Long Shot

Bet on horses, own a few and tweak the race with cards until the finish line.

Designer: Chris Handy (I)
Published by: Z-Man Games
Editions by: Swan Panasia Co., Ltd., KOSMOS, Mass Games, Perplext

Long Shot is your ticket to the racetrack. Up to eight players bet on horses, buy a horse or two of their own and play cards to shape how the race unfolds. With over a hundred different cards you combine strategies and resources, and you can try to win some of the purse with a horse you own or put everything on the long shot. Betting tickets, owners' prizes and dice-driven racing run side by side, which gives everyone a reason to cheer during the same race. A 2009 game for three to eight, about an hour, best with five. Expect shouting at tiny wooden horses and a bit of gloating.

Bet on and buy racehorsesOver a hundred cards to steer the raceUp to eight players at one table

Who it's for

You have a big group and want a horse-racing night with betting, bluffing and cheering.

Not for you if…

You want precise strategy or you only have two players. It needs a crowd.

Vibe's take

Loud and social. Everyone has a stake in a different horse, so the race turns into a shouting match with cards and dice for fuel.