Hello Lords,

I have been looking through the Horse Racing Tournament rules and trying to figure out which strategy gives the best chance of winning.

After comparing the scoring system, horse limits, card carryover, card combinations, and Item Card rate, I do not think chasing a 10-Card Straight is the best way to play.

The strategy that makes the most sense to me is:

Normal Racehorse first→ Thoroughbred Racehorse second→ Royal Racehorse last

The general idea is simple:

Use the first round to observe and save useful cards, use the second round to secure points, and use the final round for your strongest push.

For card combinations, I would prioritize them like this:

Bomb→ Consecutive Pairs→ Consecutive Three of a Kind→ 5-Card to 7-Card Straights

The main reason is the scoring system.

Each round gives 5 points for first place, 3 points for second, 2 points for third, and 1 point for fourth.

That means first place is worth 2 more points than second place.

Because of this, I think it is better to save enough cards to win one or two rounds rather than use everything evenly across all three rounds.

Another important point is that unused cards carry over to the next round.

This makes saving cards much more valuable than it may seem at first.

WHICH CARD COMBINATIONS ARE THE MOST EFFICIENT?

The Bomb looks like the best combination overall.

A Bomb only needs four matching cards, but it gives an additional 500% Speed Up bonus.

That is a huge bonus for only four cards.

Compared with other combinations, it gives the highest value per card.

Here is a simple comparison.

The biggest takeaway here is that Bombs are extremely efficient.

Even though 5 Consecutive Pairs can create a huge burst, they require all 10 cards and are much harder to complete.

So in a real match, I would usually prioritize:

Bombs first.

Then Consecutive Pairs and Consecutive Three of a Kind.

Long Straights should be treated as a bonus, not as something you must force.

HOW LIKELY ARE THESE COMBINATIONS?

The official rules do not explain the full card system.

For example, we do not know how many copies of each number exist or whether cards are removed from a shared deck.

So the following numbers are only estimates.

The assumptions are:

• Number cards are from 1 to 10

• Every number has the same chance to appear

• Every card has a 20% chance to become an Item Card

• Item Cards cannot be used in number combinations

• Every draw is independent

These numbers show why chasing very long Straights is usually not worth it.

They look impressive on paper, but they appear too rarely.

Three of a Kind is much more realistic.

Two Consecutive Pairs are also a good target, especially when your hand size reaches 10.

Bombs are rare, but when you get one, it is usually worth saving for an important moment.

MY RECOMMENDED THREE-ROUND STRATEGY

ROUND ONE: NORMAL RACEHORSE

I would start with the Normal Racehorse.

The goal in the first round is not always to win.

Instead, I would use this round to:

• Watch how quickly the other players use their cards

• Play isolated cards that do not help any useful combination

• Save Pairs and Three of a Kind

• Save nearby matching Pairs

• Use Item Cards only when necessary

• Avoid emptying the whole hand just to chase first place

A good result in the first round is second or third place while still keeping useful cards.

Cards I would normally save include:

THREE MATCHING CARDS

For example:5, 5, 5

If possible, keep them.

One more 5 gives you a Bomb.

ADJACENT PAIRS

For example:33 and 44

This is already 2 Consecutive Pairs.

If you later draw 55, it becomes 3 Consecutive Pairs.

ADJACENT THREE OF A KIND

For example:333 and 444

This already gives you 2 Consecutive Three of a Kind, which has a very strong bonus.

POTENTIAL STRAIGHT

For example:3, 4, 5, 6

If you do not urgently need speed, you may want to hold these cards and see if the Straight becomes longer.

ANY PAIR

In most cases, I would avoid breaking a Pair just to play single cards.However, do not become too greedy with saving cards.

If you clearly have a good chance to take first place, it may be better to use a useful combination and take the 5 points.

A guaranteed win is often more valuable than waiting for a perfect combination that may never appear.

ROUND TWO: Thoroughbred RACEHORSE

For the second round, I would use the thoroughbred Racehorse.

This is the round where your strategy should depend on your current score.

IF YOU FINISHED THIRD OR FOURTH IN ROUND ONE

You should play much more aggressively.Try to finish first or at least second.

Good options include:

• Three of a Kind

• 2 Consecutive Pairs

• 5-Card Straight or longer

• Personal Speed Up Item Cards

• Speed-reduction Item Cards

At this point, do not save every strong card for Round Three.

If you finish near the bottom in both of the first two rounds, even winning the last round may not be enough.

IF YOU WON ROUND ONE

You can play a little more carefully.You do not always need to win again.Second place may already be enough.

For example:

Round One, first place: 5 points

Round Two, second place: 3 points

That gives you 8 points before the final round.

This is already a very strong position.

In this situation, I would avoid using a Bomb just to gain a small lead in race time.

I would rather save the strongest combination for the final round.

ROUND THREE: THOROUGHBRED RACEHORSE

For the final round, I would use the royal racehorse.

This horse has:

• The highest base Attributes

• A hand limit of 10 cards

• The best ability to use cards saved from earlier rounds

• The best setup for combining large card patterns with Item Cards

There is no reason to keep saving cards now because there is no fourth round.This is the time to use everything useful.

That includes:

• Bombs

• Consecutive Pairs

• Consecutive Three of a Kind

• Three of a Kind

• Long Straights

• Personal Speed Up Item Cards

• Speed-reduction Item Cards

• Shields

Also remember that if the total score is tied, the game checks the number of wins and total race time.

The Thoroughbred Racehorse may help you finish faster and improve your tiebreaker result.

PRACTICAL CARD PRIORITY

If I had to rank which combinations are worth saving, I would use the following order.

TIER ONE: SAVE THESE WHEN POSSIBLE

1. Bomb
2. 5 Consecutive Pairs
3. 3 Consecutive Three of a Kind
4. 4 Consecutive Pairs
5. 2 Consecutive Three of a Kind

TIER TWO: THE MOST PRACTICAL COMBINATIONS

1. 3 Consecutive Pairs
2. Three of a Kind
3. 2 Consecutive Pairs
4. 6-Card to 8-Card Straights
5. 5-Card Straight

TIER THREE: NORMAL CARD USAGE

1. Pair
2. 4-Card Straight
3. Isolated cards that do not help any stronger combination

One thing to be careful about is the 4-Card Straight.It only gives a 40% bonus.A Pair gives a 50% bonus.

So I would not break a Pair or Three of a Kind just to make a 4-Card Straight.Only use a 4-Card Straight when those four cards are not helping any better combination.

HOW I WOULD USE ITEM CARDS

Every card has a 20% chance to become an Item Card.

With an 8-card starting hand, you will have about:

• 6.4 number cards

• 1.6 Item Cards

This is another reason why a 10-Card Straight is so unrealistic.

PERSONAL SPEED UP

I would use this together with a strong card combination, especially:

• Bomb

• 3 Consecutive Pairs

• 2 Consecutive Three of a Kind

• Long Straights

If the bonuses stack, the burst can be very strong.

REDUCE THE SPEED OF THE FASTEST OPPONENT

I would usually save this for the later part of the race.

If you use it too early, the current leader may not be the real threat at the end.

REDUCE THE SPEED OF ALL OTHER OPPONENTS

This is best used when:

• You are already leading

• You are about to play a strong combination

• You want to increase the gap between yourself and everyone else

SHIELD

I would use a Shield before an important push.

It is especially useful:

• In Round Three

• When you are already in first place

• Before opponents are likely to use slowdown effects

• Before you play a strong combination

If Shields can stack, saving several layers for a key moment may be very useful.

SIMPLE ROUND-BY-ROUND SUMMARY

ROUND ONE

Horse: Normal Racehorse

Plan:

• Use isolated cards

• Use small Pairs only when needed

• Save strong combination pieces

• Avoid wasting too many Item Cards

Goal:

Finish second or third while keeping useful cards.

ROUND TWO

Horse: Thoroughbred Racehorse

Plan:

• Adjust your play based on your current score

• Use Three of a Kind

• Use 2 Consecutive Pairs

• Use 5-Card Straights if needed

• Use Item Cards to avoid falling behind

Goal:

Finish in the top two and stay competitive.

ROUND THREE

Horse: Royal Racehorse

Plan:

• Use Bombs

• Use Consecutive Pairs

• Use Consecutive Three of a Kind

• Use every useful Item Card

• Stop saving cards

Goal:

Win the round and finish as quickly as possible.

THE THREE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS TO REMEMBER

DO NOT FORCE A 10-CARD STRAIGHT

The bonus looks good, but the chance of getting it is almost zero, especially with the 20% Item Card rate.

SAVE REPEATED NUMBERS

Bombs, Three of a Kind, and Consecutive Pairs are usually more useful and more realistic than long Straights.

TRY TO WIN AT LEAST ONE ROUND

The scoring system rewards first place heavily.

Three second-place finishes give: 3 + 3 + 3 = 9 points

But first, first, and fourth give: 5 + 5 + 1 = 11 points

Wins also matter when scores are tied.

So being consistently second is not always better than taking a risk and winning one or two rounds.

FINAL THOUGHTS

My preferred strategy is:

Normal Racehorse first→ Save cards and watch the other players

Thoroughbred Racehorse second→ Secure enough points and stay near the top

Royal Racehorse last→ Use Bombs, Consecutive Pairs, Three of a Kind, Consecutive Three of a Kind, and Item Cards for the final push

Based on the current rules, I think this late-game burst strategy gives the best balance between consistency and winning potential.

The probability numbers are only estimates because the official rules do not explain the complete card distribution.

I would also like to hear how other players approach this mode.

Do you normally save the Thoroughbred Racehorse for the last round, or do you use it early to secure the first 5 points?

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-d1fhrR24k