Rules
| The Cards | The Game | Scoring
Cards dealing | "Truco" and "Retruco" | Hand of ten
Wiles | Signs
| Variations | Variables
It is a game of subterfuge, malice, tricks
and simulations that enlightens the calm life of any calm
small country town.
It appears in dictionaries as "truco"
or "truque" (trick) , which may have been the
original name of the game. Since the main objective of the
game is to "play tricks" the name was gradually
changed until it became our "truco".
It is maybe the only game of bets by points,
not money that is may lead players to a high degree of excitement.
It is a battle between two pairs of players, one trying
to fool the other , using all sorts of wiles, faking a chaotic
situation when one is about to "swallow" the opponent,
always very subtly.
A lot of roaring takes place, players challenge
each other all the time and the pairs in a growing enthusiasm,
anxiously wait for a chance to revenge.
Many strange words and expressions are
frequently heard among the frequent players : "ladrão
de milho" (corn thief), "freguês de caderno"
(long-time customer), "boi fugido" (run-away bull),
"papudo" (show off). During the game, among the
defying expressions the most incredible complaints are also
heard. And there they go, through out the night in a ferocious
psychological war.
Rules
Four people, grouped in two pairs play
"Truco". Signaling is allowed and even considered
as a vital condition for the victory over the competitors.
For this reason, "permanent pairs" are often formed,
seen as unbeatable, since the players are so used to the
partner's signs, they don't want to be separated. This may
be avoided by means of a raffle to form the pairs. The partners
in each pair will seat in alternate positions.
The Cards
A regular deck of cards is used, reduced
to forty cards by excluding the 8s, 9s, and 10s, divided
into "manilhas" (four cards of a rank, which are
more valuable) and simple cards.
"Manilhas" (in decreasing order)
4 of clubs - also called "Zape",
the most valuable card of the game- 7 of Hearts , Ace of
Spades - called "Espadilha", 7 of diamonds
Simple cards (in decreasing order)
Three - four cards, one of each suit
Two - four cards, one of each suit
Ace - three cards (Clubs, Hearts and Diamonds ) .
King - four cards, one of each suit
Jack - four cards, one of each suit
Queen - four cards, one of each suit
Seven - two cards (Clubs and Spades )
Six - four cards, one of each suit
Five - four cards, one of each suit
Four - three cards (Hearts, Spades and Diamonds )
The rank of suits in simple cards is the
same. The six of clubs, for example is as valuable as six
of any other suit.
The Game
The dispute is won by a "best of three",
that is, out of three games, the winner is the player who
wins two games ( consecutive or not) or who wins one game
and gets two tied scores. The objective is to win the "queda"
(set), which is taken by the winner of a majority of three
games. A game is over when a pair obtains or exceeds 12
points. The points are won in the hands which are in turn
won by pair that takes the majority of three tricks. Then
a new game starts, with a new score.
Each player receives three cards, and the
first trick of the hand is started. A trick is a set of
cards, each discarded by one of the players in his turn.
The highest card wins the trick. The winner leads to the
following trick after having collected and turned faced
down the cards of the previous trick. If the trick has a
tied score, the card dealer will be the same in the next
trick. The player who wins the hand obtains a certain number
of points (one, three, six or nine points), depending on
the bets. A trick is not worth points, only the hand
There are three rules to avoid the hand
to come to a tied score (with three tied tricks or one tied
trick and one victory for each pair ):
1) the pair who wins the first trick and
comes tied on the second trick will be the winner of the
hand ( reason for the saying : "The one who goes first,
goes to mass");
2) if the first trick finishes with a tied
score, the pair that wins the second trick will be the winner;
3) if the three tricks come to a tied score,
the opponent pair of the player who dealt the cards will
be the winner of this hand.
Scoring
The points are called tokens and they are
scored by chips, grains of corn, beans, buttons, etc. During
the hand, the players challenge their opponents, betting
points. These bets serve the purpose of raising the score
of the hand being played. Any player may bluff in a trick,
that is to say, be the first one to challenge by yelling
"truco", which corresponds to a bet of three points.
The challenged pair may call, reject or raise by yelling
"Worth six", so that the game is now worth six
points. The points of each game should be scored by the
tokens.
Each game is worth from 1 to 9 points,
according to the bets:
Hand without "Truco" (no bets
) - 1 point
Hand with "Truco" - 3 points
Hand with "Worth Six" - 6 points
Hand with "Worth Nine" - 9 points
The challenge, by means of bets, is totally
necessary and may be matched, rejected or "retrucado"
(raised).
If a pair rejects a bet, the opponent wins
the hand and the number of points being played before the
bet was made. If it is matched, the value of hand is automatically
increased.
The objective of winning the hand is to
win the points in the hand and reach 12 points to win the
game. The winner of a majority of three games wins the "queda".
To summarize, the "Truco" contest
is called a "queda " (set of 3 games). The winner
of the best of three tricks wins a hand with a certain number
of points or tokens (as many as were bet in this hand) Those
who first reach 12 points win the game. Those who win the
best of three games win the "queda" .
Cards Dealing
The cards are dealt counterclockwise, three
at each time for each player. The player who deals the cards
is chosen before the first hand and is called "foot".
In the second hand the cards are dealt by the player to
the right of the foot and so on. The player sitting to the
left side of the card dealer is the "cutter".
The one to his right is the "hand", which means,
the first one to receive cards and to discard.
The foot has a great advantage, as, being
the last one to discard; he may evaluate the cards of the
rest of the players, before the hand is decided. Therefore,
he/she is at a good position to bluff as he may call "truco"
knowing all of the cards played.
"Truco" and "Retruco"
Any player, in his turn and after the card
dealing, has the right to bet, before playing his card,
increasing the value of the hand from 1 to 3 points ("Truco").
If a pair calls "Truco", one
of the opponents, in his turn, may raise ("Worth Six"),
so that the hand is worth six points.
The sounds of "Truco" (I bet)
and "Retruco" (I raise) must be clear, followed
by gestures and screams, leaving no doubts, and it is not
possible to withdraw after having accepted a call. The player
may highlight a card he intends to play, when he bets or
raises. If the challenge is not accepted, the hand is won
with the points worth before the bet was made, and it will
not be necessary to show the card. The deck of cards then
goes to the new "foot". If the bet is accepted,
the player who made the bet will have to show the card that
was highlighted and the trick is won by the player who has
played the highest card.
In the first trick, as an exception, even
when the bet is refused, the player who called "Truco"
must show the card afterwards. The player winning the first
trick leads to the second one. If he/she wants, the player
may discard a covered card, which, for that reason will
have no value. The reasons for this kind of play is to try
to favor the game of the partner or to try to disguise or
dissimulate one's own game. The bet or the raising of a
bet is called to the player sitting to the right, but any
of the partners of the defied pair may accept, saying clearly
"I accept", "I take it", "Come",
"You may kill", etc. The refusal to the bet ("I
don't pay to see") should also be very clear ("I
give up", "I'm out", "I'll go to the
woods", etc).
When the pair does not want to risk loosing
decisive points, or wishes to lose fewer points, they reject
a bet.
Noises, knocking on the table, singing,
screams are common and even necessary as the game goes on.
In case the foot accidentally gives more
than three cards to a player, and if this player is a member
of the hand-cutting pair, this player, when it is his turn
to play, has the right to bet. If the bet is accepted, the
player shows his cards, winning the hand (3 points). If
the foot, however, asks: "With how many cards?"
the cards are collected for a new dealing and the hand is
canceled. If the foot or his partner receives more than
three cards, the game is automatically cancelled.
Hand of Ten
When one of the pairs reaches ten points,
the following hand, called "Hand of ten" is special,
and betting is not allowed. If one of the players of the
pair with less than ten points bets, the pair with 10 points
loses the hand, giving the opponents three points. If the
pair that has less than 10 points wins the hand; they receive
3 points. If the opponent pair passes the hand after having
seen the cards, the opponents win only one point. The partners
with ten points may exchange opinions, showing the cards
to be able to decide how to act. When both pairs have ten
points, the hand will be disputed without resources and
the winner of the game is the winner of the hand.
Wiles
Many wiles are used when shuffling and
dealing the cards. When the foot shuffles the cards, (prepares
the deck of cards), he does it in a way he can look at the
cards, setting them in a favorable way. The deck should
be shuffled with the cards turned back to the dealer so
that he/she is not favored. This however gives the "hand"
a chance to notice the tricks of the "foot", giving
the cutter ideas for a more convenient cut. The shuffled
deck should be given to the cutter who, controlling the
cards, may look at the first and the last ones in the deck,
before cutting; when giving back the deck of cards to the
foot, he may order him to deal from top to bottom (go down)
or from bottom to top (go up); refuse and substitute (burn),
during the dealing, up to nine cards not yet taken by the
players. If this happens, the three first cards should remain
open, and the other six will be turned faced down. .
The "hand" may also burn the
cards, up to a total of nine cards. He may also pass to
his partner the first three cards dealt, receiving the three
following ones. In case a card turns up accidentally, the
hand-cutting pair may refuse it, but the foot and the third
player have to take it.
To balance these advantages of the opponent pair, the foot
shall avoid passing the cutter a deck with high first and
last cards. The foot may only refuse the cut if the cutter
deals with the deck more than it is allowed .
Signs
The partners may agree on the signs that
will be used during the game. For example, to help the partner
in cutting, the hand can sign: palms down = "manilha"
below, palm up = "manilha" up; vertical palm =
"manilha" in the middle of the deck. .
There are many codes, but one is seen as
the simplest: winking = zape; frowning the nose = 7 of hearts;
frowning the forehead = ace of spades; sticking the tongue
= 7 of diamonds; yawning = bad cards.
Variations
The Department of Tourism, at the "I
Campeonato de Truco do Estado de São Paulo",
(First Truco Championship in the State of São Paulo)
in 1977, established a standard scoring system, due to the
great variations that the game presents from one region
of the country to the other:
Hand without "Truco"…………
2 points
With a "Truco".....………………
4 points
With "Worth Six".. ………….
8 points
With "Worth Nine" ..........…12 points s
The "manilhas" may also vary,
according to the shuffling before the cards are dealt. In
general the procedure is the following: one card is drawn
and remains open, out of the game. Considering the usual
succession of cards in the deck, and not their value in
"Truco", the "manilhas" are the cards
immediately following. For example: if the drawn card is
a five (of any suit) the "manilhas" will be the
six of clubs (zape), the six of Hearts, six of Spades ("Espadilha"),
and the six of Hearts and six of diamonds.
Variables
There are also variables in where the number
of players and the values of the cards are changed. "Douradinha"
(Goldie) is a variation with three pairs, it uses five more
"mailhas", higher than those of the usual game,
which are :
Diamonds Queen (Goldie )
Jack of Clubs - Two of Clubs (Joker)
Ace of Clubs - Five of Clubs
