Long Shot: The Dice Game

Objective and scope: Players manage their own money and use horse purchases, bets, equipment, and concession rewards to build the largest final total. Eight horses run on one shared track. The race is triggered to end when the third horse finishes, and the player with the most money wins. Perplext lists the retail game for 1–8 players, about 25 minutes, and ages 14+. This summary covers the base game and excludes separately sold mini-expansions.

Setup: Put the track board in the middle of the table and place all eight horses behind the start line. Choose one numbered set of eight horse cards to make the public market; the rules recommend the introductory set for a first game. Give each player a personal sheet and marker, draw a Starting Card, copy its free concession marks and starting bets, and record starting cash. Choose the first Active Player and give that player both dice.

Dice and race movement: At the start of a round, the Active Player rolls the Horse Die and Movement Die together. The Horse Die identifies the horse for the primary movement, and the Movement Die gives the number of spaces it advances. If that horse has already finished, it does not move. Then read the corresponding horse card’s Secondary Movement Bar and advance each horse marked with an X by one space. Resolve multiple horses in ascending horse-number order; printed X marks on the card also count.

Player actions: After movement, starting with the Active Player and proceeding clockwise, every player takes one action. The rolled horse number is normally used for that action. A player may spend an available Wild Number on their sheet to use a different horse number, but doing so does not trigger the selected horse’s rolled ability. The five actions are Concession, Helmet, Jersey, Bet, and Buy; check the selected horse, the action rules, and available money before marking or paying.

Concessions and equipment: Mark the appropriate number in the Concession grid when taking that action. Completing any row or column earns one of its one-time Concession bonuses, which is resolved immediately. A Helmet permits betting on its horse after it has passed the No Bet line. A Jersey adds an X for any chosen horse on the selected horse card’s Secondary Movement Bar; that marked horse moves one space when that bar is used. Buying a horse costs the amount printed on its market card; only its owner receives its special ability.

Bets: A Bet action records a wager on a legal horse and deducts the money from the player’s cash. The usual action permits a wager of $1–$3, subject to the player’s balance and the bet rules. A horse beyond the No Bet line normally cannot receive a new wager unless the player has its Helmet; a finished horse can never be bet on. Starting Cards may provide initial bets. At scoring, finishing position and printed odds determine returns; an unfinished horse past the No Bet line returns one times its bet.

Finish rules and abilities: A horse may cross the finish line because of its dice movement or a move shown on a Secondary Movement Bar. Direct player effects that move a horse cannot send it across the line. Each horse ability resolves at the time specified by its card and generally applies only while a player owns that horse. When the third horse finishes, complete the current round’s player actions; no additional horse may finish after the race-ending trigger.

Final scoring and solo play: Add the purse for each finished horse a player owns, returns from bets, any Helmet-and-Jersey pair bonus on the same horse, remaining cash, and applicable card effects. The highest total wins. The box includes a Solo Board for the Roland Wright automated opponent; use its dedicated solo setup and action procedure. Track Events and Horse Sets 4–8 are separately sold mini-expansions and are outside this base-game summary.