Horserace is a drinking game

Drinking game

Drinking games are games which involve the consumption of alcoholic beverages. These games vary widely in scope and complexity, although the purpose of most is to become intoxicated as quickly as possible...

 using playing cards that is inspired by horse racing

Horse racing

Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...

. Participants bet amounts of alcohol on one of four ace

Ace

An ace is a playing card. In the standard French deck, an ace has a single suit symbol located in the middle of the card, sometimes large and decorated, especially in the case of the Ace of Spades...

s, much like bettors would bet money on horses at a racing track.

Preparation

The horseracing game requires active participation by only one person: the announcer. The announcer should preferably be an exciting narrator. The announcer prepares the field by searching through the deck, taking out the ace

Ace

An ace is a playing card. In the standard French deck, an ace has a single suit symbol located in the middle of the card, sometimes large and decorated, especially in the case of the Ace of Spades...

 (horse) of each suit, and laying them face-up and side-by-side at one end of the table (this is "the gates"). He then shuffles the deck and lays out a variable number of cards face-down (these form the "links" of the race) in a straight line perpendicular to the row of aces. A typical race has from six to eight links. The cards thus appear to form an "L" or the two legs of a right triangle. The field is now set.

Betting

Before the game begins, each player makes bets based on their favorite horse. Bets are generally as simple as "five on diamonds" but can get as complex as any true horse race. Announcers may choose to allow such exotic bets as Trifecta

Trifecta

In horse racing terminology, a trifecta is a parimutuel bet in which the bettor must predict which horses will finish first, second, and third in exact order. The word comes from the related betting term, "perfecta". A trifecta is known as a tiercé in France and Hong Kong and as a tris in Italy.It...

s, Exactas, Daily Double

Daily double

For the game show wager, see Jeopardy!A daily double is a wager offered by horse and dog racing tracks. Bettors wager on the winners of two races, pre-designated by the track for a particular race day. While the Daily Racing Form's glossary defines a Daily Double as two consecutive races, this is...

s, etc. In another variation, players may simply pick their favorite horse, and the payout is set at 20 drinks for the first-place horse, 15 for second place, and 10 for third place. Placing a small bet on the "first horse out of the gates" is a popular bet that excites the crowd early. Penalties may be applied to bettors who bet on an ace that never leaves the starting gates. Safeguards are often instituted to prevent players from placing exorbitant bets such as "one hundred on hearts." Such safeguards may include setting bet limits, requiring players to drink a portion of their bet before the race begins, or forcing losers to drink a portion of their bet at the end.

At the end of a race, drinks are distributed based on the initial bets. Several variations exist. Winners may distribute drinks equal to the amount they bet, or double. Winners may be immune to drinking. Losers may have to drink the amount of their initial bet, the amount that the winners distribute, or both.

Gameplay

Once all bets are in, the announcer begins the race. He flips over the top card of the remaining deck. Only the suit of this card matters; the ace of that suit moves forward to the first link. The announcer narrates the ebb and flow of the game as the bettors cheer on their horse. The announcer continues flipping cards and advancing horses accordingly until one horse wins by passing the final link into the winner's circle.

Variations

One variation of gameplay is faltering. Each time a horse moves up to a new link for the first time (and only the first time), the announcer flips over the card on the side of that link. The suit shown on this sideboard card must move back one space (falter). Thus in an eight-link horserace, there are eight instances of faltering that can totally change the outcome of the game. As a rule, any horse in the gates can not be knocked back any further by faltering. Another variation is the stumble in which all horses except the leader move forward one space if a designated wild card is flipped over, such as the Joker

Joker (playing card)

Joker is a special type of playing card found in most modern decks, or else a type of tile in some Mahjong game sets.-Name:It is believed that the term "Joker" comes from a mispronunciation of Jucker, the German/Alsatian name for the game Euchre. The card was originally introduced in about 1860 for...

.

External links

• Download Horse Race Card Game Download Horse Race Card game to play with your friends even if you don't have a deck of cards handy!
• Horse race drinking game Example of game play on Youtube.