A significant and enjoyable part of the game is the communication and bluffing that is allowed between partners.

[3] Playing cards were probably introduced to France via the routes through the Pyrenees as well as through ports on the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea.

Catalan Truc resisted competition from other games such as Belote, Rummy, Bridge, Tarot and Poker.

[4][a] The game, which uses Spanish-suited cards, is played in the Central Pyrenees in the département of Hautes-Pyrénées up to the slopes of the Haute-Garonne.

[4] Truc y Flou tournaments have been held in recent years in places such as Saint-Lary-Soulan,[1] Vielle-Aure, Bourisp, Guchan, Ens and Cadeilhan-Trachère.

[7] The game uses a pack of Spanish-suited cards of the Spanish National or Old Catalan pattern.

The packs contain 48 cards from which the Eights and Nines are removed for this game, leaving 40 cards, divided into 4 suits: Swords (Epée or Aspade); Clubs (Bâton or Bastou); Coins (Soleil or Aurous); and Cups (Coupe or Copas).

During the game, players use conventional signals to communicate information to their team mates about the highest cards.

The Jack (Sota) of Coins and the Knight (Cavall) of Clubs act as wild cards and are called the périques.

[4] The espintou used to be any suitable object such as a matchstick, a ball of paper or a cork, but nowadays a coloured jeton, such as those used for the game of Belote, is typical.

The dealer shuffles the pack, offers it to youngest hand to cut and then deals three cards each beginning with eldest.

[7] Each player now identifies the stronger cards (potential trick winners) held and communicates this discreetly to the team captain, who decides the strategy to follow.

In the event of a tie, whereby two opposing players score the same points, positional priority applies, i.e. the one nearest the dealer's right wins.

However any subsequent member of the opposing team, in turn, may challenge it in one of two ways by saying:[7] A confident player may open the bidding with "I'm bidding for all the rest" (mi falta embidou or mi falta) in which case the opposition can only fold and concede a point or say "sing it" and the highest embit wins.

[7] A flor (French: fleur = "flower") is a flush of three cards of the same suit held by one player.

Instead of declaring their point total, they then say "demi flor" on playing the subsequent cards and the scores are counted at the end.

Alternatively the first player may challenge by saying "sing your better one" (alimidou cantar) and they compare flors.

[7] From the information signalled by teammates, captains direct the play of their teams e.g. tilting the head from one side to the other means "let this trick go to the opponents".

At any stage a bid may be rejected ("no"), in which the last bidder wins and scores the existing level of points.

[7] A team with a high cards and a good embit make even announce "Truc and the rest" (restou y troucou).