Drinking game classic

Horse Race Drinking Game: How It Works

In Horse Race, the four aces race against each other as horses. You bet on a suit and cheer your horse on.

Four horizontal aces race beside a vertical seven-card track
Players
3 to 10
Duration
10 to 20 minutes
What you need
Deck of cards, drinks
Vibe
Fast, competitive, loud

Rules

Horse Race in 4 steps

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Cards flipped from the deck move the horses forward, while a row of side cards keeps knocking them back. Tension, betting and sips all in one.

  1. Pick a suit and call your stake

    Everyone bets on one of the four suits (hearts, diamonds, spades, clubs) and calls their stake, for example two sips. You drink those sips right away as your bet.

  2. Flip cards

    One player flips the top card off the remaining deck. The horse of the matching suit moves forward one space.

  3. Reveal the tripping cards

    Once all the horses reach a tripping card, it gets turned over. The horse of that suit moves back one space.

  4. Finish line and payout

    If your horse wins, you get to hand out double your stake to the others (so four sips for a two-sip stake). If it loses, you're just out the stake you drank. Then the next race starts.

Variations

  • Higher risk: if you're bold, place a bigger stake. If the horse wins, there's more to hand out.
  • For every space your horse moves forward you may hand out a sip, so something is already happening during the race.
  • Without alcohol, whoever had the most correct bets at the end simply wins.

FAQ

Horse Race FAQ

How many tripping cards do you lay out?
Seven side cards is common. More tripping cards make the race longer and more unpredictable, fewer make it faster.
What do the tripping cards mean?
As soon as all four horses have reached a tripping-card position, the next one gets turned over. The horse of the shown suit has to move back one space.
Can you play Horse Race with two people?
Yes, each person bets on a suit. It gets more exciting with more people, because all four horses get bet on and more sips are in play.
How does betting work in Horse Race?
Before the race you call a stake, for example two sips, and drink them right away. If your horse wins, you hand out double your stake to the others.
Can you play Horse Race without alcohol?
Yes. Instead of handing out sips, count correct bets as points. The race stays just as exciting.
How long does a game of Horse Race take?
A typical game of Horse Race takes 10 to 20 minutes. Group size and optional variations can make the round shorter or longer.

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