Wizard (card game)

File:Wizard (card game) deck, box, and scorecard.jpg

The objective of the game is to bid correctly on the number of tricks that a player will take in the subsequent round of play.{{cite web |last1=Mortensen |first1=Eric |title=The Original Wizard Card Game: Rules for How to Play |url=https://www.geekyhobbies.com/the-original-wizard-card-game-rules/ |website=Geeky Hobbies |access-date=10 November 2024 |date=3 May 2024}} Points are awarded for a correct bid and subtracted for an incorrect bid. The player with most points after all rounds have been played is the winner. The game is played in a number of rounds from 10 to 20, depending on the number of players, and each round consists of three stages: Dealing, Bidding, and Playing.

In the first round every player gets one card. In the subsequent rounds the number of cards is increased by one until all cards are distributed.{{cite web |title=Wizard Card Game: A Comprehensive Guide For Beginners |url=https://ruleofcard.com/games/wizard/ |website=Rule of Card |access-date=10 November 2024 |date=6 July 2023}} That means that three players play 20 rounds, four players 15 rounds, five players 12 rounds and six players 10 rounds. The top card of the remaining cards is turned over to determine the trump suit. If there are no cards left or a jester is turned, there is no trump suit, and only the wizards are trump. If a wizard is turned, the dealer picks a trump suit.{{cite web |title=Wizard Card Game Frequently Asked Questions |url=https://www.usgamesinc.com/files/attachments/850/2023_FAQ_wizard.pdf |publisher=U.S. Games Systems, Inc |access-date=11 November 2024 |page=1 |date=26 May 2023}}

File:Wizard Score Sheet.svg

After looking at their cards, starting with the player to the dealer's left, each player states how many tricks he believes he will take, from zero to the number of cards dealt. This is recorded on a score pad.{{cite web |title=Wizard Score Sheet |url=https://www.usgamesinc.com/files/attachments/1016/WPD200_copy.pdf |publisher=U.S. Games Systems, Inc. |access-date=11 November 2024}}

The player to the left of the dealer plays a card, and then the others follow clockwise. If a card other than a wizard or jester is played, the players have to follow suit, but it is possible to play a jester or wizard although the player has the desired suit. The Wizard beats all other cards but the first one in a trick beats all others. The jester is beaten by all others, but if all cards in a trick are jesters the first one beats the others. If a jester is played as the first card the first suit card decides which suit has to be followed.{{cite web|url=https://www.usgamesinc.com/Wizard-FAQ.html |title=Wizard FAQ|publisher=U.S. Games Systems, Inc. |date= |accessdate=2016-08-06}} If a wizard is played as the first card every player is free to play what they want regardless of the others. If the first card is a Jester and the second a Wizard, then the Wizard rule takes precedence and players are not required to follow suit.{{cite web|url=http://www.wizardcards.com/faqs.php?ffid=3#9 |title=Wizard Card Game Community Forums FAQ |publisher=Wizardcards.com |date= |accessdate=2016-08-06|quote=If the lead of a Jester is immediately followed by a Wizard then the hand is played as if the Wizard was the lead card.}}

At the end of each round, each player is given a score based on their performance. For predicting the number of tricks taken correctly, a player receives 20 points plus 10 points for each trick taken. For predicting the number of tricks taken incorrectly, a player loses 10 points for each trick over or under.

The German version of Wizard is published by Amigo-Spiele.{{cite web |title=Wizard Amigo-Spiele Online Shop |url=https://www.amigo-spiele.de/wizard_6900_1132 |website=www.amigo-spiele.de |publisher=AMIGO Spiele |access-date=11 November 2024 |language=de}} Granted a license for manufacture and distribution in Germany in 1996, the cards were redesigned and illustrated with a fantasy-themed character on each card.{{cite web |last1=Fisher |first1=Ken |title=The History of Wizard Cards |url=https://www.wizardcards.com/viewthread.php?tid=10 |website=www.wizardcards.com |access-date=11 November 2024 |date=18 June 2002}}{{cite web |last1=Fisher |first1=Ken |title=The Genesis of WIZARD |url=https://wizardcardgame.blogspot.com/2010/04/genesis-of-wizard.html |website=Wizard Card Game |publisher=Blogger |access-date=11 November 2024 |date=9 April 2010}} Each character has a title such as der Krieger (the warrior) or die Priesterin (the priestess) printed at the top of the card. There are 2 male and 2 female versions of each character. The German decks contain four non-standard suits with values from 1 to 13, four Z cards labelled either der Zauberer (the sorcerer) or die Zauberin (the sorceress), and four N cards labelled der Narr or die Närrin (the fool). The German deck is distributed in the United States as "Fantasy Wizard", with an English box and rules.{{cite web |title=Fantasy Wizard® Card Game |url=https://www.usgamesinc.com/fantasy_wizard_card_game.html |website=U.S. Games Systems, Inc. |access-date=11 November 2024 |language=en}} The cards are identical to the German ones, including the German abbreviations for Zauberer/Zauberin and Narr/Närrin.{{cite web |title=Fantasy Wizard Rules |url=https://www.usgamesinc.com/files/attachments/1078/FWZ60_rules.pdf |publisher=U.S. Games Systems, Inc. |access-date=11 November 2024}}

The Medieval deck of cards has a themed character on each card. The characters are: (2) Hermit, (3) Peasant, (4) Farmer, (5) Archer, (6) Blacksmith, (7) Merchant, (8) Bard, (9) Scholar, (10) Bishop, Knight, Queen, King, (Ace) Dragon. The cards are also color-coded: Hearts (Red), Spades (Black), Clubs (Green), Diamonds (Purple), Jesters (Brown), Wizards (Blue).{{cite web |title=Medieval Wizard Rules |url=https://www.usgamesinc.com/files/attachments/1139/MWZ5_Rules.pdf |publisher=U.S. Games Systems, Inc. |access-date=11 November 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230329220351/https://www.usgamesinc.com/files/attachments/1139/MWZ5_Rules.pdf |archive-date=29 March 2023 |url-status=live}}

The Wizard Camelot edition replaces the 4 deuces with Holy Grail, Excalibur, Merlin and Morgan le Fay cards.

The Wizard Omnibus edition enables 3 levels of play: Classic, Camelot and Magic.

Regular tournaments are held online. World Championships began in 2010. Each nation is invited to send a maximum of two representatives to the annual event.

Since there are no options for which card to play when a player is only holding one card, there is a statistically correct bid for any given card. This only truly applies if a player has the lead, and thus no information from other bids. Since a correct bid of 1 yields 30 points, and a correct bid of 0 only yields 20, a bid of 1 over time yields more points as long as the player has at least a 42.86% chance of winning the trick.{{or?|date=March 2025}}

The known cards are only a player's own card and the turn up, so with 58 unknowns, the odds that a hand will win in a three player game are calculated by the odds that both of the other hands lose to that player. That is, (x/58)*((x-1)/57), x=# of cards the player can beat. The calculation is similar for more players. Solving for x to yield 0.4286 or greater gives the minimum number of cards a player needs to be ahead of to justify a bid of 1.{{or?|date=March 2025}}

With the lead:

• In a 3-person game, x=39, bid 1 with an offsuit Jack or stronger.
• In a 4-person game, x=44, bid 1 with the 3 of trump or stronger, (4 of trump if the turn up is the 2 or 3).
• In a 5-person game, x=49, bid 1 with the 9 of trump or better, (the 8 will do if the turn up is higher than the 8)
• In a 6-person game, x=50, bid 1 with the 10 of trump or better (9 if turn-up is 10 or higher)
• In the special case that a jester turns up and there is therefore no trump, and the player has the lead: always bid 1 in a 3 player game, With 4 - bid 1 on 3 or higher, with 5 - bid 1 with any 9 or higher, and with 6 players a 10 or higher.

• Games #110{{cite news |last1=Gordon |first1=Peter |title=Games & Books |url=https://archive.org/details/Games-Magazine-August-1992-images/page/n51/mode/2up |access-date=8 November 2024 |work=Games |issue=110 |publisher=Games Publications |date=August 1992 |page=50}}
• 1992 Games 100 in Games #112{{cite news |last1=Hochberg |first1=Burt |title=The Games 100 |url=https://archive.org/details/Games-Magazine-December-1992-images/page/54/mode/2up |access-date=8 November 2024 |work=Games |issue=112 |publisher=Games Publications |date=December 1992 |page=54}}
• Games September 2010
• ToysBulletin.com
• Meople's Magazine
• There Will Be Games{{cite web |last1=Sokol |first1=Mason |title=Wizard - A Five Second Board Game Review |url=https://therewillbe.games/hot-takes-board-game-reviews/7101-wizard-a-five-second-board-game-review |website=There Will Be Games |date=26 July 2019}}
• The Villages Daily Sun{{cite web |last1=Fortuna |first1=Micheal |title=Residents introduce Wizard card game to anyone interested |url=https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4MtEpxUpiAReLfqZK44IqY5xkf0Y4O3dDPU7t0ZyY8CkO16eIxvlRCRKLVzPXL95tFgipn1bAEcJhGXC75l-dwp1f7jxsdeXmONIkkc8t1M5ZfsgilMpoqKM58ZO2KZ-RVM_CfG1doEJ_/s1600/001.jpg |publisher=Villages Media Management |access-date=11 November 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241111080455/https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4MtEpxUpiAReLfqZK44IqY5xkf0Y4O3dDPU7t0ZyY8CkO16eIxvlRCRKLVzPXL95tFgipn1bAEcJhGXC75l-dwp1f7jxsdeXmONIkkc8t1M5ZfsgilMpoqKM58ZO2KZ-RVM_CfG1doEJ_/s1600/001.jpg |archive-date=11 November 2024 |date=26 March 2013 |url-status=live}}

• Oh hell

{{reflist}}

{{List of trick-taking games}}

Category:Card games introduced in 1986

Category:Trick-taking dedicated deck card games