LE TRUC

Hey there! Let me tell you about a cool game called Le Truc. It’s been around since the 1400s, which is pretty incredible. It actually started in Spain and was originally played with a special Spanish deck. This deck had cool symbols like coins, cups, swords, and batons. But you know what? You can still have a great time playing Le Truc with a regular French deck!

Okay, so here’s how it works. Le Truc is a trick-taking game for two players. You’ll be bluffing your way through each hand, trying to score as many points as possible. Each hand has three tricks, and if you manage to win two of them, you’ll earn some points. Sounds exciting, right?

THE CARDS & THE DEAL

Now, let’s talk about the cards and the deal. First, you’ll need a regular deck of 52 cards. But wait! We’re going to remove all the cards ranked 2 to 6. We don’t need them for this game. So now you’ll be left with cards ranked like this: 9, 10, J, Q, K, A, 8, 7. Simple enough, right?

In a game of cards, the dealer shuffles the deck and deals three cards to each player, one at a time. The remaining cards are put aside. If both players agree, there is an option for one redeal per round. If they both decide to redeal, their current hands are discarded, and the dealer deals three new cards to each player.

The dealer position alternates after each round.

HOW TO PLAY

THE FIRST TRICK

The trick starts with the player who is not the dealer. They play a card from their hand. The other player responds by playing any card from their hand, regardless of suit. The highest-ranked card played wins the trick. The player who wins the trick leads the next one.

If both players play cards of the same rank, it results in a “spoiled trick.” In this case, the player who led the spoiled trick still leads the next trick.

The game continues as both players try to win two tricks each.

GETTING MORE POINTS

Whenever I want to make a move in the game, I have the option to increase the number of points I can earn in that round. It’s pretty simple – I just have to ask, “Can we make it 2 points?” If the other player agrees, then the round becomes worth 2 points instead of just 1. But if they say no, the round ends right there. Now, here’s the cool part: I actually get points based on the original value of the round, not the increased value.

Here’s something interesting: I can make more than one request in a single hand. This means I can keep raising the value of the round. First, it can go from 2 points to 6 points, and then even up to 8 points, and so on. In fact, it’s possible to have two raises in one round if the player leading the trick asks for a raise, and then the player following them also asks before playing their card.

When playing this game, you have the option to say “My remainder.” The other player can choose to reject your request, which means you win the game, or they can also say “My remainder.” In that case, the player who wins the round is the one who wins the game.

You can also choose to fold at any time during the round, whether or not a request was made.

SCORING

In each round, the player who takes 2 tricks, or the player who takes the first trick if each player only captures one, earns points. The number of points earned depends on the agreed-upon value for the round. If no value was set, the round is worth 1 point.

If the first two tricks are spoiled, the winner of the third trick earns points for the round.

If all three tricks are spoiled, no player earns points.

When you decide to fold during a round, I earn the points instead.

CLAIMING VICTORY

Whoever manages to accumulate 12 points or more first is declared the winner.

Whoever manages to accumulate 12 points or more first is declared the winner.