<h1>General Hex A Deck Card Rules</h1>

The Hex A Deck is similar to a few card packs published in the early 20th

century that had sixteen cards in each suit.  Those decks were intended to

be used when popular games of the period such as Whist were played by five

or more players.  The extra cards meant that each player had more cards in their

hand which added interest to the play.  The Wizards in the Hex A Deck corresponds

to the Jokers in a regular pack.  Their main purpose in most Hex A Deck games

is to show up at the worst possible time.  Either that or at the best possible

time.  They're very successful at doing that.  In games that use alternate

color stacks they may be played as either color.  They have ranks from one

through four and sometimes can only be played in rank order.  The ranks may

or may not be indicated on the cards.  If they are not indicated there is

usually a way to tell which is which.  The rank can be determined by comparing

some distinctive element of the images.  The first rank Wizard will be the most

elaborate in some way such as the fattest, having the tallest hat etc.  They

play on their foundation (if any) in descending order of rank.  That is first

through fourth.  In some games the Wizards will not move off of the tableau

until all the other cards have been moved to the foundations.  In some games

they don't actually enter into play at all.  They are just there to make

things interesting.  Which is to say make things difficult.  And they are

very good at doing that.