Betting Mechanics in Board Games
Betting or wagering is a common game mechanic where players allocate resources, like currency or points, predicting an uncertain outcome within the game. The goal is often to amass wealth or points through these gambles to win.
Key Features
- Risk vs. Reward: Players must weigh potential gains against possible losses.
- Bluffing: Players may deceive others regarding the strength of their position.
- Strategic Depth: Intelligent betting can lead to game advantages.
- Probability: Understanding odds is crucial for informed decisions.
Common Betting Mechanics
- Fixed Bets: Set amounts to enter a game phase, like an ante in poker.
- Auction Bets: Players bid on game items or privileges.
- Dynamic Bets: Fluent betting throughout play, evolving with game context.
Examples
- Poker: Classic card game focused on betting and bluffing.
- Camel Up: Players bet on the outcome of a camel race.
Betting adds excitement and strategic complexity to board games, making outcomes partly dependent on players' decisions under uncertainty.
Betting games published by TLAMA games
Party Game with Betting
Strategy Game with Betting
Betting and Race games
Miniatures themed games with Betting
Team-Based Game with Betting
Betting and Trick-taking games
Two-player Game with Betting

The latest in our Big in Japan line is Greedy Kingdoms, a collaboration between award-winning designers Hayato Kisaragi and Bruno Faidutti! Bluff past your opponent's defenders to secure the resources needed to build the most lavish Kingdom. Show that...
Greedy Kingdoms
$22.95
$15.00

For months you've been planning and gathering forces for the largest invasion of the war. Your opponent knows that you are preparing a major strike, but do they know where? Suddenly you receive reports that as py has gained information about your operation...
Great Designers Series, The: Fog of War, The
$23.95
$12.00
Betting games published by Piatnik
Betting and Take That games
Animals themed games with Betting

Once upon a time, three big cats became exhausted fighting to be top cat. They agreed to quit the fight and spice up their nine lives with a hot spice eating contest. Alas, everyone was soon cheating, so the cats invented a very hot, often tearful, bluffing...
Spicy
$48.80
$14.99

The peace of the countryside is marred only by the sound of cicadas. Suddenly, a buzzing is heard as the calm of the prairie is disrupted by a line of insects rushing at incredible speed in a madcap race. Minuscule is a racing game with funny bugs that...
Minuscule
$10.95
$7.00
Betting and Memory games
Betting and Area Majority / Influence games
Betting games published by Genius Games
Virulence: An Infectious Card Game is an addictively quick and simple card game focused on viruses infecting a host cell - and how they assemble and replicate inside that host cell. Virulence has players take on the role of viruses competing to infect...
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$0.00
Virulence: An Infectious Card Game is an addictively quick and simple card game focused on viruses infecting a host cell - and how they assemble and replicate inside that host cell. Virulence has players take on the role of viruses competing to infect...
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$21.99
Betting games published by Korea Boardgames
Betting games published by Bumble3ee Interactive

Blood on the Clocktower
$179.99
A game of murder and mystery, lies and logic, deduction and deception.This grimoire contains the first 3 editions of Blood on the Clocktower. Each has a unique collection of characters from the worldly to the bizarre, encourages different strategies...
very positive, 88%
18 y/o +
5 to 20 players
60 minutes
Involved
Murder / Mystery
Horror
Mystery / Crime
Betting
Bluffing
Deduction
Hidden Roles