Wits & Wagers 2nd Edition Board Game Tips and Strategies

If you’re looking for a different type of family board game, I’m going to share one with you that you may not have heard of. Maybe I’m just not “into it”, but I discovered this game last Christmas when I was looking for a family type game that would be fun for adults, but easy enough for an 8 year old.

The name of the game is Wits and Wagers from the manufacturer North Star Games. They are known for making games that are quick to learn, that keep all players engaged at all times, and for keeping games short (around 20 minutes).

Here’s a quick introduction.

Basically, everyone contributes a numerical answer, which is then distributed on the board with the corresponding payout odds for each answer. Then, all players have 30 seconds to bet on the answer they think is correct (or the closest one without going over). Seven rounds are played to complete a game. The person with the most chips wins.

Strategy 1: If you have no idea what the answer might be, travel with the person who you think probably knows the answer. In other words, place your bets where that person placed their bet(s). If it’s a soccer question, copy the person you think has soccer knowledge.

Strategy 2 – With Strategy 1 in mind, you can spawn a subtle bluff when the question is read. For example, if the question is “What percentage of Americans pay their credit card bill in full?” You can blurt out, “Ohhhhh, I just read about that last week…” even though you have no idea what the answer is. You then bet heavily on your answer to entice other players to play with you, but at the last minute, you move your chips to the answer you think is correct. Hopefully, they had bet big and lost a lot of their chips.

Strategy 3 – Similar to strategy 2, if you are knowledgeable about a certain topic and the other players know it, deliberately submit the wrong answer, and again, bet big on your answer to attract others. Move your chips at the last minute.

Common Sense Strategy: Know how many chips each player has at the end of the game. If you are the chip leader and the second (current) player can’t catch you even if he bets all his chips and wins, don’t risk your stack. In other words, don’t risk more than necessary (this is a GREAT lesson that applies to life as well).

Tip: Write your name on your (erasable) board so players know who to return the boards to (the boards are color-coded, but the names are easier to remember).

Tip: Use a beeping countdown timer instead of the sand timer included in the game. Usually everyone is so involved in the game that no one looks at the timer.

Tip: If you want to start a discussion on a particular topic or event, create your own (7) questions that are hard to guess exactly, but that the group might have some ideas about. This is a sneaky way for the host to expose their agenda.

Wits & Wagers 2nd Edition appeals to people who like games that require knowledge, people who like gambling, and people who like party/social games.