Wits & Wagers Deluxe

We have all been there, playing a trivia game and having a good time, except for that one person in the group that knows everything and kind of ruins the game for the rest of us. Or maybe you really enjoy playing poker but seem to be the only one and forced to play something else. Perhaps you are just sick of playing Apples to Apples. Meet Wits & Wagers.The name of the game sums it up. Wits being the trivia aspect while the betting aspect forms the Wagers part. This game beautifully blends together the mechanics of Trivial Pursuit and Poker, but at the same time maintains a fair and balanced playing field.The game is really easy to learn and can be taught with one quick "practice" round to get everybody on the same page. The answers to the questions are always a number. The questions are well thought out, and that most people have a general idea about, but wouldn't be 100% certain on.The kit contains 1 betting board. This is a piece of fabric that has betting squares that pay out different odds, a deck of cards containing the questions (each card has 7 questions-the length of 1 game), small dry erase boards with markers, a small sand timer, multiple color coded chips that match up with the respective dry erase boards, and 2 different colored betting chips.At the start of play, the leader of the game will read off the first question. Each player then has 30 seconds to write their answer on their dry erase board. When everybody has their answer written down they are all placed onto the betting board then organized smallest to largest. The betting squares follow a simple bell curve pattern, where the answers that are in the middle pay out 2:1 whereas the answers that contain the lowest or highest value might pay out 5:1 or higher. Once they are all laid out, the timer is flipped again and everybody places their color coded chip on what they believe the best answer(s) is/are. (You can bet on up to two different answers) When all the bets are in, the answer is reviled (along with an interesting fact about the question) and the banker pays out. This process is then repeated 6 more times with the only difference being that if you won more chips, you can now use those chips to bet even more. At the end of the 7th and final round whoever has the most chips is declared winner.The beauty of the game is the balancing act between knowledge and lucky betting. You can be in 1st place at the 6th round, then lose it all on the 7th. Bluffing can also be used. Lets say you know the answer, you can simply act clueless. On the other hand you may swear you know the answer, but once you start to see the other answers you might start questioning yourself. This is a perfect game that appeals to the masses. From young to old, wise to not-so-wise, everybody can participate and maybe win by accident.PROS:* Easy and fast to learn* Fair and balanced game mechanic* Unique and fun questions* Easy to play with large groups of people* You can make up your own questions* Very easy to alter the rules to the groups play style (for example during one game we eliminated the timer and forced everybody to bet all their chips on every question)* Excellent value* Fast and easy to set upCONS:* The written instructions were a little hard to follow, a quick viewing of a review on YouTube helped.* If a lot of people win one round, the paying out of tokens can slow the flow of the game a littleMY TAKE:Everybody that I have played with so far really enjoyed this game. With its broad appeal and easy adaptability, it's time to play Wits & Wagers and let Apples to Apples collect a little dust. Enjoy and Good Luck!

UPDATE: since I posted my initial review just yesterday, the price of this product jumped 20%, which made me reconsider my 4-stars.UPDATE #2: I just saw (two days after the last update) that this item was marked down again to $20. The price must go up and down frequently, so my suggestion is to clear your internet cache or look again in a few days. Sometimes companies who know you've looked at their product already will remember who you are and mark the product up the next time you look at their product because they know you are a serious buyer if you are coming back to look again.This game is a bit of a refresher from most family board-games. Our family loves playing games and we play them often. I was reluctant at first because our family does not espouse the values of gambling, but this game is worth a second look to those who were in my shoes. Much like the movie "Big Daddy" is sweet and innocent (contrary to what people may infer from the title), this game is likewise.Pros:1. Not a conventional board game where you move your piece from start to finish.2. Wide-range of ages can play and there is no clear advantage to older players.3. It is difficult for a player to "memorize" the cards since they are so random. It is possible, but with average use (4-6 times a year I suppose), it is not possible unless you play with a savant.Con:1. Optimal number of players is a narrow window. This game takes at least 3 players, but it is most fun with about 5. With 3 players the game "choices" are fewer and one may have less fun. Too many players (7 for example), we have found can get cumbersome if not every individual is into the game.I did not rate this high on the educational scale because there is no clear or implicit learning value, although one can learn facts from the playing cards and can learn basics of placing wagers (how spreads work) and some basic "social" skills that do not come with other games that you simply roll the dice to move your piece.I did not rate this 5-stars because although it is better than average, it would not be in the top 10 percent of games I have (my personal standard for 5-stars).Bottom line: A pretty decent game but check the price frequently because it has gone up and down a lot in the past week. (also, see update #2 I wrote at the top to find how to get a lower price)

This is a fabulous game. Our family loves trivia games. But games like Trivial Pursuit, or many other trivia games, either a) take hours or b) are very lopsided if you have one person who is really great at remembering trivia. This game, on the other hand, is accessible for a family group that can easily include teens, adults, the elderly. It goes quickly, and you can finish a game easily in 30 minutes or so.Basic premise of the game is that there is a question, which requires a numerical answer. For example, a question could be - "How many positive reviews does Wits and Wagers have on Amazon?" Everyone guesses the answer on a tiny little whiteboard, and then everyone reveals at the same time. Those answers are place in order from small to large, and then you bet on where you think the answer is, including an option that says everyone has guessed too high. The further from the middle guess, the higher your reward in terms of chips which you bet. At the end, after 10 questions, the person with the highest number of chips wins.There are additional versions of this game as well. Family version is great if you have small kids, the questions can make sense to a 5 year old, and the betting 'odds' are removed to make it simpler. For the party version, the odds are removed, and it flows a bit faster.The only con to this game that I have is that there are only 250 questions, and I don't see any refills available.