Le Truc

A bluffing & trick taking game with only 3 cards per hand.

Overview

Le Truc is a small bluffing & trick taking game where players (or teams) race to 16 points.

• Players: 2 or 4.
• Prerequisites:
  • 1 deck of cards, only 32 cards (remove all 2-6 and joker cards). Cards are ranked (high to low): A-K-Q-J-10-9-8-7.
  • Something to keep score (pen & paper, chips, coins, etc.)
  • Optional: backgammon doubling cube.
• Play time: 20 minutes.

Gameplay

At the start of each round the dealer deals 3 cards to each player. The leader of the first trick is the player left of the dealer. The leader of the first trick may propose, after cards have been dealt, a re-deal. If the dealer agrees the hand is re-dealt.

Each trick, the leader plays a card, with the other players following in clockwise order. Unlike most trick taking games, Le Truc is suit-less. Therefore a player can play any card and the highest card wins, irregardless of suit. The winner of a trick starts the next trick.

Before playing a card, that player can increase the bet, see Betting below. This may be done before playing their first card.

If the highest cards are tied, no one wins the trick.

A player or team wins the round when they win the majority of tricks. If a player or team wins the first 2 tricks, the 3rd trick is not played out, and all remaining cards are shuffled back into the deck without reveal to the other players. If both players or teams win the same number of tricks, then no points are scored this round.

Betting

By default, each round is worth 1 point.

Before a player plays their card they are allowed to double the current value of the round. If the other player or team accept the point value of the round is doubled (e.g. 2, 4, 8, 16). If the other player or team declines, the player offering to double scores the current game worth, and the round ends immediately (returning all left over cards to the deck without reveal).

Once a bet has been accepted in a round, only the player or team who accepted the last bet that round can offer to double again.

Note: these betting rules are similar to those from the doubling cube in Backgammon.

Team play

When playing in teams, the partners sit opposite of each other.

Open communication between team members is allowed, as long as it can also be heard by the opposing team.