Muestra Four - In a Flor or Envido the Four of the muestra suit can be considered to be of any suit and adds 9 points to a Flor or Envido.
- Muestra Two - In regards to a Flor or Envido, the Muestra Two can be considered to be of any suit and adds 10 points to a Flor or Envido.
In all other respects, Uruguayan Truco is played identically to Argentine Truco. However, as many regional systems of gestures and signals have been developed, the following are some that are usually used with the Uruguayan version:
- No high cards - briefly close both eyes
- Jack of non-Muestra suit - Player briefly touches his elbow
- Knight of non-Muestra suit - Player briefly touches his mid-arm
- King of non-Muestra suit - Player briefly touches his shoulder
- Any 2 other than Muestra - Open mouth briefly
- Any 3 - Bite lower lip
- Seven of Coins or Seven of Swords - Smirking gesture to left
- Ace of Batons or Ace of Swords - Smirking gesture to right
- Muestra Jack - Briefly close left eye
- Muestra Knight - Briefly close right eye
- Muestra Five - Sniffing motion
- Muestra Four - Puff out lips
- Muestra Two - Player raises both eyebrows
Two Player Truco:
All listed variations of Truco can also be played by two players. The rules of the actual game are identical to the partnership version with the obvious exception there are no partnerships, with each player playing for himself.
Truco for 6 or 8:
The various Truco versions are sometimes played by larger numbers of players, such as 6 or 8. In this case there are still two partnerships, however each partnership consists of more players. In the case of 6 players, each partnership contains 3 players and with 8 total participants, each partnership has 4 players. The game itself is played identically to the standard versions of Truco, with a few special circumstances which may arise due to the increased number of players:
- If the Envido rules are being used, the only players who may request Envido are the Pie (Foot) and the player to the immediate left of the foot.
- Sometimes, with 6 players Pica Pica is played. When playing Pica Pica, there are still two teams of three players, however, one member of each team plays a two player variant of the game (described above) against one member of the opposing team. At the completion of each hand, the totals for the games of all players on the same team are summed together to determine the current total for that team. A game is usually played to 30 total points.
Copyright © 2015 CatsAtCards.com. All rights reserved.
