How to Play Truco
Description
A Latin American card game where the bidding, the bluffing, and the signals across the table do more work than the cards. Three cards, two phases, and a whole lot of theatre.
Also known as: Truco Argentino; Truco Venezolano
Objective
Team up with the player across from you (or play one-on-one) and be first to reach 15 points, won through tricks and bluffing bets.
Setup
Two or four players, using a 40-card Spanish-style deck.
Each player gets three cards. Four special cards outrank everything else: the Ace of Swords, the Ace of Clubs, the 7 of Swords, and the 7 of Coins, in that order — then 3s, 2s, and the remaining cards in descending order.
Rules
Each hand is played out over up to three tricks, one card at a time. Highest card wins a trick; whoever wins leads the next.
Win two of the three tricks and you win the hand.
At any point, you can call "Truco" to raise the stakes on the hand — your opponents must accept, raise further, or fold and concede the points already on the table.
A separate side bet, Envido, can be called before the first trick — comparing the value of same-suit cards in hand, independent of who wins the tricks.
Winning
Winning a hand scores points according to whatever was raised and accepted during play.
First team (or player) to 15 points wins the match.