Grand National
Grand National Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Start Up
One player is designated the Bookmaker/Banker/Steward.
Money
Each player is given $250,000.
Horse Delivery & Stable Selection
Each player selects a Stable/Betting Slip color (Red, White, Blue, Black, Green, or Yellow). These correspond to the colors worn by your jockeys in the race.
Each Stable has 4 boxes available. Players will assign priority based on randomness of hand dealt. For example, first horse dealt to them will become their 1st Stable horse (or red cap jockey of their prospective color). This horse will start on the first lane for that player. The 2nd stable horse will start in the second lane for that player and so on.
Sort the Horse decks into the following groups:
- Stack 1: All $60,000 & $50,000 horses
- Stack 2: All $40,000 & $30,000 horses
- Stack 3: All $20,000 & $10,000 horses
Shuffle each stack separately. Now deal each player one card at random from Stack 1. The horse they receive will go into their 1st Stable and that player will pay the list price. Repeat this process for Stack 2 and Stack 3 with each player receiving horses from those stacks and assigning Stack 2 to Stable 2, and Stack 3 to Stable 3. Each player pays the list price for horses they receive. Now take all remaining horses from each stack and shuffle them together. Finally deal each player a horse out of the remaining shuffled stack. The horse the player receives will go into their 4th stable and they will pay that horse's list price.
Betting & Handicaps with Adjustments
Blind bets are placed by all players. Do not show your bet or amount to the bookmaker or anyone else. Write your bet (the horse you pick to Win, or Show) and your amount wagered. Clip the amount wagered under your Betting Slip. You are only allowed to bet 10,000 total and on one horse only for the Blind bet.
Reserve Price
| Reserve Price | Win odds | Show odds |
|---|---|---|
| 60K | 12/1 | 3/1 |
| 50K | 20/1 | 5/1 |
| 40K | 28/1 | 7/1 |
| 30K | 40/1 | 10/1 |
| 20K | 66/1 | 16/1 |
| 10K | 100/1 | 25/1 |
After the Blind bets have been placed the Steward will spin the spinner to determine the track conditions. Once the track conditions have been declared the handicaps will need to be adjusted. See Betting & Handicap with Adjustments after Lane Placement below.
Lane Placement & Starting Turn
The Steward will spin to decide Stable Color priority as it relates to lane placement. The color of the outer ring on the spinner after spinning will go first, followed by the next color in clockwise fashion to fill out all lanes with available stable colors. Each lane will have 1 horse per stable in the lane.
For Lane 1, all Red cap jockeys or 1st stable horses will be placed.
This process is repeated per lane, meaning the Steward will now spin for Lane 2 setup after lane 1 has been setup. So the winner of Lane 1 to the very inside will not necessarily have priority in Lane 2 as well, unless the spinner falls that way again.
- For Lane 2, all Black cap jockeys or 2nd stable horses will be placed.
- For Lane 3, all White cap jockeys or 3rd stable horses will be placed.
- For Lane 4, all Blue cap jockeys or 4th stable horses will be placed.
Betting & Handicap with Adjustments after Lane Placement
The Bookmaker will write out all odds for Win & Show for each horse running in the race on the Large Betting Odds sheet. Odds will vary depending on if the 0-7 standard handicap horse has an increase or decrease in their handicap. For example, if there are 3 horses with a +6 handicap horses that start in first string would have higher odds of winning so they might be 10/1 odds to win, whereas the +6 horses in 3rd string might likely be 14/1 odds to win. At no point in the game can a horse's handicap exceed +7 movement. Any card effects that increase a horse's movement beyond +7 are null and void. Likewise no horse can ever have below 0 movement.
The race is 2 laps. The first horses to move are all red caps, followed by all black, all white, and all blue. Inner lane takes priority. Whatever the position of a horse on lining up all horses will count from the white start line when taking their initial move. After a horse has moved for its turn place a small betting chip on top of the horse's location in the stable to indicate it has taken its movement for that turn. This is done because some cards can cause horses to advance even when it is not their turn, this can cause much confusion as to whether that horse was able to use its turn yet for that round. Placing a betting chip will help counter this. Remove all betting chips from each horse's location on the team's stable after a round is completed.
All turns after the Starting Move will be determined by the Spinner. So for example after all horses have moved past the starting line on turn 1 and turn 2 is now to begin. The spinner is spun and whatever color it lands on in the outside goes first. This player now moves his red cap rider only. The player to his left (clockwise seating position) will do the same, move their red hat rider only. Play continues like this until all red cap riders have moved. Now the Spinner is spun again and the same process is repeated for all black cap riders. The color that the spinner landed on now moves his black cap rider, each player follows suit in clockwise fashion until all black cap riders have moved. Repeat the same process for white cap riders, and then for blue cap riders. Play continues this way for the duration of the race.
Turn Movement Variation
Instead of Spinning every turn to see what player moves their red cap rider first and proceeding in clockwise fashion, followed by black cap rider first, etc. try the following variant. Each new round of turns starts with the horse in lead position on the track, horses then take turns based on position of the track regardless of cap color status and clockwise seating. For example, Yellow's white cap rider is currently in first place at the start of turn #3. So Yellow moves his white cap rider first. Next Blue's black cap rider is in second place, so Blue moves his black cap rider second. Play continues like this until every horse had made a movement for turn #3. Again, it is extremely important to place betting chips on a horse in the stable to show that the horse has taken its turn for that round of movement because cards can move a horse when it is not the horse's turn. Another thing to be aware of, if a horse is advanced and now moves up in place but has yet to take its turn on that round, that horse now has its turn based on where it now sits in the field. Example, Red's blue cap rider advanced 6 spaces straight ahead. Before the advancement this horse was in 7th place and the current turn was being done by the 3rd place horse. Because of this Red's blue cap now advanced into 4th place. So now Red's blue cap rider will go next because it is now in 4th place.
Movement
The 1 to 64 grid on the stable cards will be edited based on the track conditions. These are speed points that equate to 1 length on the track. Handicaps will be determined pre-race so adjustments will need to be made based on the track conditions.
Track conditions and their grid top values as printed:
- Firm Going: 64
- Good to Frim: 62 (source prints "Frim"; presumably "Firm", as transcribed)
- Good: 60
- Good to Soft: 58
- Soft: 56
- Heavy Ground: 54
Each horse must move a minimum of 1 and up to a maximum of 8 speed points PLUS his handicap mark on each turn. Use your handicap first then all speed points are deducted from the remaining amount of your move. Example: player has +6 handicap and wishes to move 11 spaces. He uses his +6 handicap to travel 6 spaces. The remaining 5 spaces are deducted from his speed points on his stable grid. His movement of 5 spaces is allowed because he is within the range of 1-8 speed points allowed to move per turn.
Any horse running 'too free' that builds up a length of 10 lengths or more up to and including Melling Road on the 2nd Lap will have 2 lengths deducted from his handicap mark for the duration of the race! The lengths are counted in the lane the 2nd place horse occupies. This rule is not in effect on the very FIRST turn! I've played this two ways...10 lengths at anytime or 10 lengths by the very end of all horse's turns for a particular round.
On the First Turn
The 'running free' rule does not come into effect if playing 10 lengths at anytime, if playing 10 lengths by the round's end, then use this rule.
If a horse lands on a fence, a Jump Card must be taken.
If a horse lands on a horseshoe no Turf Card is drawn. Turf cards are only drawn after all horses are running (passed the start line).
On Any Turn
If a horse is boxed in with horses to the front and to the side of it, that horse forfeits its turn that round. He still burns 1 speed point.
*We forced a horse to burn 1 speed point if the horse is not able to advance the full amount indicated on a card. This would be for example if a bonus of going 3 extra spaces as the result of a successful fence jump is given to a horse and that horse can't actually travel 3 spaces because 1, 2, or all of the spaces ahead of him are blocked then he burns 1 speed point if any of the previous is true.
Horses Removed from the Game
Horses at the back of the pack can be pulled at anytime by the stable owner should the owner see that horse's chances at winning/placing not be capable.
Any lapped horse is pulled from the game.
If at anytime a horse runs out of Speed Points, that horse will be pulled from the game.
Horses cannot jump another horse, they must overtake by changing lanes.
Each move sideways counts as 1 length.
Only 1 horse per square.
If a horse's route is blocked by other runners, he must still use at least 1 speed point and advance as far as the move allows, even if it means landing on a fence.
A horse cannot move sideways while on or jumping a fence.
Horses with a low handicap mark may benefit from 'taking on the fences' to gain extra lengths, but doing so is not without risk!
The Finish
After jumping the last fence all horses need to cut across to the outside to enter the 'run-in' to finish, this occurs at The Elbow. The race ends after 1st-4th horses have placed.
Payouts
Payouts as printed:
- 1st: 250,000
- 2nd: 100,000
- 3rd: 50,000
- 4th: 30,000
Winning Bets paid. For Win & Show (1st-3rd).
Player with the most money wins.
Turf Cards
Must be taken when a horse lands on a horseshoe. Turf cards are not to be drawn when a horse lands on a horseshoe by way of an instruction card. Also not drawn during first turn.
The Turf Cards that allow horses of all of one color to advance 6 lengths in lane depending on what color drew this card we play that the player effected (the player to move the 6 lengths) moves no matter who drew the card. And in doing so this player only picks ONE horse of his choice from his stable to move, NOT all horses!
Jump Cards
Must be taken when a horse lands on a fence or in the water at the Water Jump.
Faller cards may cause a horse to be withdrawn from the race.
If a horse is advanced he moves the amounts of lengths specified and may change lane if desired.
Turf cards and Go For Home Cards are not drawn as advancement of Jump Cards if a horse lands on one as a result of a Jump Card.
If advancing on a Jump Card causes a horse to land on a fence he draws another Jump Card.
Can be drawn on the first turn.
Go For Home Cards
When the lead horse has cleared Becher's on the 2nd lap, the Turf Cards are replaced with the Go For Home Cards for the remainder of the race.
Stamina Penalties can be accumulative. A 2nd Wind Card can erase all and any Stamina Penalties accrued. If a horse is carrying a Stamina penalty and an advance card is turned, a penalized horse cannot be advanced so the next horse in line would advance. Example: first 4 horses in the lead advance. If the 4th horse carries a stamina penalty then the 5th horse would advance instead.
'Longest price horse in running' refers to Starting price. If for example, 2 horses share the longest price at 100/1 odds and are still running, both horses benefit.