Wits and Wagers

Players: 3-21

Ages: 10 and up

When you think of Wits & Wagers, think of a game that combines poker and trivia. The Wit part of the game will test your knowledge while the Wager part will test your ability at strategic betting. Wits & Wagers makes a great party game because up to 21 people can play at one time and because the rules of the game can be explained in less than 5 minutes. Since rounds are timed and there are only seven rounds in a game, it takes less than 20 minutes to play Wits & Wagers.

The real beauty of Wits and Wagers is in its appeal to non-gamers. It's a great game to play with a large group of people. It is easy to explain the and understand the rules. You can open the box, set up the game, and explain the rules all in under 10 minutes.

Each game lasts seven rounds. Each round consists of someone asking a trivia question. Then players write down their answer on re-usable answer cards. Answers are placed onto the casino-like felt placemat in order. The payout for each answer is listed. The answer in the very middle pays 1/1. Players then can wager up to 10 points on two answers. Players place their chips and marker on the answer they think is correct. Once all bets have been made and/or the timer runs out, the answer is revealed.

The winning answer is the answer that is closest to the actual answer without going over. If someone writes down the correct answer, then they earn a bonus of 5 poker chips. After the answer has been revealed, all bets are settled. This continues until the last round where players can go "all in" if they chose on an answer. There is no limit to the amount you can bet on the last round. You can play it safe, or shoot for the moon. The player with the most chips at the end of seven rounds wins the game.

A small egg timer keeps the game pace. Players have only so long to write their answers as well as place their bets. Getting sidetracked while playing a game especially with a large group is very common. Timed rounds can help curb that tendency and keep players focused and happy. While some friends may not mind the tangents, some might find them completely annoying. Keeping everyone on task during the game ensures a good time will be had by all.

The trivia questions all have a numeric answer. This way if you don't know the answer, you can take your best guess. I know when I play trivia and if I don't know the answer, sometimes I am hesitant to flat out guess at an answer.

Wits & Wagers was honored as a Mensa Select winner. It has won numerous other awards including being namde Party Game of the Year from Games Magazine.