Mastering Truco: A Comprehensive Guide to Argentina’s Beloved Card Game

Truco, a fast-paced and fiercely competitive card game, is more than just a pastime in Argentina; it’s a cultural institution. Played with a standard Spanish deck (which differs slightly from the French deck), Truco combines strategy, bluffing, and a dash of luck to create an exhilarating experience. If you’re looking to dive into this exciting game, you’ve come to the right place. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the rules, strategies, and nuances of Truco, equipping you to play like a seasoned pro.

Understanding the Basics

The Deck

Truco is typically played with a 40-card Spanish deck. The cards are ranked in descending order:

• 12 (Rey, King)
• 11 (Caballo, Knight)
• 10 (Sota, Jack)
• 7
• 6
• 5
• 4
• 3
• 2
• 1 (As, Ace)

It’s important to note that the suits have *no* intrinsic value; they only come into play for determining the *envido*, a separate scoring component which will be explained later.

The Players

Truco is typically played by two teams of two (4 players in total), but can also be played with two players or with six players. The core mechanics remain the same. In a four-player game, partners sit opposite each other.

Objective

The objective of Truco is to be the first team to reach a pre-determined score, typically 15, 24 or 30 points. Points are earned by winning rounds (called ‘hands’) and by winning bids made during the game.

The Gameplay: Step-by-Step

1. Dealing the Cards

A dealer is chosen randomly to start the game. In subsequent rounds, the role of the dealer typically rotates counter-clockwise. The dealer shuffles the deck and deals three cards to each player. The remaining cards are placed face down as the deck, also known as ‘El Mazo’.

2. Determining the ‘Hand’s’ Value

Before the game begins, the *canto* value for each card needs to be set. The most common system is as follows:

• 1 (Ace) is the lowest card
• 2 is the second lowest.
• 3 is the third lowest.
• 4,5,6,7 have no particular value for ‘canto’.
• 10,11,12 are also known as the ‘blind’ cards and also have no particular value for ‘canto’.

This means that the rank of the card for this part of the game is as follows:

• 1(Ace)
• 2
• 3
• 7,6,5,4, 12,11,10 are equal and have no value for ‘canto’

3. The First Phase: ‘Envido’

The first phase of each round is the *envido*. This is an optional bidding stage where players can score extra points based on the cards they have. The goal is to have the highest possible *envido* value. Here’s how it works:

3.1. Calculating ‘Envido’ Points:

* Same Suit: If you have two or more cards of the same suit, you add 20 to the sum of the values of those cards. Face cards (10, 11, and 12) count as 0 for Envido purposes. The Ace, while it’s the lowest rank for play, counts as 1 for ‘envido’. For example, two 6s of spades would equal 20+6+6=32 points. An Ace of Clubs and a 3 of Clubs would equal 20 + 1+3=24 points. And an Ace of Golds and a 12 of Golds would equal 20 + 1 + 0 = 21 points.

* Different Suits: If you have three cards of different suits, your envido value will be the highest value card that you hold. For example, a 7 of Swords, a 3 of Clubs and an Ace of Cups would equal 7 points, which is the highest value between the three.

3.2. Envido Bidding Options:

* Envido: A player can say “Envido” to initiate an envido bid. The player to their right must either accept the bid or increase the bid.
* If they accept, the bid winner is determined as in the case of an ‘envido’ bid. The winner wins 2 points.
* If they increase the bid, the players are offered new ways to score (or not) points.
* Real Envido: A player can say “Real Envido” which is a bid for 3 points, which also can be accepted, or increased.
* Falta Envido: A player can say “Falta Envido”, which is a bid for the amount of points that are needed for the current team who has the lowest score, to win the game, with a maximum of 15 points. This bid can also be accepted or increased.
* No Quiero/I Don’t Want: A player can refuse an *envido* bid, and the opposing team gets 1 point. You can refuse only one bid per round, which also means you can’t make an “envido” bid in this round.
* Going to the Top: If there is a bid for ‘envido’, ‘real envido’ or ‘falta envido’, the other team can go directly to the maximum ‘falta envido’ bid.

* Truco Bid: When the first person that speaks bids the ‘Envido’, the other team can chose to go for a ‘Truco’ bid instead of following the ‘Envido’ bid. This means they are ending the ‘envido’ phase and going straight to the ‘Truco’ game.

3.3. Revealing Hands: If a bid reaches its maximum value, or if any player accepts the final bid, all players reveal their hands to determine the winner of the *envido* phase. The team with the highest *envido* score wins the points bid. If there are no envido bids, then there are no envido points awarded to any team.

Important Envido Nuances:

* The order of bidding is from the player to the left of the dealer.
* A player can only make one “envido” bid in each round.

4. The Truco Phase

After the *envido* phase (or if no *envido* bids were made), the main part of the game begins. This is the ‘Truco’ phase. Players play one card at a time and try to win the ‘hand’.

4.1. The Card Hierarchy:

The card ranking for winning each hand is as follows, in descending order:

• 1 (Ace) of Spades (The Spades Ace, also known as *Ancho de Espadas*, is the highest value card.)
• 1 (Ace) of Clubs (The Clubs Ace, also known as *Ancho de Bastos*, is the second highest value card.)
• 7 of Swords (The Seven of Swords, also known as *Siete de Espadas*, is the third highest value card.)
• 7 of Golds (The Seven of Golds, also known as *Siete de Oro*, is the fourth highest value card.)
• 3s (All the Threes)
• 2s (All the Twos)
• 1 (Ace) of Cups and 1(Ace) of Golds. (All the Aces that are not Spades or Clubs)
• 12s (All the Kings)
• 11s (All the Knights)
• 10s (All the Jacks)
• 7, 6, 5, 4. (All the Sevens, Sixes, Fives and Fours). These cards are all ranked from highest to lowest value in this order.

4.2. Playing the Cards:

The player to the left of the dealer starts the first hand, also called a ‘Round’. Each player plays one card face up. The player with the highest-ranking card wins the trick and leads the next trick.

* If there is a tie in value between the played cards in the same round, the player to the left of the first tie wins the round. For example, if player 1 leads with a 6 of Clubs and player 2 plays a 6 of Golds, player 1 wins the round.

4.3. The Best-of-Three Rule:

A game is usually played to the best of three tricks (rounds). The team that wins two tricks wins the hand. If the first two rounds are won by the same team, the third round is not played.

4.4. The ‘Truco’ Bid:

At any point during the Truco phase, a player can say “Truco” (or the abbreviation, meaning, literally “Trick”) to increase the stakes. When this happens, the other team has the following options:

• Accepting Truco: If the other team accepts the *truco* bid, the value of the hand is increased. Depending on the agreement made before the start of the game, a ‘truco’ bid means the team that wins the hand wins 2 points, the ‘Retruco’ bid wins 3 points, and the ‘Vale Cuatro’ (Go For Four) means 4 points.
• Retruco: If the bid for ‘truco’ is accepted, the team that accepted the ‘truco’ can say “Retruco”, to raise the stakes. In this case, the opposing team must accept the bid or decline it, as they are not allowed to raise it.
• Vale Cuatro: If the bid for ‘Retruco’ is accepted, the other team can say “Vale Cuatro”, to raise the stakes even more.
• Not Accepting Truco: If the other team declines the *truco* bid, the team that bid the *truco* gets one point and the round ends.

4.5. Going to the Deck/No Cards Left:

If at any point before or after a ‘Truco’ bid was made, the players don’t have any cards left, the game continues to be played, using only the points gained at the time of not having any cards left, or the point the current ‘Truco’ bid is at.

Important ‘Truco’ Nuances:

* Only one team can make the ‘Truco’, ‘Retruco’ or ‘Vale Cuatro’ bids.
* The ‘Truco’ bid can be made at any point before the end of the current ‘Round’ or ‘Hand’.

5. Scoring

The points won during each round are totalled. The team that reaches the previously agreed upon score first is the winner. Some common score values are 15, 24 or 30 points.

Strategy and Tips for Winning at Truco

• Bluffing is Key: Truco is as much about bluffing as it is about having good cards. Don’t be afraid to bet aggressively even with a weak hand to try and pressure your opponents into folding.
• Know Your Opponents: Pay close attention to the way your opponents play. Do they tend to bet conservatively or aggressively? Are they more likely to bluff when behind? The more you know about your opponents, the better you can adapt your strategy.
• Manage Your Risk: Understand the value of your hand in terms of Envido and Truco, and bet accordingly. Don’t be afraid to fold if you believe you’re facing a strong opponent.
• Master the Art of Timing: The timing of your bids is crucial. Don’t always call *envido* just because you have a good hand. Sometimes, it’s better to wait for the right moment to extract maximum value. Similarly, be strategic when you bid *truco*. Don’t rush into it if you don’t have a very strong hand.
• Communication with Your Partner (in 4-player games): Develop a simple code to communicate with your partner. Even simple coughs or eye movements can give away information, helping you understand how strong their hand is and what they are planning to do. Be careful not to be too obvious, however. Make sure no other player can understand the messages you are sending.
• Learn the ‘Señas’ (Signs): In traditional Truco, players often use subtle signs or gestures to convey their hand strength to their partners. Learning these señas can give you a significant advantage. Señas are a great way to know if your partner has good or bad cards and to better plan your strategies with them. Some common señas include:
  * Eyebrow raise: Usually means the player has an Ace.
  * Mouth opening: Usually means the player has the Seven of Swords.
  * Mouth movement from side to side: Usually means the player has the Seven of Golds.
  * Winking: Usually means the player has a ‘Tres’ (3).
  * Slightly moving the mouth to the left or right: Usually means the player has a ‘Dos’ (2).
  * Looking to the left or right: Usually means the player has the ‘As’ (1) of Spades or Clubs.
  * Looking upwards: Usually means the player has a ‘Blind’ card, meaning a King, Queen or Jack.
  * Moving one’s thumb towards the cards: Usually means the player has a good score for ‘Envido’.
  * Moving one’s thumb away from the cards: Usually means the player has a bad score for ‘Envido’.

Variations of Truco

While the basic rules remain the same, there are a few variations of Truco, mostly regional, which can change the specifics of scoring or the use of specific cards. One of the most common variations is the ‘Truco Mineiro’ from Brazil, where the cards rank similarly, but there are more options when it comes to the ‘Truco’ bids. These variations, however, do not make any fundamental changes to the game.

Conclusion

Truco is a captivating card game that offers a blend of strategy, risk-taking, and social interaction. It may seem complex at first, but with practice and understanding of the rules and nuances, you can quickly become proficient and appreciate the excitement that it offers. Whether you are playing with friends or family, Truco is a game that guarantees fun and intense competition. So, gather your players, grab a deck of cards, and start your Truco journey today!