How to play Truco
Just want the rules? Read the complete Truco rulebook.
Truco is Brazil's loudest card game - three cards, three tricks, and a betting shout that can turn a 1-point hand into the whole game. This is Truco Paulista, the São Paulo version, played heads-up against Emma. The turned vira crowns four manilhas each hand (clubs highest - the famous zap), ordinary cards rank 3-2-A-K-J-Q-7-6-5-4, and equal ranks tie. Win two tricks - or the first trick after a tie - and take the stake. First to 12 points wins.
- The bet - shout Truco! to play for 3; raises go 6, 9, 12. Running away concedes the current stake.
- Manilhas - one rank above the vira: ♣ zap beats ♥ copas beats ♠ espadilha beats ♦ mole.
- Ties - equal cards cancel; the first player to win a trick then takes the hand.
- Mão de 11 - at 11 points you choose: play for 3 or concede 1. At 11-11 everyone plays blind.
- Click or drag - tap a card or drag it to the middle of the table.
Strategy tips that win more points
- The first trick is the hand. Ties hand the game to whoever wins first, so spend strength early - a won first trick lets you dump junk later and bet from ahead.
- Truco from strength OR total weakness. A monster hand wants a bigger pot; a hopeless hand loses 1 anyway, so a bluff that scares Emma off costs nothing extra. The hands in between should stay quiet.
- Respect the raise ladder. Accepting seis with a medium hand is how games are lost. Ask what beats you: if the zap or copas would explain Emma's confidence, believe her.
- Use ties on purpose. If you cannot beat a led 3, matching it with your own 3 kills the trick - and if your last card is a manilha, the next trick (and the hand) is yours.
- Watch the vira before counting your hand. A pair of 6s is junk - unless the vira is a 5, in which case you hold two manilhas. Strength in Truco is always relative to the turn.
Frequently asked questions
What are the rules of Truco?
Truco is a three-card trick game played with a 40-card deck (no 8s, 9s or 10s). Each hand is a best-of-three: play one card per trick, highest card wins, and winning two tricks - or the first trick after a tie - wins the hand for 1 point. At any moment you may shout "truco" to raise the hand to 3 points; your opponent accepts, raises further (6, 9, 12) or runs away and concedes the current stake. First to 12 points wins the game.
What is the card order in Truco Paulista?
Ordinary cards rank 3 (highest), 2, A, K, J, Q, 7, 6, 5, 4 - note the queen below the jack, and suits do not matter, so equal ranks tie. Above them all sit the four manilhas: the cards one rank above the turned vira. Among manilhas clubs beat hearts beat spades beat diamonds - the club manilha (the zap) is the boss of the whole deck.
What is the vira and what are manilhas?
After the deal one card is turned face up: the vira. The four cards of the next rank up (in the cycle 4-5-6-7-Q-J-K-A-2-3-4) become the manilhas for that hand. If the vira is a 7 the queens are manilhas; if it is a 3, the humble 4s rule the table. This is what makes Truco Paulista different from Truco Mineiro, where the manilhas never change.
How does truco betting work?
Any player may call "truco" on their turn, offering to raise the hand from 1 point to 3. The opponent can accept (play on for 3), raise to 6 ("seis!"), or run away - giving up the current stake immediately. Raises alternate: 3, 6, 9, and finally 12, the whole game. You cannot raise if simply accepting would already give you enough points to win, and no truco of any kind is allowed once either player stands at 11.
What happens when a trick ties in Truco?
Cards of the same rank (other than manilhas) are equal, so tricks genuinely tie - Brazilians call it empatar. A tied trick belongs to nobody, and the hand then goes to the first player who wins any trick. If all three tricks tie, the hand is a draw and no one scores. Ties turn ordinary hands into knife fights: after a tie, the very next trick decides everything.
What is the mão de 11 (hand of eleven)?
When you reach 11 points - one from victory - the next hand is special: you inspect your cards and choose to play it for 3 points or concede 1 point to your opponent, and nobody may call truco. If BOTH players stand at 11, an "iron hand" is played: nobody looks at their cards at all, everyone flips blind, and the winner takes the game. This version implements both rules exactly.
More free card games
Truco's tie-and-bluff drama pairs well with Thirteen, another game where a single card can flip the table. For more South-American flavour try Escoba, or take the betting instinct to Spades and its contract bidding.