- BGG rating
- 8.3
Across the Board: Refills Plus Four Additional Tracks
- 3–7 players
- 60 min
- 1975
- BGG rank
- BGG #19,332
- BGG rating
- 6.7
Across the Board
1975
Rules assistance for Across the Board
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 3–7 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 1.8/5
Rules assistant for Across the Board
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Across the Board is a board game released in 1975 for 3–7 players and 60 minutes per game. Its main mechanics are Auction / Bidding and Betting and Bluffing.
Expansions
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About the game
Players choose which of the four racetracks will be used for the game. Each player is handed a copy of the appropriate race form (which should be studied!). The eleven racehorses, which are numbered two through twelve, are randomized and are bought, one at a time, by the players in an open auction. Money spent in the auction will be brought back into the game during the third, fifth and eighth races. Eight races make a complete game and each follows the same procedure. Each player, in turn, has the option to make as many bets as one wants but each bet is made “across the board.” All bets are made in 150-skin (the game’s monetary unit) increments: 50 to win, 50 to place and 50 to show. After everyone has placed their bets, the money is divided as equally as possible into seven stacks. After all bets have been placed, the race is run. A horse has completed a circuit of the track when five Xs have been placed next to it. Sometimes horses begin with some Xs and sometimes the favorites, horses 6, 7 and 8, need an extra X. When a player rolls the dice, that player may give the horse rolled an X and pass on the dice or give that horse a / (half-X) and roll again to that horse an X. When three horses have finished the race, the owner(s) of the winning horse and winning bettors are paid. The player with the most money at the end of the game is the winner. Across the Board features a pari-mutual betting system to mimic a real racetrack. There are no fixed odds. The winners win what the losers lost. That makes Across the Board unique among horse racing games.
Publishers
- MPH Games Co.
Questions and answers
Across the Board supports 3–7 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Across the Board is 60 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
Across the Board has a complexity rating of 1.8 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Across the Board belongs to these categories: Animals, Dice, and Racing. Its main mechanics are Auction / Bidding and Betting and Bluffing. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The catalogue lists Across the Board as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.