Truco is a card game that, with several variations, is played in Spain, Italy and many countries of South America. It uses the Spanish cards, without the Eights, the Nines and the jokers.
The players receive three cards in their turn. If three cards are from the same suit, it is a "Flower", and grants 3 points. However, if both players have a Flower it works like an Envido.
The next step of the game is the Envido. If a player sings "Envido", the other may reject it and the first one gets one point. If the other accepts, then they must compare their points. When a player has 2 cards of the same suit it's 20 plus their values (but note that Jacks, Knights and Kings do not add value). The other player may, instead of accepting or rejecting, repeat the word Envido, which doubles the points at stake. Now it again the turn of the first player to accept or reject. The first player may even redouble the dare and cry "Falta envido!", if accepted the whole game is decided in it, regardless of current points.
The flower takes precedence over the envido. If the first player has envido and the second has a flower, the second one gets 3 points, with no point lost for not accepting the envido.
The final stage is "Truco". Similar to the envido, a player sings "Truco!", which may be redoubled with "Quiero Retruco" and redoubled again with "Quiero Vale 4". All the cards have an order of precedence for the Truco, and the one who has the best ones win.
The game can be played in teams. There are several gestures used to inform the others of their available cards.
Examples of Truco in media
- El Eternauta starts with Juan Salvo, Favalli, Lucas and Polsky, a gang of friends that get together to play Truco, like all Fridays. That was just Easing into the Adventure: a worldwide disaster takes place during their game, and the adventure starts. By the end of the story Juan Salvo, after having narrated his adventure to the Author Avatar, realizes that he's in the past and runs to his house, to reunite with his family... and he suddenly forgets it all. The Stable Time Loop is confirmed when Favalli, Lucas and Polsky show up to play Truco, like all Fridays, like the Friday of the alien invasion.
- The sequel El Eternauta: Segunda Parte also starts with a game of Truco. Again, suddenly interrupted. But there is a completely unrelated doom this time...
- ''Viudas e hijos del Rock and Roll': Tony gave an air kiss to Segundo, during a Truco game. Segundo thought it was a display of affection, and gave him another one. When he revealed his cards, he lost the bet, and Tony was infuriated: where is the 2 of spades that Segundo told him he had, by giving the air kiss?
- The cover of Almafuerte's CD "Mano Brava" shows a winning set of cards. The song "Mano Brava" from that CD describes a Truco game.
