Horse Race is a betting card game for three or more players. Bet on the correct horse (ace) to win this game!
Find the video tutorial and written explanation for how to play Horse Race below.
Horse Race Tutorial
Needed
52 card deck; Three or more players
Setup
The dealer will setup the four aces in a column. The remaining cards are shuffled, and seven cards are placed face up in a horizontal row above the aces. The dealer will keep the remaining deck face down on the table.
Objective
The object of the game is to correctly bet on which ace, or horse, will complete the course first. An ace will advance when a card with the corresponding suit is flipped up from the deck. The first ace to have eight cards flipped with a corresponding suit wins the race.
Placing Bets
Players other than the dealer will make a bet on which ace they think will win the race. A player’s bet is placed next to the ace they are betting on.
The dealer will payout players that bet on the winning ace and will collect the bets of the players that bet on the losing aces. Betting odds for each ace are given based on the number of matching suits in the seven card horizontal layout.
If an ace has no corresponding suits in the layout, the odds are even. For one card, the odds are 2 to 1. For two cards, the odds are 3 to 1. For three cards, the odds are 5 to 1. For four cards, the odds are 10 to 1.
Game Play
Once all bets are made, the dealer will flip up the top card of the remaining deck. The ace that matches the suit of the flipped up card advances. To advance, slide the ace to the right to be under the first of the seven cards laid out during the setup.
The next top card is flipped from the deck. Again, the ace that matches the suit of the flipped up card advances. The dealer will continue to flip cards from the deck and move the matching ace.
Winning
The first ace to move through the layout wins. The dealer will payout any bets made on the winning ace and collect any bets made on the losing aces.
The dealer will rotate, and a new layout is created.
Rule
If five or more cards of a suit are in the horizontal layout after setting up, the cards are picked up and re-shuffled.