Pony Express

Buffalo Bill was merely the best known of the tireless and brave riders of the legendary Pony Express. It's operations ranged over two thousand long and lonely miles, keeping up unbelievable speeds of service. And for more than 100 years, the Pony Express was without opposition. So let's move ourselves back in time, to those days of bitter struggle for the best horses and riders. The players take on the roles of rich westerners, risking their gold to gain control of horses and riders capable of riding the 2000 mile trail to California, faster than any other. And to really capture the taste of the Old Wild West, once they've found their horses, then they bet on them too, or on the opposition if that suits them better. Poker, Bluff, Tactics, Enjoyment, Suspense and Nerves of steel, they're the ingredients you'll find in and need for the 2000 mile trail of the Pony Express.

A game of Pony Express comprises two stages, first the Poker stage, and then the Race. In the first part the players place their chips so as to bet on and get control of their favourite horses. At the same time they're giving movement cards to the horses, which affects the strength of the horses and so their winning chances. This in turn causes the odds being offered on each horse to alter. At the end of the first stage, the owners of the horses, the odds, the quality of the horses, the turn order and the amounts laid on each horse are all settled. The race can then begin. In the second part of the game, the owners of the horses are also their riders. They hold the movement cards for their horse(s), and play one each round, attempting to move their horses up to four spaces forwards. To make the most of each horse the rider/owner should try to use the movement cards as well as possible, and also to use the particular features of that horse's route to it's best advantage. The race ends as soon as three horses have finished. These three get prizes for winning. Then all the bets placed on those horses are worked out and winnings paid. The Westerner who, at the end of payments, has the most money, is the winner of Pony Express.