Horse Race

The fastest and most thrilling drinking game! Horse Race is easy to set up, simple to play, and perfect for parties.

Looking for a fast-paced and exciting drinking game? The Horse Race Drinking Game is a thrilling card game where you place drinks on which “horse” (a suit in a deck of cards) will win the race. No real horses, just cards, drinks, and a whole lot of fun!

Number of Players
2 – 16 players
Difficulty
Easy
Level
Beginner drinkers
Playing Time
1 – 5 minutes

Play Horse Race Online

You can now play Horse Race online directly from your mobile device. No cards needed—just grab some drinks and start playing!

How to Play Horse Race Drinking Game

Requirements

  • A standard 52-card deck (remove the jokers)
  • A flat surface to set up the racetrack
  • At least 3 players (more makes it even more fun!)
  • Plenty of drinks

Horse Race Drinking Game Rules

Variant 1: Classic Horse Race

This version is all about suspense and luck. You have no idea which cards are left in the deck, making every flip unpredictable!

Setup:

  1. Remove the jokers and shuffle the deck.
  2. Lay 7 face-down cards in a row to create the racetrack.
  3. Place the four Aces below the track – these are the horses.

Pick a horse:

  1. Each player picks an Ace (Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs, or Spades).
  2. Decide on your drinks (sips, shots, or full drinks).
  3. Before the race begins, take the drink(s)!

The Race:

  1. The race leader flips one card at a time from the deck.
  2. The suit of the drawn card determines which horse moves forward one step.
  3. Once all horses pass the first track card, flip that card. If the suit matches your horse, it must take one step back.
  4. The first horse to cross the finish line wins the race!
  5. Winner? You can distribute double your drinks in drinks to other players.

Variant 2: Horse Race with Odds

Want more strategy? In this version, you can see the racetrack cards and calculate your horse’s chances before drinking!

Setup:

  1. Remove the jokers and shuffle the deck.
  2. Lay 7 face-up cards in a row to create the racetrack.
  3. Place the four Aces (horses) below the track.

Pick a horse:

  1. Pick an Ace and analyze the suits in the racetrack.
  2. Every matching suit on the track increases the odds by 1 (Example: If there are 2 Hearts in the track, the Hearts horse has 3:1 odds instead of 1:1)
  3. Drinks accordingly! If your horse wins, you can distribute your drinks multiplied by the odds.

The Race:

Play just like Variant 1, but with one key difference: The racetrack cards don’t participate – horses don’t move backward! The first horse past the finish line wins, and the payout depends on the odds and your drinks.