Grand National
Inventor: Mick Haytack, copyright 2001.
Requirements: pencil & paper
Number of players: many
Purpose
Clearing all fences.
Start of game
The number of fences will depend on the number of players. At each
plane fence the horse playing the smallest number of jumping points will
fall. In the event of a tie see rules 3) and 4). See rules 5) 6) and 7)
for special fences.
The rules
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Each jockey will start with 500 points.
-
Each jockey should allocate a number of jumping points for each fence in
turn. At a plain fence the horse ridden by the jockey using the smallest
number of points will fall.
-
In the event of a tie the hoirse with the larger/largest number of unused
points will fall, but the others will stumble. Horses which stumble will
loose 5 jumping points or half rounded down if they start with less than
10.
-
If a tie can not be split by using rule 3) (for instance 2 or more players
could play the same number at the first fence) then all horses with the
most remaining points will fall and the others will stumble. If more than
one horse falls, then no horses will fall at the next x plain fences. (
x = number of fallers - 1)
-
At Bechers the TWO jockeys playing the smallest number will fall. Ties
split using rules 3) and 4).
-
At the Chair the jockeys playing the highest and the lowest number will
fall. Ties split using rules 3) and 4).
-
At the Water Jump the jockeys playing the smallest number will fall. Ties
split using rules 3) and 4). In addition, the player playing the highest
number of points will receive an extra 50 jumping points. These extra points
will be shared (rounded down) if there is more then qualifying jockey.
Unused points will not be taken into account when deciding the allocation
of these points.
-
If there is an odd number of entrants there will be one plain fence at
the first turn and two fences on each subsequent turn. Otherwise
there will be two fences per turn. Orders for the second fence each turn
may be made conditional on the outcome of the first fence.
-
Once a horse falls all its remaining jumping points are lost.
-
The winner is the horse which clears all fences AND has the most remaining
unused points. If only one horse completes the course that horse wins.
When Mick ran the game in Bloodstock there werer 40 entries (participants)
and the fences were:
Plain: 1-4, 6-8, 10-13, 15-18, 20-22, 24-27, 29-31
Bechers: 5 and 19
Chair: 14 and 28
Water: 9 and 23.
End of game
Last horse left, or all fences cleared.