What you need
A standard 52-card deck, a table and a drink for each player. One person is the announcer, who runs the race; everyone else bets. Two or more bettors; the more people cheering, the better. A race lasts about five to ten minutes.
Horse race is an adult drinking game. Play it only with people of legal drinking age (21 in the United States), never pressure anyone to drink, keep every “drink” to a small sip, put a cap on bets, have water on the table between races, and never drive afterwards. It works just as well with points, sweets or matchsticks as stakes, which makes it a good game for mixed groups.
Setup
- The announcer takes the four aces out of the deck and lays them face up in a row at one end of the table. These are the horses, one per suit, and the row is the starting gate.
- Shuffle the rest of the deck.
- Deal a line of cards face down, at right angles to the row of aces, so the layout forms an “L”. These are the links of the track. Seven or eight cards is the usual length.
- The rest of the deck goes to the announcer.
How to play
Betting
Before the race, each player bets a number of drinks on one suit: “three on hearts”. The usual payout:
- if your horse wins, you hand out the number of drinks you bet to other players, all to one or split between several;
- if your horse loses, you drink the number you bet.
Groups add safeguards against huge bets: a maximum bet, or making losers drink only half their bet. For a responsible game, cap bets at three small sips, or bet points instead.
The race
The announcer turns cards from the deck one at a time. Only the suit matters: the ace of that suit moves forward one link. A seven of clubs moves the ace of clubs up one step. The announcer commentates like a real race; that is half the fun.
The faltering rule
Most groups add this rule. When a horse reaches a new row of the track, the announcer turns the face-down track card beside that row. The ace of that suit moves back one link. Each track card is turned only once. A horse still in the gate cannot be pushed back.
Groups differ on timing: some turn the track card as soon as the first horse reaches that row, others only once all four horses have reached it. Agree before the first race.
Scoring and winning
The first ace to pass the last link wins. Winning bettors give out their drinks (some groups double it); losing bettors drink theirs. Shuffle everything back and run another race, with the announcer role rotating if people want a turn.
Common variants
- Exotic bets. Exactas, trifectas and “first horse out of the gate” bets, as at a real track.
- Simple pick. Everyone just picks a horse; first, second and third place give out a fixed number of drinks.
- Stumble. A designated card such as a joker moves every horse except the leader forward one link.
- Winner immunity. Winners do not drink until the next race.
- Points or tokens. Bets are in points, sweets or matchsticks. The race plays exactly the same.
Tips for first games
- Let the most theatrical person in the room be the announcer.
- Set the bet cap before anyone opens their mouth. Without one, bets climb quickly.
- Lay the track cards a little apart so the aces have room to move.
Frequently asked questions
How many cards are in the horse race track? Usually seven or eight face-down cards. A longer track means a longer race.
Does the number on the card matter? No. Only the suit moves a horse.
What happens to losing bets? Under the usual rule you drink the amount you bet. Many groups halve it, and a points game avoids drinking entirely.
Can the announcer bet? Nothing forbids it, but the race is more fun with a dedicated narrator.
