Ascot

Ascot is a horse race betting game for 2 to 18 players. The game consists of the game board (six racing lines – one for each horse, numbered columns, representing forwards or backwards movements), 6 horses in 6 different colors, 108 betting slips (each 18 in the colors of the horses), and 72 movement cards in a neutral color. For each horse, there are 12 cards (3x "+", 2x "++", 1x "+++", 3x "-", 2x "- -", and 1x "- - -"). The start position of each horse is the field of its respective line in the central column. Each player receives six betting slips (one of each color) and an amount of the 72 movement cards (previously shuffled and distributed amongst them). The objective of the players is to give adequate movement cards to the player nominated as the game master in attempt to best influence the position of the horses during the race. Simultaneously, the players may change betting slips with each other, trying to achieve the best winnings. For that, the players are free to communicate among them and change both betting slips and movement cards. During the race, the players may give movement cards (face down) to the game master. After the game master plays five cards, they move the corresponding horses according to the played movement cards. The game ends after a predetermined number of rounds are played and the players receive points according to their bets. The player with the most points wins. Originally published in spielbox 1992 #5.