
OFFICIAL RACE DAY PROGRAM
Horse Race Dice Game
"Ladies and Gentlemen... Place Your Bets!"
Welcome to the track! Gather your friends, shuffle the cards, and let the luck of the dice determine which thoroughbred charges across the finish line first. Every race is different, every roll matters, and fortunes can change in an instant.
Contents
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Horse Race Game Board
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11 Wooden Horses (Numbered 2–12)
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2 Standard Six-Sided Dice
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1 Standard Deck of Playing Cards (52 Cards)
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Betting Chips, Coins, or Cash – Not Included
The Object of the Race
The goal is simple—hold the winning horse! Throughout the race, players hope the horse matching the cards in their hand is first to cross the finish line. The player (or players) holding the winning cards will share the purse.
Preparing for Post Time
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Remove the Aces, Kings, and Jokers from the deck.
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Jacks represent Horse #11 and Queens represent Horse #12.
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Shuffle the remaining cards thoroughly.
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Place each horse in its starting gate.
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Deal all cards as evenly as possible among the players. Some players may receive one more card than others.
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Keep your cards hidden until all horses have been scratched.
The Scratching Ceremony
Before the race begins, fate decides which four horses are withdrawn from competition.
Beginning with the player to the dealer's left, roll both dice.
The total rolled determines which horse is scratched.
Example: A roll of 3 + 5 = Horse #8.
Place that horse in the first Scratch position.
Every player immediately reveals and discards any matching cards and contributes one betting unit for each discarded card to the purse.
Continue scratching until four different horses have been removed.
The scratched horses are assigned these penalty values:
First Scratch — 1×
Second Scratch — 2×
Third Scratch — 3×
Fourth Scratch — 4×
If a previously scratched horse is rolled during setup, simply roll again until a new horse is selected.
And They're Off!
After four horses have been scratched, the race begins.
Players take turns rolling both dice clockwise around the table.
The total rolled advances the matching horse one space toward the finish line.
Should the dice land on a scratched horse, that horse does not move. Instead, the player rolling the dice contributes to the purse according to its scratch value:
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1× Scratch – Pay 1 betting unit
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2× Scratch – Pay 2 betting units
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3× Scratch – Pay 3 betting units
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4× Scratch – Pay 4 betting units
The excitement continues until one determined horse reaches the finish line.
The Winner's Circle
Once a horse crosses the finish line, all players reveal any cards matching the winning horse.
The purse is divided equally among every winning card.
Example
Horse #9 wins the race.
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Emily holds three 9's.
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Robert holds one 9.
There are four winning cards, so each card receives one-fourth of the purse.
Emily collects three-fourths of the purse.
Robert collects one-fourth of the purse.
If no player holds a card matching the winning horse, simply carry the purse over to the next race—or decide another house rule before racing begins.
Wagering
A betting unit may be anything agreed upon before the race begins:
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Poker Chips
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Coins
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Cash
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Candy
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Points
The size of each wager is entirely up to the players.
Race Day Reminder
✔ Remove Aces, Kings & Jokers
✔ Jacks = Horse #11
✔ Queens = Horse #12
✔ Scratch Four Horses
✔ Pay the Purse for Scratched Cards
✔ Roll the Dice to Advance the Horses
✔ Pay Penalties for Scratched Horses Rolled During the Race
✔ First Horse Across the Finish Wins the Purse
Good Luck to All Owners, Riders, and Spectators!
"May your horse break fast, your dice roll true, and your winnings be plentiful!"
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PURCHASE!
Thank you for choosing JMK Graphix and supporting our small, locally owned business! We hope your new game brings plenty of fun, friendly competition, and great memories with family and friends.
Looking for more fun? Check out our other games and unique creations in our online store!
JMK Graphix
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