Horse Race

This is a private banking game in which one person takes on the wagers of all other players. The banker also has a different role to other players in play. But, unlike in casino banking games, no one person is banker continuously. Instead, to equalise players' chances, the role of banker moves around, often after every hand.

a) One standard pack of 52 cards;
b) Betting chips or cash.

Three or more.

Players try to win the race by betting on the first suit to appear eight times in a deal.

Dealer is by high cut.

Standard.

The banker takes the four Aces from the pack, and lines them up in any order.

After the shuffle and cut, the banker deals seven cards face up in a line at right angles to the horses. If five or more of the cards dealt are of the same suit, the banker takes them all up, reshuffles, and deals the course again.

Betting limits are decided by the banker for each race.

The banker declares the odds on each horse (suit), taking into account the cards that have appeared to form the course. If one suit has appeared predominantly in the course, there will be fewer cards of that suit to appear in the race.

Table 1 gives an example of the odds that a banker might offer. He will choose odds that give him some degree of advantage; it is up to each player whether or not to place a bet at those odds.

The players then state their bets, placing their stakes in front of them. The banker makes a note of how much each player bets on each horse, and what the odds are.

The banker deals the top card from the deck face up onto the table. The horse (Ace) of the same suit as the dealt card is then moved up the course one space. The banker then deals another card face up on top of the first, and again moves the horse of the corresponding suit one space. This continues until one horse has passed the end of the course. This horse is the winner.

The banker collects all bets placed on the losing horses. He pays at the quoted odds each bet on the winning horse.

After each hand, the bank and deal pass one player to the left.

From 'The Official World Encyclopedia of Sports and Games'
© Diagram Visual Information Ltd 1979