How to Play

Ready Set Bet

2-9 players 45-60 min 7.5 Board Game Geek Rating

Players simulate horse racing by placing bets in real-time while dice determine race outcomes. Over four rounds, you frantically wager tokens on various betting options as races unfold. Successful bets earn money and VIP cards providing future advantages. The wealthiest player after four races wins this exciting gambling simulation.

Published 2022

Get Ready

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

Place the bet board

Put the Bet Board in the center of the table

Prepare Prop Bet cards

Shuffle the deck and place 5 cards face-up at the top of the bet board

Prepare Exotic Finish cards

Shuffle and place 1 card face-up on Race 1 position

Prepare VIP cards

Shuffle and place the deck face-down nearby

Distribute bet tokens

Give each player 5 Bet Tokens with values 2, 3, 3, 4, and 5

Set up race track

Prepare the Race Track Board with 9 Horse Meeples and 2 Dice for the House player

Place supply nearby

Put Money Chips, Bonus Bet Tokens, and Win/Place/Show markers within reach

Optional House Bets variant

Prepare 6 House Bet Tokens if using this variant

On Your Turn

What you can do during your turn.

Running the race

The House player rolls 2 dice and moves the corresponding horse plus any bonus move

Place bets during race

Players may place Bet Tokens on any open spots from race start until "No More Bets" or race ends

Make Prop Bets

Bet that a specific horse finishes ahead of a specified horse or group (ties do not count)

Make Color Bets

Bet that a horse of corresponding color finishes 1st, or bet that Black 7 ends in 5th place or worse

Make Exotic Finish Bets

Place one token per player on available Exotic Finish cards; a new card is revealed at the start of each race

Resolve winning bets

Multiply your Bet Token value by the payout multiplier on the betting spot

Pay losing bets

Pay the amount shown in the Red Circle (no multiplying); if you lose all money, no debt or negative points

Cleanup after races 1-3

Clear and replace 5 new Prop Bet cards, reveal an additional Exotic Finish card, each player draws 2 VIP cards and keeps 1, reset Race Track Board

Use VIP cards

Display kept VIP cards face-up and gain their benefits for the rest of the game; VIP card abilities override standard rules when in conflict

Winning

How to claim victory.

Complete four races

The game is played over exactly 4 rounds (races)

Mark finishing positions

After each race, mark 1st place horse with WIN token (pays Win/Place/Show bets), 2nd place with PLACE token (pays Place/Show bets), 3rd place with SHOW token (pays Show bets only)

Count final money

After resolving all bets at the end of race 4, count each player's total money

Determine the winner

Player with the most money wins; ties result in shared victory