When I was studying for my undergraduate degree, I saw many people eager to learn, but most of them could not learn how to learn.
They thought that learning was contained only in the subjects we studied, but everything we learned from our classmates was just as important as what the institution taught. Few noticed this.
I remember that at my graduation party, one of my classmates joked that we had earned a Bachelor's degree in Truco (a card game), since we used every break to sharpen our skills in that "sport." But what for many was a way to release tension, or to compensate for long theoretical classes, was always a learning experience for me.
What can you learn from Truco?
(1) Rules: Even traditional games undergo adaptations, and knowing how to adapt to new rules and new formats can give you an edge in your professional life.
(2) Truths or Lies: Bluffing is part of the game and is often used as a form of intimidation. Learning to identify a bluff and expose the liar is something that develops over time and will earn you respect within the group. Investigate, gather more information before making a decision. Do not believe everything you hear.
(3) Experience: Practice leads to perfection. Learn from those with more experience and practice consistently, because past situations build knowledge that will allow you to make decisions in the present more quickly.
(4) Territory: Learn to defend what you have earned. When you are ahead on points and the moment is not favorable, learn to wait for the right time to accept or make new proposals. Do not bet high at the risk of losing everything.
(5) Specialties: Each person has different skills, and knowing how to identify your own strengths is a major lesson. Do not invite a professional Chess player to play Chess with you. If you want to win, invite them to play Truco, preferably when they do not even know all the rules and tricks.
(6) Teamwork: There is no playing alone. Learn to work as a team and to get the most out of each team member's abilities.
(7) Situations change: Every new round brings a different situation. Learn to turn this into an advantage and to take more away from each stage, whether won or lost. With every round, if you learn from each episode, you will become a better player.
(8) Communication: Knowing how to communicate can be your greatest differentiator, because in critical moments it is communication that will bring you allies or warn you of dangers. Communicate and learn to build strategies together.
(9) Resources: In the game, the secret is to make good use of what is available. Learn to take precise shots, using the right caliber for each situation. Sometimes waiting for the right moment to make a proposal is better than letting anxiety get in the way.
(10) Luck: Luck is an important ally, but you should not complain about its absence, because you need to learn to understand it and to recognize when it is on your side. Do not rely on it alone to solve your problems. When the game reaches a tie in the final round, luck will matter a great deal. But if you let things get to that extreme, the tips above will not mean much anymore. Work to plan ahead and reach your goals with some margin to spare, because if you depend on luck, you will certainly be giving chance the upper hand.
The Truco bachelor's degree may not come with an official diploma, but it can teach a great deal. You just have to be willing to learn.
