I would characterize it as essentially a very simple game in terms of high card or trump wins, except for the scoring, which is what makes it much more complex. You need skill to maximize your score and that takes a certain kind of understanding of the dynamics involved. Plus, there are regional variations that add complexity. An individual hand can go very fast, once the play starts, so small decisions and skill can add up when playing several hands to get to 500 points.
At the very least use a Marseille or Italian style deck rather than something like the Rider-Waite. Decks that are optimized for the game (Tarot, Tarock or Tarocchi decks) can be seen at the websites above and are fairly easy to get via the internet.