How to Play

Long Shot: The Dice Game

1-8 players 25-25 min 7.5 Board Game Geek Rating

Players compete in a strategic horse racing game where dice rolls determine horse movement and available actions. You'll purchase horses, place wagers, and use special abilities to maximize profits. Success requires balancing calculated risks with adaptable planning as the race unfolds. Victory goes to whoever accumulates the most money when three horses finish.

Published 2022

Long Shot: The Dice Game

Get Ready

Setup the game with these step-by-step instructions before diving into your turn.

1
Place the track board
Put the Track Board in the center of the table where all players can see it
2
Position horse tokens
Place all 8 Horse Tokens behind the blue Start/Finish line on the Track Board
3
Select horse cards
Choose a set of 8 Horse Cards numbered 1-8 to use for the game
4
Create the market
Place the selected Horse Cards face up next to the Track Board to form the Market
5
Distribute player materials
Give each player one Player Sheet and one Dry Erase Marker
6
Deal starting cards
Shuffle the Starting Cards and deal one to each player
7
Mark starting card information
Each player marks their Player Sheet according to their Starting Card
8
Set starting money
Each player marks $12 in the Money circle on their Player Sheet
9
Determine first player
The player who most recently made a bet starts as the Active Player and receives both Dice
10
Return starting cards
Return all Starting Cards to the box after marking sheets

On Your Turn

What you can do during your turn.

1
Complete four phases
Each round has 4 phases that must be completed in order
2
Roll both dice
The Active Player picks up both Dice and rolls them
3
Move the rolled horse
Move the Horse Token matching the Horse Die the number of track spaces equal to the Movement Die
4
Skip finished horses
If the rolled horse has finished the race, it does not move
5
Reference the horse card
Find the Horse Card matching the Horse Die rolled
6
Move marked horses
Move each horse marked with an X on the Secondary Movement Bar 1 track space forward, in order from lowest to highest horse number
7
Choose one action
Starting with the Active Player and proceeding clockwise, each player performs one of five actions
8
Match the horse die
The Action you take is restricted to the number rolled on the Horse Die, unless you use a Wild Number
9
Spend a wild number
At the start of your turn, you may mark an X on one of your Wild Numbers to use that number instead of the Horse Die for your Action
10
Mark a concession space
Mark an X on a single circle space on the Concession Grid that matches the Horse Die
11
Claim concession bonuses
When you complete any row or column (diagonals do not count), mark and immediately resolve one Concession Bonus
12
Mark a helmet
Mark an X on a Helmet space that matches the Horse Die
13
Enable betting past no bet line
Having a Helmet for a horse allows you to place Bets on that horse even if it is past the No Bet line
14
Mark a jersey
Mark an X on a Jersey space that matches the Horse Die
15
Mark secondary movement
Go to the Horse Card matching the Horse Die and mark an X on ANY horse on that card's Secondary Movement Bar
16
Earn jockey set bonus
Pairs of Helmet and Jersey for the same horse are worth $5 at the end of the game
17
Place a bet
Mark $1, $2, or $3 on a Bet space that matches the Horse Die
18
Spend money
Reduce your Money by the Bet amount
19
Add to existing bets
If there is already a Bet marked, add the new Bet to it and write the total
20
Follow betting restrictions
You cannot Bet on horses past the No Bet line unless you have the Helmet for that horse
21
Place without paying
A Free Bet is a Bet you place but do not pay for
22
Follow same restrictions
You cannot place Free Bets on horses past the No Bet line unless you have the Helmet for that horse
23
Purchase a horse
Buy the horse matching the Horse Die from the Market if it is available
24
Pay the cost
Pay the cost of the horse from your Money as shown on the Horse Card
25
Take the card
Place the Horse Card in front of you to show you own it
26
Cannot buy finished horses
You cannot buy a horse that has finished the race
27
Use a wild number
If you cannot take an action using the rolled Horse Die number, you can use a Wild Number to change the number
28
Erase a wild number
You can spend your whole turn to erase the mark on one of your Wild Numbers, leaving it available for the future
29
Allow stacking
Any number of Horse Tokens can occupy the same track space
30
Move in order
When an effect moves multiple horses, move them in order from lowest horse number to highest
31
Default forward movement
By default, horses move forward when moved
32
Stop at start line
If a horse is ever moved backward beyond the Start/Finish line, stop the horse at the Start/Finish line with any other movement wasted
33
Finish line restriction
Horses can only pass the finish line from a dice roll or secondary movement, never from direct player movement
34
Apply when owned
Each horse has a unique ability that only applies while the horse is owned by a player
35
Resolve at specified times
Horse Abilities resolve when the owner takes their action or at a specified time
36
Pass the dice
After every player has taken a turn, the Active Player passes the Dice to the player on their left to begin a new round
37
Move to winner's circle
Once a horse passes the finish line, move it to the topmost finish position on the side of the track
38
Finish only from dice or secondary movement
Horses can only pass the finish line from a dice roll or movement on the Secondary Movement Bar
39
No interaction with finished horses
Finished horses cannot be moved or bet on
40
Continue secondary movement
When a finished horse is rolled, move the other horses on its Secondary Movement Bar as normal
41
Lock remaining horses
Once 3 horses cross the finish line, no other horses may finish

Winning

How to claim victory.

1
Trigger game end
Once a third horse has crossed the finish line, finish the current round
2
Proceed to scoring
After the round ends, all players calculate their final scores
3
Calculate purse earnings
Earn the listed purse amount from the finish position for each finishing horse you own
4
Calculate bet winnings
Use your Bet and Bet Odds columns to determine your Bet winnings
5
Calculate jockey sets
Earn $5 for each pair of Helmet and Jersey marked on the same horse
6
Count remaining money
Add any remaining Money you have
7
Apply scoring abilities
Add any Money from horses you own that have "At Scoring" abilities
8
Compare final scores
Total all scoring elements to determine your final score (Money)
9
Declare the winner
The player with the most Money wins
10
Break ties
If tied, the player owning the horse that placed highest in the race is the winner

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