How to keep score in Wizard

In Wizard, you bid how many tricks you'll take each round. Make it exactly and score 20, plus 10 for every trick. Miss and lose 10 for every trick you're over or under. After the last round, when the whole deck is dealt, the highest total wins.

At a glance

• Players: 3 to 6

• Who wins: Highest total after the last round

• Rounds: 20, 15, 12 or 10, by the number of players

• Cards: 60: a standard deck, 4 Wizards and 4 Jesters

How each round scores

Write everyone's bid down before anyone plays. After the round, compare each bid with the tricks that player took.

When you miss, the tricks you took don't score anything. All that counts is how far off you were.

How many rounds

Round 1 deals 1 card each, round 2 deals 2, and so on, until the round that uses the whole 60-card deck. That's the last round, and it has no trumps.

• 3 players: 20 rounds

• 4 players: 15 rounds

• 5 players: 12 rounds

• 6 players: 10 rounds

The highest total after the last round wins. Scores can go below zero along the way, so keep the minus signs.

Wizards, Jesters and trumps

They don't change the scoring, but they decide who takes the tricks. The first Wizard played wins the trick. A Jester always loses, unless every card in the trick is a Jester. Then the first Jester wins.

After the deal, turn up the next card for trumps. A Jester means no trumps that round, and a Wizard lets the dealer choose.

Variants

• Hidden bids: everyone shows their bid at the same time. The scoring stays the same.

• Delayed reveal: everyone writes their bid down secretly, and the bids are shown after the round. The scoring stays the same.

• The Canadian rule, an optional rule: if the last player to bid is in the lead on their own, they can't make the bids add up to the number of tricks. Someone has to miss.

• No even bids: in the standard rules, the bids may add up to the number of tricks. Some tables ban that every round, like the hook in Oh Hell.

What people often get wrong

• A made zero bid scores 20. It's the 20 for being right, with no tricks to add.

• A miss scores no trick points. Bid 2 and take 3, and you score −10. The 3 tricks are worth nothing.

• In round 1, bids are 0 or 1. With one card each, nobody can take more than one trick.

A scoring example

Four players, the first three rounds. The bid · took rows show each bid and the tricks taken.

Round 3: Ana bid 2 and took 2, so 20 + 20 = 40. Ben bid 0 but took a trick, so he lost 10. Cleo is back to 0 after two misses in a row.

With four players there are 15 rounds, so 12 are left.

Keep score in Tallynight

Wizard isn't one of Tallynight's built-in games yet, but it takes a minute to set up. Choose Something else, then Rounds, with the highest score winning.

After each round, type everyone's score on one keypad, minus signs included. Add it to your favourites, and when the last round is done, tap End game.

• Everyone's round on one keypad, with a minus key for missed bids

• The table keeps the totals, who's in front and who deals next

• Tap any round to fix it

• A race chart of the whole game at the end

• Get Tallynight on the App Store: free, no ads.

• Print a Wizard (card game) score sheet if you'd rather keep score on paper.

Questions

How do you score the Wizard card game?

Make your bid exactly and score 20 points, plus 10 for each trick you took. Miss it and lose 10 points for each trick you were over or under.

What do you score for bidding zero in Wizard?

20 if you take no tricks. If you take any, you lose 10 for each trick you took.

How many rounds are in Wizard?

It depends on the players: 20 rounds with 3, 15 with 4, 12 with 5 and 10 with 6. The last round deals out the whole 60-card deck.

Can the bids add up to the number of tricks in Wizard?

Yes, in the standard rules. An optional rule stops the player in the lead from making them add up when they bid last.

How do you win Wizard?

Have the highest total after the last round. Scores can go below zero along the way, so a bad start isn't the end.

Game names belong to their owners. Tallynight isn't connected with any game publisher.