Submit a game
Card games Popular

Horse Race

Four aces race each other and you bet in sips: Horse Race is the card drinking game with a real finish line.

How to play

Line up the four aces as “horses” at the start. Next to them, lay six to eight cards face down in a row as the race track.

Before the start, everyone bets on a horse – a suit (clubs, spades, hearts or diamonds) – and says how many sips they’re betting.

One player acts as bookmaker and turns over the remaining cards one by one. Each card moves the ace of its suit one step forward. As soon as all four aces have passed a track card, it’s flipped – and the ace of that suit moves back one step.

The first ace across the finish line wins:

  • Everyone who bet on the winner hands out double their bet to the others.
  • Everyone else drinks their bet.

Agree on drinks and amounts before you start. The game works just as well without alcohol.

Next random game
Horse Race: start and track
Horse Race: start and track

What you need for Horse Race

Missing something? Here’s matching equipment.

  • 1× Deck of cards

    Plastic cards survive spilled drinks.

    No matching offer available right now.

Advertising: links marked with * or “Ad” are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. The price stays the same for you. About affiliate links

Horse Race: FAQ

How many players do you need for Horse Race?

Horse Race is played with 3–12 players.

What do you need for Horse Race?

For Horse Race you need: Deck of cards, plus drinks of your choice.

How hard are the rules of Horse Race?

Rule difficulty: Easy. The instructions above are all you need to start.

Can you play Horse Race without alcohol?

Yes. Horse Race works just as well with water, soft drinks or alcohol-free beer. Agree on drinks and amounts before you start.

You might also like

More: Card games