Truco: the complete wiki

How to play

Controls

Play a card

Tap it, or press 1, 2 or 3

Call or answer

Buttons below the table (only the calls you can make appear)

See what was played

Play history, below the controls

Modes and options

To 30 (two halves)

The classic game: the first 15 points are the “bad” half and the rest the “good” half.

To 15

A short game, ideal for a few minutes.

Easy, Normal, Hard

Easy judges by eye and slips often; Normal reads its hand well; Hard calculates better, watches the score and bluffs a bit more.

Rules

• Each player gets 3 cards. Whoever takes two of the three tricks wins the hand; the “mano” leads first and the role alternates every hand.
• Cards don’t rank by number: 1 of swords, 1 of clubs, 7 of swords, 7 of coins, the 3s, the 2s, the false aces (cups and coins), the 12s, 11s and 10s, the false 7s (cups and clubs), the 6s, 5s and 4s.
• Ties (parda): if the first trick ties, the second decides (and the third if that ties too); a tie after a won trick goes to whoever won the first; three ties go to the mano.
• Truco is worth 2, Retruco 3 and Vale cuatro 4. Only the player who accepted a call can raise next. A declined call gives the caller what was already accepted (1 if nothing).
• Envido 2, Real envido 3; Falta envido is worth what the leader still needs (the whole game while in the first half). It can only be called in the first trick, before playing your first card; when answering a Truco you may call envido first.
• Your envido: two cards of the same suit add 20 plus their values (face cards count 0); otherwise your highest card. Highest wins; ties go to the mano.
• Folding gives your rival what the hand was worth; in the first trick with no envido called, one point more.

Strategy

Plan the whole hand before your first card: with two strong cards, win the first trick cheaply and save the best; with just one top card, it can pay to lose the first trick with a low card and fight for the other two.

The score decides. In the first half a Falta envido can settle the game; near 30, every point matters more than this hand’s truco.

Tips

• With a top card (1 of swords or clubs) you can wait for your rival to call and then raise.
• If you won the first trick, play the second calmly: a tie hands you the hand.
• Envido gives things away: if your rival says 33, they hold a 7 and a 6 of the same suit.
• Don’t accept a truco with nothing when your rival is close to winning: sometimes losing a point wins the game.

Common mistakes

• Spending your top card on the first trick when a lower one would do: then you lack it for the other two.
• Accepting every truco: with a weak hand and your rival close to winning, giving up the point can be better.
• Forgetting the envido: it’s called before you play your first card; afterwards it’s too late.
• Calling Falta envido without looking at the score: in the first half it can give away the whole game.

Mechanics

The tags that describe Truco. Those with a page lead to similar games.

• Vs AI
• Cards
• Strategy
• Challenging
• Classic

Glossary

Envido

In Truco, the call on the value of your two cards of the same suit: 20 plus both cards (face cards count 0). Without two of a suit, it’s your highest card. It can only be called during the first trick.

Truco, retruco and vale cuatro

The calls that raise what a hand is worth: truco (2 points), retruco (3) and vale cuatro (4). The rival can accept, raise or refuse, in which case the caller takes the previous value.

See the full glossary

FAQ

Why no flor?

Vexply plays the two-player variant without flor, very common in Argentine truco. Flor doesn’t appear in any button or score.

Can the computer see my cards?

No. It only uses what a player in its seat would see: its own cards, the table, the score and the envido said out loud.

Is the game saved?

Yes, in your browser: reload the page and you carry on where you were. Stats stay only there too.