Tranca ›
Rules of Tranca
Aim of the game
Tranca is a card game for 2 players or pairs. The object is to create straights of the same suit or three of a kind and get more points that your opponents.
It is played with 2 English decks with no jokers. The games can be played for one round, 2000 points or 3000 points.
How to play Tranca
Dealing
11 cards are dealt to each player and two groups of 11 cards each are left aside, which are called “stock”. The other cards will become the deck from where the players pick up cards.
Game play
The first player must take a card from the deck and try to make straights of the same suit or three of a kind to put them on the table (minimum 3 cards). They can put down as many combinations as desired.
When finishing, the player must mandatorily throw one card of his/her hand and lie it down faced-up in the center of the table (pile).
At the beginning of each turn, the player will have the option of taking a card from the deck or all from the pile. To be able to take cards from the pile, it’s compulsory to play the last of them immediately.
As well as making new combinations, you also must incorporate cards into the combinations you already have in play.
The wildcards
The twos have the function of wild card and can be used in three of a kind and in straights even if they’re not the same suit.
In a combination there can only be one wild card.
It is possible to replace a joker at stake for the correspondending card. In that case, the joker will be moved in the sequence having another value according to the following conditions:
- It will continue functioning as a wild card on the far right of the straight (where the highest cards are).
- If it is not possible, it will keep on functioning as a joker at the left end (with the lowest cards).
The pot
At one side of the table, two piles with 11 cards each are reserved, they are called “stock”. When one of the players has no cards, he/she catches one of the piles of the stock. Each partner can only use one of the stocks in a game.
When the cards of the deck finish, one of the piles of the “stock”, if there are any, will replace the deck.
Canastas
A run is formed when it is possible to have a sequence of 7 cards or more.
There are different types of runs depending on how they are formed:
- Dirty run: It is formed with the help of a joker.
- Clear run: It is formed with no jokers.
- Royal run: It is formed when it is possible to form a clear run from the Ace to the King (but when arranging it, the ace is placed after the king because it has a higher value).
- Canasta of wild cards: it is made up when all the cards are wilds (in total, seven 2s).
- Canasta from ace to ace: it is made up with a clean canasta from ace to ace.
Note: in Tranca, you can’t “clean” canastas.
Red and black threes
If a player discards a black three, the next player is obliged to take from the deck (the pile of discards is blocked).
For every black or red 3 that remains in the hand until the end of the round, 100 points are subtracted from the total.
When a player gets a red three, it’s laid directly on the table at their turn. They will then pick up as many cards as red threes laid down.
Every red three adds 100 points, if they have at least on natural canasta, otherwise 100 points are subtracted. If they get 4 red threes and a natural canasta, they score double (800 points).
If they lay down a red three and can’t pick up (no cards left in the deck), they add or subtract 10 points for the red three (instead of 100). Neither will there be any special case for having the four red threes.
Close
A player “closes” when he/she has no more cards in his/her hand. There are different ways to “close”:
- Direct: When a player lies down his/her last card over his/her game area, catching the stock and keeping on placing combinations in the same play.
- Indirect: When a player throws his/her last card in the pile, he/she cannot use the stock until the following round.
- End: When a player places the last of their cards down and cannot pick up from the dead pile, having at least one natural canasta on the table. With this play, the game ends.
Value of the plays
The points are scored the following way:
- Red three: adds 100 points for each one if they have a natural canasta, if not, they subtract. If they get the 4 red threes and a natural canasta, double score (800 points).
- Black or red three: subtract 100 points for each one that remains in the hand at the end of the round.
- Rest of the cards: 10 points
- Final closing: 100 points
- Dirty run: 100 points
- Clear run: 200 points
- Royal run: 500 points
- Canasta of wild cards: 1000 points
- Ace to ace run: 1000 points
Besides, if you catch the stock and are not able to use it, you will count 100 points less . You also count the points of the cards that remained in hands.
The game ends when a player or pair gets the amount of points necessary to win.
If there is a draw, the winner will be the player or the pair that started the game.
Game controls
Select a correct combination of cards to press on the table to put them into play.
Why do robots play? What for?
In some games, when a player loses connection during the game, a robot substitutes until the player can return. The player has a time allowed of some minutes to return to the game and continue playing.
End the game amicably (cancel game)
Some games have the option of ending the game amicably. If this happens, the game is cancelled. That is, the players don’t receive or lose points and the game doesn’t count in the leaderboards or statistics. What’s more, the chips bet are returned to each player (except in the case of penalisation for abandoning the game).
To cancel a game, one of the players must click the following button 
. All the players must agree to end the game, otherwise the game will continue.
The robot doesn’t count in the votes to end a game amicably.
Table options
The table options are chosen by the master (the first player to sit at the table and that has a star 
beside his/her avatar).
To see or change the table options, press the following button 
. The table options can be changed before starting a game or in the middle of the games. If the icon is changed to red, that means the master changed some of the options.
- Time per turn
- Used to indicate the time a player has to play on his/her turn. If the time ends, the game plays for him/her. See also: Game in automatic mode
- Compete for points and chips.
- Permits playing competitive games. Deactivate this option to practise (you will not score points or win chips, nor will you get badges or level up).
- Bet per game:
- Indicate the amount of game chips you will bet in the game. The winner takes the pot. See also: What are the game chips? How can I get them?
- Private table.
- If this option is active, only invited players or friends can sit in. See also: How to invite other players to play at your table.
- Spectators allowed.
- Other people can enter the table to watch the game and chat. See also: Watchers during the games
- Express (Quick games)
- It is the fastest way of play. Played without point limit.
- Limit of points
- Determine the end of the game. The player or pair that gets total points, wins the game.
Ranking for points
To take part in the leaderboard of this game, it is necessary to be registered and have chips enough to meet the bets.
To score points, the games have to be competitive (indicated by a boxing glove or swords). There is no scoring if 2 players at the table share the same IP.
If at one table game chips are being bet, you will need to have sufficient chips available to cover the bet. The winner of the game will get the XP points and the chips bet (the bank will receive 25% of the pot).
Points won depend on the type of game and initial bet.
| Going for points | Express | |
|---|---|---|
| 2 players or in pairs | 40 points | 20 points |
The players that lose a game, add 5 points. If the game is ended amicably, each player gets back their chips bet.