Thursday, March 14, 2024

Memory Photo #2 March 15, 2024.

 The Wizard Trophy

The trophy has shields with names and locations for the following years:. 
2004-2205-2006-2007-2008-2009-2010-2011-2012-2013-2014-2015-2023.
A couple of times there are 2 entries for one year. For example in 2012 there was a major tournament in Toronto and another in Albuquerque New Mexico.
There is room for 9 more shields on the trophy.
The trophy is only used for the names of winners of major live tournaments.
The name to be added for 2024 will be the winner of the Kemptville, Ontario tournament


Saturday, March 9, 2024

 Memory Photo #1. March 3, 2023.

Stuart Kaplan, the owner of U.S.Games Systems congratulates a Tournament winner held at a gaming convention.
Stuart was a strong supporter of WIZARD, was responsible for maintaining the quality of the product and for introducing WIZARD to the European market
                                                                     

                                                         Stuart Kaplan:  April 1, 1932—February 9, 2021



Tuesday, February 6, 2024

                               The WIZARD BOOK OF FAME


This book was initiated in 2006. There are currently 24 entrees with the last one being entered in 2022.
So many others deserve to be in the book that it is difficult to determine where to draw the line.
Consequently, the 25th entry will be a group rather than an individual.

                                 2024 THE BURTON FAMILY

The family joined in 2008, have played thousands of games, and have participated in several World Championships. Although unable to list the entire family which spans a number of generations members include: The_Wiz (Al), Frostie (Carol), tuokool (Jim), JMB5779 (Jeff) and Verona (Tim). The entire family has been outstanding "Wizard Ambassadors" and are in no small way responsible for Wizard's ongoing popularity and success.





Wednesday, January 10, 2024

 20-Point Bonus for a Perfect-Bid Game?

Many players feel that a perfectly bid game is the ultimate accomplishment.
The "Pink Games" that were introduced by one of the Wizard Directors awarded wins not by points but by perfect bids. However, that concept was not popular.
The January 2024 poll about 20 bonus points for a perfectly bid name resulted in 13 Yes votes, 11 No votes, and 2 Host-option bids. Consequently, the best choice is to make the 20-point bonus an option for the Host similar to the option for "Hidden Bid". Players will know in advance if there is a 20-point bonus and will have the option to participate or not.

Update: January 6, 2024
NO... 21
YES..16
Optional..2 (Host can decide at the start.)
There is no clear answer here. If any action were to be taken it would have to be an optional item selected by the Host. Players would then have the opportunity to join or not.
However, there does not appear to be enough enthusiasm to justify spending a considerable amount of programming fees to introduce it. Ergo, it will sit on the back burner for now.

Wednesday, November 29, 2023

WIZARD WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2023

Prague, Czech Republic ― November 4, 2023

Wizard World Championship Banner
Bubenská 1, Prague

All participants: Wizard & Sabouteur

Championship Staff

verona, JMB5779 & Debi

titomg, catacrac & conguita


aniram, carles963 & catacrac

aniram & carles963

catacrac, Debi & verona

JMB5779 & Mactonight

Snapshot of the final game
Nadine, Tatjiana, Carles & Alexander with their trophies

Final Standings


Some pictures of Prague and our group


Tito, Carles, Josep, Jordi, Manel, Sebas & Josep Maria

Manel, Sebas, Josep Maria, Ana, Tito, Carles, Josep & Jordi





Heidi, Marko, Manel, Marina, Josep, Jeff, Sebas, Jordi, Tim, Carles, Josep Maria, Ana & Tito

Tim, Josep, Carles, Marko, Jordi, Sebas. Josep Maria, Ana, Heidi, Manel, Marina, Jeff & Tito




Monday, November 6, Tarragona, Catalonia

Heidi, Marko, Josep Maria, Josep, Ana, Tito, Carles, Tim & Manel

Heidi & Marko

Marko, Tim, Heidi, Ana, Josep Maria, Josep, Manel & Tito

Josep, Tim, Carles, Marko & Heidi

Tim, Carles, Marko & Heidi

Tuesday, November 7, Barcelona

Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona

Josep, Carles, Tim & Tito @ Liceu

Saló dels Miralls del Gran Teatre del Liceu

Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona

Carles, Tim, Josep & Tito @ Restaurant Les Quinze Nits, Barcelona

Wednesday, November 8, Montserrat & Barcelona

Monastery of Montserrat


Tito, Tim, Josep, Manel, Jordi, Carles, Marko, Goretti, Maribel & Heidi @ Restaurant Balthazar, Barcelona

Friday, October 27, 2023

CAMELOT Revision

 Camelot Revision: November 2023

One small change makes a big difference.
The power of the Excalibur card has changed.
Excalibur: 
Always wins. Exception: (a) loses to Morgan le Fay and (b) Holy Grail card played from an Even  Position.
The Excalibur card becomes the 3rd most powerful card. It could be considered a Super Wizard as it ranks above all of the 4 Wizard cards.

Is the CAMELOT version too complicated? NO!
It follows the same rules as traditional Wizard plus 4 more considerations.
1. 
Merlin: Can be played as a Wizard or a Jester.
2. 
Morgan le Fay: Wins: Exception: Loses to the Holy Grail card played from an Even Position.
3. 
Holy Grail: Played from an Even Player's Position (2nd, 4th, or 6th position) it wins the trick.
4. Excalibur: Only 
loses to (a) Morgan le Fay and (b) Holy Grail card played from an even position.

Give Camelot another chance. I think you'll like it.


Tuesday, September 19, 2023

 Finalist of Annual Wizard Finals 2010-2022

ÉvHelyszínGyőztesMásodikHarmadikNegyedik
2010GER Darmstadt
Németország[13]
GER Josef Sigl
Németország (GER)
HUN Balogh János
Magyarország (HUN)
GER Astrid Hiob
Németország (GER)
USA Ken McCoy
Abacus
 (Canada)
2011HUN Budapest
Magyarország[14]
AUT Beate Punz
Ausztria (AUT)
GER Heiko Eckrich
Németország (GER)
CAN Karl Anderson
(CAN)
GER Rainer Keller
Németország (GER)
2012AUT Bécs
Ausztria[15]
SUI Thomas Kessler
Svájc (SUI)
HUN Markos Ede
Magyarország (HUN)
AUT René Punz
Ausztria (AUT)
FRA Emilie Badey
Franciaország (FRA)
2013NED Eindhoven
Hollandia[16]
GER Christian Adolph
Németország (GER)
NED Daniël Muilwijk
Hollandia (NED)
USA Keith Gill
Mr Wizard (USA)
AUT René Punz
Ausztria (AUT)
2014GRE Athén
Görögország[17]
HUN Suba Gergely
Magyarország (HUN)
HUN Pólya Antal
Magyarország (HUN)
AUT René Punz
Ausztria (AUT)
GRE Spyros Keramas
Görögország (GRE)
2015CZE Prága
Csehország[18]
AUT Hans Mostböck
Ausztria (AUT)
AUT Manfred Werlein
Ausztria (AUT)
CAN Mario Phenix
mphenix
(CAN)
GRE Spyros Keramas
Görögország (GRE)
2016HUN Budapest
Magyarország[19]
SUI Robert Laschkolnig
Svájc (SUI)
CAN George Wellsbury
merlin
(CAN)
AUT Tatjana Punz
Ausztria (AUT)
HUN Pólya Antal
Magyarország (HUN)
2017LAT Riga
Lettország[20]
AUT Ignaz Punz
Ausztria (AUT)
GRE Vasilis Papadakis
Görögország (GRE)
GRE Symeon Panagiotoglou
Görögország (GRE)
HUN Simon Róbert
Magyarország (HUN)
2018POL Varsó
Lengyelország[21]
GRE Vasilis Papadakis
Görögország (GRE)
HUN Lencsés Ákos
Magyarország (HUN)
AUT Tatjana Punz
Ausztria (AUT)
AUT Beate Punz
Ausztria (AUT)
2019BEL Antwerpen
Belgium[22]
GRE Spyros Keramas
Görögország (GRE)
GRE Vasilis Papadakis
Görögország (GRE)
USA Marina Navarrete
aniram (USA)
HUN Szűcs Gábor
Magyarország (HUN)
2020 (virus: cancelled)
2021
2022AUT Bécs
Ausztria[23]
AUT Sebastian Holzer
Ausztria (AUT)
HUN Suba Gergely
Magyarország (HUN)
CAN Mario Phenix
mphenix (CAN)
USA Tim Burton
verona
 (USA)