WIZARD NEWSLETTER April 2010

It’s time for another Mac’s Moment

Celebrity – In my media world, I have had the privilege of meeting a wide variety of local and international celebrities. Most are nice, some are down right rude, but all and all I have found that celebrities are just people like you and I. Here is this month’s Mac Moment, with a Wizard’s World Celebrity.

Mactonight – First of all. Everyone reading this (yes all three of you), this is a great great honor for me. It’s hard for me to express in words how much in awe I am. I just can’t believe it. With me is the one and the only Tim Burton.
Tpb11731 – Hi Mac. I don’t know what to say, but thanks.
Mactonight – When I first found out you were on the site. I was busting. I couldn’t believe you could possible know about the game or the site, never mind actually have time to play it.
Tpb11731 – Well I don’t get to play as much as I like, but it’s always fun when I get to.
Mactonight – I’m literally shaking. I honestly don’t even know where to begin.
Tpb11731 – LOL. Come on Mac, this is as much an honor for me.
Mactonight – WHATever. Ok you do a lot of work with your family, are they on the site too?
Tpb11731 – Mac, you would be surprised at how many of my friends and family are online.
Mactonight –Really?
Tpb11731 – Yes, if we weren’t spread out so far across the USA we could run tournaments every day.
Mactonight –Tournaments at the Burton house, that would be so cool.
Tpb11731 – Yes, we do have a blast when we have time.
Mactonight –So I have to know, which is your favorite movie, “Sweeny Todd?” “Nightmare before Xmas”? “Edward” “scissor hands”? “Batman?”
Tpb11731 – Well from that list I’d have to say “Batman”, but you know there are other movies.
Mactonight – Of course, but those among my favorites.
Tpb11731 – And it’s all about you Mac, isn’t it.
Mactonight –No way, today it’s about you Mr. Burton.
Tpb11731 – LOL – you’re embarrassing me.
Mactonight – When you read screen plays, how do you decide which ones are good?
Tpb11731 – I don’t think I read many screen plays, but if I did I won’t know a good one if it bit me in the face.
Mactonight –You tend to wear a lot of black, which I find odd because most of what we see of your work is so overly colorful.
Tpb11731 – I wear a lot of black because I don’t like to spend a lot of time matching my clothes. My work is colorful?
Mactonight – I hear that, you don’t know how often my wife tries to tell me that I can’t go out like that because I don’t match.
Tpb11731 – Exactly much easier to stay dark.
Mactonight – I can’t believe I’m talking fashion with Tim Burton.
Tpb11731 – Oh, Mac, get over it. I’m nothing special.
Mactonight -So I have to ask, does Helena Bonham Carter play too?
Tpb11731 – Who?
Mactonight – Is she Verona? I just can’t imagine the two of you playing together.
Tpb11731 – Who?
Mactonight – And is Orca your brother Daniel?
Tpb11731 – Orca and Moby are part of my group of online players yeah, but Mac I think your confusing things.
Mactonight –I am?
Tpb11731 – I’m not THE Tim Burton.
Mactonight –What are you talking about?
Tpb11731 – My Name is Tim Burton, but I’m not Tim William Burton the Director?
Mactonight – You’re not?
Tpb11731 – NO – I mean come on TPB stands for Tim Burton, but I have a P not a W as my middle initial.
Mactonight –Well duh, obviously you did that to ensure that people wouldn’t know who you really are.
Tpb11731 – Mac, I keep reading in your moments how people are constantly calling you an idiot, and I always thought that was a bit harsh, but it’s true, you really are an idiot.
Mactonight –But Tim, I can see you, they can’t, you are Tim Burton.
Tpb11731 – Mac I am a lawyer, not a director.
Mactonight –Oh stop
Tpb11731 – I don’t even like to draw, Tim Burton the director is an artist.
Mactonight – You’re not fooling anyone.
Tpb11731 – Mac it’s just a crazy random happenstance. We just both have the same name.
Mactonight – Let’s talk about Alice in Wonderland. Seems like an odd movie for you to take on.
Tpb11731 – I don’t know anything about Alice in Wonderland. How could I? I am not Tim Burton the director. I am just Tim Burton.
Mactonight –Why are you suddenly all shy about who you are?
Tpb11731 – I’m not shy about who I am, I just don’t want people believing I’m the REAL Tim Burton.
Mactonight – Cause people tend to believe everything I say?
Tpb11731 – Some still believe you’re Cujo and Valkyre.
Mactonight – This is true, but I’m looking at the real Tim Burton
Tpb11731 – Stop it Mac.
Johnny Depp – Excuse me guys.
Tpb11731 – Oh no.
Mactonight – That’s Johnny Depp.
Johnny Depp – Hey Mac, you guys almost done here? Tim I need to talk with you about “Dark Shadows”.
Mactonight – Are you guys doing a film based on the 1966 Gothic soap opera?
Johnny Depp – Yes, I am going to play the Vampire Barnabas, but Tim there are a couple of things I want to go over with you.
Tpb11731 – Of Course Johnny I’m sure I’m just about done here.
Johnny Depp – Great. Sorry to interrupt you Mac. I’ll catch you online.
Mactonight – That was Johnny Depp!
Tpb11731 – Noooooooo, that was Silent Sam.
Mactonight – Ah! The SS….That dude is too quiet. People in Germany will think he’s a mute.
TpB11731 – A phrases he won’t hear while in Germany – Darf ich um ruhe bitten
Mactonight – Sounds like something a vampire would say. What does it mean?
TPb11731 – It means what everyone in the wizard world would like to say to you.
Mactonight – And what would that be?
TPb11731 – Shut the Hell up!

Next Month I will be away at GSL school. Ap Sirius has submitted his version of Mac’s Moments which I thought was brilliant. I’m sure readership will suddenly rise in anticipation.

ECHO:
In this section we invite readers to submit ideas, comments, strategies, or what have you. This month Mactonight offers more tips on playing Wizards. How about somebody else making a contribution for next month? It does not have to deal with strategy it could simply be an observation or an opinion or suggestion.

More Advice

1 I have noticed that the use of Wizards lately are strictly for offensive purposes. Far too often I see players bid 1 and lead with their wizard. If you have no jester a wizard makes for a great defensive card too.
How often have you seen an underbid and someone wins the last trick with his wizard. That's just poor wizard management. Whenever in doubt, use your wizard to prevent taking an extra card. Don't think you can easily bury your wizard, because you can't it's not as easy as you think.

2 - Keep an eye on the score. Far too often on an over bid the last place person never seems to get his bid. If you're battling for positioning it's usually a smarter move to allow the last place person to get his tricks, especially if you are confident you can make your bid. You might even help the last place person. If last place gets his trick, then someone closer to your score is not going to get his- huge advantage for you

3 On the subject of keeping an eye. We all can't count cards; in fact I can't count cards. Trapizoid, not only can he count cards, he can tell you every card you ever played in every hand of every game, but for most of us counting cards is a mystery. But that doesn't mean you can't count wizards. Always count wizards, especially if you have one. I've noticed this month players with the last wizard taking tricks that otherwise would have given someone else an extra, their excuse is usually that they thought there was another wizard out there. There are all kinds of advantages to knowing what people do or don't have in their hands.

Marko Sapiano

Wizard Survey Results: BrianW

Survey question
I am asking everyone to send me a list of the 5 online players who you would choose to have at your ideal Wizard table – to play either in person or online. If you like, you can send 2 lists – a fun table and a challenging table.

Methodology
38 Wizard players responded to the survey.
27 players submitted a single list of 5 names, based on their personal criteria. I grouped these lists together in the Favorites category. The top 5 names are presented.
11 players submitted two lists: a Fun table and a Challenging table. These lists were used to compile the results for the Fun category and the Challenging category. De to the fact that there were so few responses, only the top 3 names are presented for each of these categories.
I then merged all of the names from the 49 separate lists together in order to compile the results for the Combined category. The top 10 names are presented as top 5 and next 5.
In keeping with the prevailing practice on the Wizard Cards site, the results are presented in alphabetical order, from Z to A.
Results
Favorites
Fun
Challenging
Combined
Top 5
Wizard
Tuokool
Mactonight
Cargobeep
Brian W
Top 3
Wert
Jonbrittim
Cargobeep
Top 3
Wizard
Cargobeep
Abacus
Top 5
Wizard
TMLCUJO
Mactonight
Cargobeep
Brian W

Next 5
Wert
Trapizoid
SilentSam
Merlin
Abacus

Toronto Tournament July 30-31
Accommodations at Delta Hotel
ROOM ACCOMMODATION:
Single Occupancy…..$115
RELEASE DATE:
Available starting Wednesday, April 28.
Delta Toronto East agrees to hold the full block of guest rooms until June 30.

WIZARD EXTREME???
Amigo Spiele would like to introduce a new card game and call it "Wizard Extreme".
As you may know we have a game on the BETA program of the Wizard site that is called : "Wizard Maximus". However the German game is a far cry from any of our Wizard versions. Although it is a bidding game requiring you to predict how many tricks you are going to take it employs a 75 card deck with 5 color coded suits and 27 'seals' and 1'Saboteur'. It is quite complicated but requires a lot of strategy and skill. However it is the type of game that appeals to the sophisticated German gaming market. Our current dilemma is whether to grant them permission to use the name "Wizard Extreme" or not. Discussions are under way and we will keep you posted of further developments.

Ongoing info at our Blog at:
http://wizardcardgame.blogspot.com/

May the Cards be with you,

Ken Fisher
wizard

It seems that the table of results lost its formatting in the online posting of the newsletter, so here are the results in non-table form:

Favorites - Top 5
Wizard
Tuokool
Mactonight
Cargobeep
Brian W

Fun - Top 3
Wert
Jonbrittim
Cargobeep

Challenging - Top 3
Wizard
Cargobeep
Abacus

Combined - Top 5
Wizard
TMLCUJO
Mactonight
Cargobeep
Brian W

Combined - Next 5
Wert
Trapizoid
SilentSam
Merlin
Abacus