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Official Truc Rules
Truc is a traditional trick-taking card game played primarily in Spain. It's usually played by two players or two teams of two players each. The objective is to win rounds by taking the majority of tricks and scoring points through successful bids.
Objective
To win more tricks than your opponent or successfully raise the stakes (Truco, Retruco) to score more points.
Setup
The Deck
A Spanish 40-card deck is used, consisting of four suits: Cups, Coins, Swords, and Clubs. Each suit has the following cards ranked from highest to lowest: Ace, 3, King (Rey), Knight (Caballo), Jack (Sota), 7, 6, 5, 4, 2.
The Deal
The dealer shuffles the deck and deals three cards to each player, one at a time, starting with the player to their right.
The role of the dealer rotates clockwise after each hand.
Gameplay
The Bidding
Initial Bid: The player to the right of the dealer can open the bidding or pass. Bidding continues clockwise with each player either bidding higher or passing.
Truco: A player can bid "Truco" to challenge the other team, indicating they believe they can win the majority of tricks. The opponent can accept, raise the bid, or fold.
Retruco: A response to "Truco," raising the stakes.
Vale Cuatro: The highest bid, indicating extreme confidence in winning.
The Play
Leading: The player to the right of the dealer leads the first trick. Players must follow suit if possible.
Winning Tricks: The highest card of the suit led wins the trick unless a trump (defined by the hierarchy of cards) is played.
Hierarchy of Cards:
4 of Cups (Mano)
7 of Coins
1 of Swords
1 of Clubs
7 of Swords
7 of Clubs
3s
2s
Kings
Knights
Jacks
6s
5s
4s (other than the 4 of Cups)
Scoring
Winning Rounds: The team that wins two out of three tricks wins the round.
Points for Truco: If the bid was "Truco," the winning team scores 2 points. If "Retruco," they score 3 points, and if "Vale Cuatro," they score 4 points.
First to 15: The first team to reach 15 points wins the game.
Notes/Variations
Envido: An optional side bet made before the tricks are played, involving a point system based on the values of cards of the same suit. The highest combination scores 2 points, with possible raises for more points.
Flor: Another optional side bet involving three cards of the same suit. This is rare and scores higher points.
Truc is a dynamic game that requires quick thinking, strategic decision-making, and a bit of luck.
