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The rules shown here are an expanded version of the rules provided with the game. The rules included with the game assume that players are familiar
with the terms, "trump" and "trick" because they are terms commonly used in other games. Space now affords me the luxury of
briefly explaining these two terms.
Trump: Normally one of the 4 suits is made trump by turning over the top card of the deck after the deal has been made. If the card turned up
is a spade then that is the trump suit. Cards of the trump suit will always win over any other suited cards.
Trick: The total of the cards played after each player has played 1 card makes up a "trick". If there are 5 players a trick will consist
of 5 cards. If there is "no trump" the highest card of the same suit as the first card led will normally win the trick. If there is
a trump suit played it will win over any other suited card.
• Object of the game
The object is to correctly predict the number of tricks you will take in each round. You receive points for being correct, and the person with
the most points wins the game. (If you take more tricks, or fewer tricks than you bid you lose points.)
• The deal
To determine a dealer, each player is dealt one card. High card deals. On the first deal each player receives one card. All of 60 of the cards
are shuffled before dealing the next hand. Two cards are dealt on the second deal, three on the third and so on. The deal passes to the left after
each round and the new dealer shuffles all 60 cards.
• Determining the trump suit
After the deal, the next card is turned up to determine the trump suit. If the card turned up is a Jester, it is turned down and there is no trump
for that round. If the card turned up is a Wizard, the dealer chooses one of the 4 suits as the trump suit. The dealer cannot choose "no
trump". On the last round of each game all cards are dealt out so there is no trump.
• Bidding
Each player in turn beginning to the left of the dealer states the number of tricks he/she will take (zero or 1 on the first round) and the scorer
records the bid on the score pad. The total number of tricks bid may or may not equal the total number of tricks available.
See Canadian Rule below.
• Canadian rule
This is often abbreviated to CR. It is an optional rule but is used in all official Wizard Tournaments. If playing online the Host can select
it or not.
CR: If the last player to bid has the highest score recorded on the score pad (not tied for the lead) he/she cannot bid so as to make the bids
"even" unless the bid made is "zero". The dealer can bid zero at any time even it makes the bids 'even'.(An "even"
bid is when the total tricks bid equals the total tricks available.)
• The play
The play begins to the left of the dealer. Any card may be led. Players continue to play in clock-wise order and must follow suit if possible.
There are 2 exceptions to this rule. A Wizard or a Jester may be played at any time, even if the player is holding a card of the suit led.
A trick is won:
a) by the first Wizard played
b) if no Wizard is played, by the highest trump card played.
c) if no trump is played, by the highest card of the suit led.
The winner of the trick leads next.
• Leading Wizards & Jesters
If the lead card is a Wizard, it wins the trick and players may play any card they wish, including another Wizard. (You may want to discard a
Wizard to avoid taking an extra trick.)
If the lead card is a Jester, the next non-Jester card played determines the suit for that round. If a Wizard is the first non-Jester card played
after the lead of a Jester, then all subsequent players may play any card. Jesters always lose. The one exception to this is that if only Jesters
are played, the first Jester played in the round wins the trick. (Of course there are only 4 Jesters so that this can only happen in 3 & 4
player games.)
• Scoring
For correctly predicting the number of tricks taken, a player scores 20 points and receives 10 additional points for each trick taken. A player
whose prediction is incorrect loses 10 points for each over or under trick.
- If you bid zero tricks and take no tricks you have made your bid and score 20 points.
- If you bid 1 trick and take 1 trick you have made your bid and score 20 points plus 10 for a total of 30 points.
- If you bid 2 tricks and win 3 tricks you have not made your bid because you took an extra trick. You lose 10 points on the scorecard.
- If you bid 4 tricks and take 1 trick you did not make your bid. You lose 30 points because your bid was off by 3.
• Bidding variations
- Hidden Bid: All players simultaneously reveal their bid. (Players often use coins held in the hand to simultaneously reveal their bids.)
- Delayed Reveal Bid: All players record their bid. After the hand has been played the bids are revealed. (Players often write their bids on
a paper scrap and place it face down on the table.)
Notes:
The deluxe version of Wizard provides scoring wheels which are very useful when using either of the bidding variations.
Wizard "bidding coins" are recommended for the regular game.
We wish to thank Ken Fisher of wizardcards.com for this contribution. |
