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Wizard

3-6 players 45-45 min 7.0 Board Game Geek Rating

Wizard is a trick-taking card game using 60 cards: standard deck plus four Wizards (highest) and four Jesters (lowest). Players bid on tricks they'll win each round, with hands increasing from one card to maximum possible. Trump suit changes each round. Score 20 points plus 10 per trick when bid matches exactly, lose 10 points per trick when wrong. Highest total score wins.

Published 1984

Wizard

Get Ready

Setup the game with these step-by-step instructions before diving into your turn.

1
Prepare the deck
Use the 60-card deck containing 4 suits of 13 cards each, plus 4 unsuited Jesters and 4 unsuited Wizards
2
Understand card rankings
Cards rank from lowest to highest: Jester, A, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K, Wizard
3
Deal cards for the round
Deal each player 1 card in the first hand, 2 cards in the second hand, and continue increasing by one card each subsequent hand
4
Reveal the trump card
Turn over the top card of the remaining deck to determine the trump suit
5
Make bids in order
Starting with the player to the dealer's left, each player states how many tricks they will try to win
6
Record all bids
Write down each player's bid on the score sheet

On Your Turn

What you can do during your turn.

1
Lead the trick
The player to the dealer's left plays the first card to start the trick
2
Follow in clockwise order
Each subsequent player plays one card clockwise around the table
3
Follow the lead suit
Players must play a card matching the suit that was led if possible
4
Lead with a Wizard
If you lead with a Wizard, you win the trick automatically and other players may follow with any card
5
Lead with a Jester
If you lead with a Jester, the next non-Jester card played determines the lead suit
6
Determine the trick winner
The winning card is determined by priority:
7
Lead the next trick
The winner of each trick leads the next trick
8
Score the completed hand
After all tricks are played, calculate points:
9
Rotate the dealer
The player to the dealer's left becomes the new dealer for the next hand

Winning

How to claim victory.

1
Play until final hand
Continue playing hands with increasing cards until the final hand, which occurs when all 60 cards are dealt out among players
2
Calculate final scores
Add up all points earned or lost throughout all hands
3
Declare the winner
The player with the most points after the final hand wins the game

watch & Learn

Let the pros teach you with these top videos.

Be a WIZARD at keeping score in the Wizard card game!

Be a WIZARD at keeping score in the Wizard card game!

Instructional

How to Play Wizard Card Game | Full Rules and Tutorial

How to Play Wizard Card Game | Full Rules and Tutorial

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FULL rules

Looking for the full details? Grab the complete rulebook as a downloadable PDF.

PDF RULEBOOK

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