LE TRUC

LE TRUC is an old french gambling game which is very simple to play. Since bluff plays a considerable part it is best when played for stakes (a bluff is easier to attempt if financial penalties would not accompany its failure), but some play the game happily for points.

NUMBER OF PLAYERS

The basic game is for two players, but four may play in partnership of two, as described later.

CARDS

A short pack of 32 cards is used. Removed from the standard pack are the 8s,5s, 4s,3s, and 2s. The cards rank in the order 7, 6, ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10,9. The suits are immaterial.

Players cut for deal, and lower deals (cards ranking for this purpose normally, i.e. Ace high and 6 low). The deal thereafter alternates with each hand. The dealer shuffles and non-dealer cuts, and dealer three cards to each player, one at a time.

THE PLAY

The non-dealer looks at his poker hand and may say ‘I play’, in which case play begins, or he may ask for a new deal. If the later, dealer has two options. He may accept, in which case both hands are laid aside unexposed, and the dealer deals two fresh hands, or he may refuse, in which case both players play with the cards they have. The non-dealer may ask for new cards once only.

The object in each deal is to win two of the three tricks. There are no trumps and no obligation to follow suit, suits being immaterial. Each player can play whichever card he likes on each trick. The non-dealer leads to the first trick, thereafter the winner of a trick leads to the next.

A trick is won by the higher card in it irrespective of suit. Should both players play a card of equal rank, the trick is spoiled and is claimed by the first player to win a trick. Thus if the first trick is spoiled it is claimed by the player to win the second (if that is spoiled too, both are claimed by the player to win the third).

If the second trick is spoiled, it is claimed by the player who won the first trick. It is possible that all three tricks spoiled, in which case that deal is declared a draw and the deal passes to the next player. If a trick is spoiled, the leader to if leads to the next. Each deal is worth one point, should neither player double, and a game consist of 12 points.

However, it is the doubling which gives the card game its appeal, and introduces the opportunity to bluff. At any time a player about to play his card (whether it is first, second or third and whether he is leading or following) may offer to double the value of the hand.

If his opponent accepts, the play continues at double value. But a player offered a double may decline it, in which case he concedes the hand at its current value. A hand may be doubled to be worth two points, then four, then eight, but no more.

The reason is that a player cannot double the value of the hand beyond a point where, if he won, the value would take his score past the game-winning 12 points. In this case, he can, however, increase the stake to however many points he needs to win the game by saying: ‘My remainder’.

For example, if his score is seven, and the value of the game is four, he cannot double the stake again because this would take him past 12, but he can win the necessary five points for game by saying: ‘My remainder’.

However, this call carries a risk, because if the ‘remainder’ call is accepted, the points at stake become the opponent’s remainder as well, irrespective of how many points he had before the hand was dealt, so the poker winner of the hand automatically wins the game.

The normal way for a player to double is to state the new value of the game, thus: ‘Two if I play?’ and ‘Four if I play?’ and so on. His opponent either says ‘Yes’ or throws in his cards to concede at the former value. Each game is a separate entity and is settled as such.

Good play arises a first of all for the non-dealer in whether or not to call for new cards. While he might invariably do so with pool cards, he might occasionally do so with good cards, to lure the dealer into a trap. Good play for the dealer begins with making the best decisions on accepting or refusing such calls.

The remaining skill comes in the order of playing the cards in the hand and in the doubling.