Mint Julep
Mint Julep Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 5 double-sided Horse Cards
- 12 Bet/Action Cards
- 1 Mint Julep Card
Setup
Place the five horses in alphabetical order from top (rightmost card) to bottom (left-most card).
In the example setup, Alaskan Justice is starting in 1st Position and You Got Me is starting in 5th Position.
Starting Bonuses
Horses receive bonus points based on their starting position.
| Starting Position | Bonus |
|---|---|
| 1st | 0 |
| 2nd | 1 |
| 3rd | 1 |
| 4th | 2 |
| 5th | 2 |
Player Setup
Deal each player an equal number of cards and place the remaining cards to the side, face-down.
In a two player game deal 4 piles: one to each player & one between each player.
Gameplay
The game consists of 3 rounds; each includes a draft, bet, and race phase.
Draft Phase
Players take a card from their hand and place it in front of themselves face-down, then pass the remaining cards to their left. Repeat until all cards have been taken.
In a two player game, players deal to the pile to their left and take from the pile to their right.
Bet Phase
Players will choose a card to play as a bet and simultaneously reveal it. In the first round, this is required and the bet is placed with the 1st round side up. In subsequent rounds, if a player bets, their new bet will replace any existing bet and the new bet is placed with the appropriate round side up. The previous bet is discarded.
Players may only have one active bet at a time.
In a two player game, each player can have two active bets.
NOTE: Bets placed in round 2 are worth -1 point, and bets placed in round 3 are worth -2 points at the end of the game.
(Example: a round 2 bet on Newton's Apple is worth -1 point.)
Race Phase
Race order is determined by the position of the horse at the beginning of the phase.
The player betting on the current first place horse goes first, second place horse second, and so on, skipping any horses that don't have bets.
If more than one player is betting on a horse, compare the initiative letters. Players betting on the same horse will go in alphabetical order: A then B then C.
With the remaining cards in hands, players will take turns each playing one card at a time and immediately resolving its action, until no cards remain.
Movement
When a card is played, horses will move. With movement, there are a few things to keep in mind:
The horses start in one group, but multiple groups are created as the game goes on.
The frontmost group is in the lead, and the top horse in each group leads the group.
(Example: You Got Me is leading its group. Newton's Apple is leading its group and the race.)
When a top horse moves, it will move from the top of its group to the top of the group in front or behind it.
(Example: any leading horse moves — You Got Me moved from the top of the back group to the top of the front group.)
When a named horse moves, it will move from its space within its group to the top of the group in front or behind it.
When two horses move during a turn, the order is as the player chooses.
A horse cannot be moved then moved back to its prior position during a single action.
There cannot be gaps between adjacent groups. (Example: If the frontmost group consists of just one horse, it cannot be moved forward again as it will create a gap.)
Mint Julep Card
All horses start with their special side up. The mint julep card allows a player to use the ability on any topmost horse. When an ability is used, that horse is flipped over to its back side. It cannot be flipped back.
End of Round
At the end of each round all bet cards stay in place and the movement cards, bet cards that were replaced, and cards that were not used in the last round are shuffled together. Cards are dealt and a new round begins.
End of Game
At the end of the 3rd round, the game ends. Players check the horse that they bet on and add its starting position bonus with its final place score, minus any points for late bets. If more than one player bets on the same horse, those points are split evenly between the betting players (with any remainder lost). In a 2 player game score each bet individually.
Final Score
Starting Bonus
| Horse | Bonus |
|---|---|
| You Got Me | 2 |
| Whiskey Princess | 2 |
| Newton's Apple | 1 |
| Maple Splendor | 1 |
| Alaskan Justice | 0 |
Finishing Place
- 1st Place: 3 points
- 2nd Place: 2 points
- 3rd Place: 1 point
Late Bets
(Example: a round 2 bet on Newton's Apple is worth -1 point.)
The player (or players) with the most points wins. Scores may go into negative numbers.