Regulations

Tournament development

Initial phase

·       4 rounds. All players will play 4 games.

·       The games will be 10 hands: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 cards.

·       The results of the games in this phase will make up the points standings, according to the position obtained in each game and the following table:

Tiebreaker criteria:

1. In the event of a tie in the score of a game, the sum of the points per assignable position will be distributed, without taking into account the number of breaks.

2. In the event of a tie in the standings, the highest number of accumulated scored points will count.

3. In case of a tie, it will be decided in favor of the player with the fewest accumulated breaks.

4. As a last criterion, in favor of the player who was behind before the tie.

The distribution of the players at the tables will be:

·       Round 1: by draw

·       Round 2: gathering the players from the tables of round 1 according to standings in descending order.

·       Rounds 3 & 4: By applying the snake system in a zigzag pattern from the standings.

Final 4 game

The final game will be played by the top 4 players from the standings.

·       All 60 cards dealt out on each hand.

·       8 hands of play. Each player will be the dealer twice.

·       Trump in order: Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts, Spades and No Trump for the last 4 hands.

Each year the final 2 hands will initiate a variation from the standard rules as “Creative Play”.

For the initial year of 2026 the variation for the last two no-trump hands will be:

·       Any Wizard card played on the last trick (Trick 15) becomes a Jester card.

Tiebreaker: If there is a tie in the scores of the final game, it will be resolved in favor of the player with the highest position in the initial phase ranking..

Rules

All games will be played with the original Wizard deck, following the official rules of the game published in wizardcards.com.

The position of the players at each table will be numbered and designated by draw in each game.

The player sitting in position 1 in each game will be responsible for recording the scores and delivering the scoresheet to the tournament director at the end of the game. All players must sign it as a proof of agreement. Once submitted, the result will be recognized as correct.

Failed bids must be circled to facilitate identification and counting in the event of a tie. It is recommended that all players review the scoresheet, at any time.

The player in position 1 of each table will count the cards before starting the game to make sure there are 60. This player will be the first dealer and will offer to cut the deck to the player on his right before dealing the cards. The dealer must ask, at each turn, if the players have received the correct number of cards. In case of not having done so and if it is later discovered that any player did not have the correct number of cards, he will receive a penalty of 20 points and the hand will be repeated. If a player has not received the correct number of cards and has not warned the dealer, he will receive a penalty of 20 points and the hand will be repeated.

Players must wait until all the cards have been dealt before picking them up and looking at them.

The players will mark the bidding tricks with a token or a coin. The collected cards cannot be consulted.

The Canadian Rule will apply. This rule is only used in the last hand of the game and forces the dealer, in case he is the lone leader in points in the game, to bid a number of tricks that does not equal to the total sum of tricks in play. Nevertheless, it is always possible to bid for zero tricks.

If the dealer violates the Canadian Rule and the irregularity is flagged before or during the first round of play, the dealer will have to change his bid.

There is no penalty for an out-of-turn bid, but this offer must be maintained. The bid turn will return to the legitimate player. A player cannot change his bid once it has been declared.

If an error in scoring is discovered at any time during the course of the game, it will be corrected. Any disputes regarding scoring should be referred to the tournament director, if there is a disagreement.

A card played on the table cannot be exchanged for another, if it is valid. A card accidentally exposed or played out of turn must be left face up on the table and played at the first legal opportunity, without penalty. Displaying a card during the bidding round constitutes an automatic penalty of 10 points.

Sometimes, a player inadvertently reneges (i.e., plays a card that cannot be played legally). If the mistake is detected before collecting the trick in play, there is no penalty. The offender must replace the wrong card with a valid one. The misplayed card is exposed and must be played as soon as possible.

If the renege is later discovered, the offender will receive a penalty of 50 points. The hand will be cancelled and repeated.

If you do not follow any of the rules regarding misplay during the game, it is not possible to file a complaint retroactively. Errors must be identified during the game and in time for the proper rule to be applied.

All disputes or questions relating to any aspect of the tournament or game must be referred to the tournament director. When the rules cannot resolve a conflict, the director's decision is final.

The director cannot reverse a decision after the tournament has been concluded.

No electronic devices are allowed during games. Cell phones and other similar devices must be muted during gameplay. Devices plugged into the ear are not allowed except for medical reasons.

Fair Play Rule: All players agree to make honest bids and play to win; not simply to sabotage others. If players feel that a player is not playing fairly, the game should be stopped and referred to the director, who will decide whether the offender is expelled from the tournament.