by Dan DiSorbo
If a player’s faceup cards are of equal value, it’s an automatic win and the opposing player drinks.
If both players’ faceup cards are of equal value, it’s a tie, both players drink, and the deck must get reshuffled.
Play continues until someone wins four rounds.
Beer Roulette throws caution to the wind and leaves the dryness of a player’s clothes in the hands of luck alone. Borrowing from the infamous Russian roulette, this game teaches players about the importance of decisions—and of bringing a change of clothes.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED BESIDES BEER
An empty cooler
SETUP
This game works best with six players and a six-pack of cans (no bottles).
You need one beer for each player.
GAME PLAY
Shake one can vigorously, then put it back with the others so no one knows which one is shaken. If there are more than six people playing, shake two cans. Add an extra shaken can to the mix for every six players. Once the cans are shaken, throw all of the cans (shaken and unshaken) into a cooler.
Each player picks a can and holds it up to the side of her head with the mouth of the can facing her head.
At once, everyone opens their cans.
SCORING (DRINKING) METHOD
The players who weren’t sprayed win and celebrate by drinking their beers and laughing at the loser.
This is a team-based event once reserved for Ivy League crew teams but now everyone from the GED graduate to the PhD candidate can play.
SETUP
Two teams of equal numbers line up across from each other, standing at a table or sitting on the floor. Traditional matchups are five vs. five, seven vs. seven, or nine vs. nine.
Each player must place a drinking vessel (cup, glass, mug, etc.) full of beer in front of them. Whichever vessel is used, it must be the same for all players.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED BESIDES BEER
A drinking vessel for each player
A table (optional)
ULTIMATE BOAT RACE
Nonconformists will agree that drinking out of a cup can be boring. If you want to add a challenge to this game, have all the players drink out of Frisbees to test the limits of their drinking ability.
GAME PLAY
The game begins with the first two opponents at the end of the table partaking in a toast, which consists of tapping their cups, lowering them down to hit the table, then back up to drink.
Once the beer is consumed, the player must invert the empty vessel over his or her head.
After the cup is proven to be empty, the next player grabs his cup and consumes the beer as quickly as possible and then inverts it over his head.
This continues down the line.
SCORING (DRINKING) METHOD
Simply put: the team that finishes first wins.
Empty vessels must remain held over each competitor’s head until the race is over. If any beer spills, that player is considered “overboard” and their team is automatically disqualified.
Possibly one of the biggest, most impressive feats of fortitude is the Case Race. Its pure competiveness is matched only by its gluttony.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED BESIDES BEER
Intestinal fortitude
DRINKER DICTIONARY
BREAKING THE SEAL
v. The first urination of the night. Can lead to in-game distractions if not properly managed.
SETUP
This is best played by at least two teams of three players each. More is allowed, as long as both teams have the same number.
GAME PLAY
Each team must work together to finish their case of beer.
SCORING (DRINKING) METHODS
The first team to finish wins.
Nothing more to it.
HOW TO HOLD IT
During intense drinking games, neither failure nor urination is an option. Here are four tips to stave off number one.
Cross your legs only if standing. This can help close off the urethra and limit movements that might, um, shake things out. But do not cross if you are seated. This puts extra pressure on your bladder.
Sit up, but chill out. The key is to relieve tension before you accidentally, um, relieve yourself. So sit upright but let your lower abdomen tilt forward slightly, again taking pressure off your bladder.
Focus and fidget. Subtle, unjarring leg and arm movements are a way to help distract you from the situation down there.
Not so fast. Some recent research shows that people needing to go made better strategic, long-term decisions compared to their recently peed peers.
Easily one of the most basic games out there, High Low is easy to learn, nearly impossible to argue over, and provides a stage for ample beer consumption. A mastery of this game is essential as there will always be some point in the night when a game that involves thought, strategy, or skill is just too much to muster.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED BESIDES BEER
A deck of playing cards
SETUP
This game requires at least two players, but it doesn’t prove entertaining for groups bigger than six.
Players sit around a yet-to-be dealt deck of cards with a full beer in front of them.
GAME PLAY
One player is dealt a card. The object is to guess whether the next card in the deck will be higher or lower than the dealt card.
After three or more successful guesses, the player may pass to the next player.
Once the player passes, the next player starts with the last card the previous player left behind.
COACH SAYS
The strategy is to build up a lot of cards and then pass to the next player, making it harder for them and causing them to potentially take more drinks.
SCORING (DRINKING) METHOD
If a player guesses wrong, she drinks for every card that is turned over. For example if there are two cards showing and she guesses wrong on the next turn, she must take two sips.
After each wrong guess, play is reset and starts from the last card turned.
If a card of equal value is turned, it’s a social and everyone drinks. An equal card is considered a do-over for the guessing player.
Play continues until no one wants to play anymore. Everyone wins!
ALTERNATIVE RULE:
RED BLACK
Instead of High Low, you can makes things quicker and easier by just playing Red Black. The rules are the same but instead of guessing if the next card will be higher or lower, you just guess if the next card will be red or black. This quicker version is perfect for those frequent bathroom break intermissions.
COACH SAYS
Wesley Snipes said you should always bet on black. He’s right, if by “always” he means “half the time” and by “bet” he means “pay your taxes.”
Horse Race is a game that just naturally generates excitement, thanks to the bets and the stakes behind those bets. Let your inner bookie out.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED BESIDES BEER
A deck of playing cards
SETUP
This game requires at least four players, but the more the merrier.
Pull out the four aces from the deck. These are the “horses.”
Lay out the “track” starting with the “gate” by laying the four aces faceup and side by side at one end of the table. Next, set up the “lanes” by laying six random cards facedown in a straight line perpendicular to the aces.
GAME PLAY
Before the race begins, each player chooses his horse by its suit. When more than four players are playing, players may have the same suit but only after all four suits have already been picked once.
Each player makes a “bet” on his horse. A bet is a set amount of drinks, typically between one and five but you can go as high as a full beer.
Once all the bets are in, the announcer flips over the remaining cards in the deck one at a time. The suit of the card flipped corresponds to the aces in the game.
Whatever suit is pulled, th
e corresponding ace is advanced by one card on the track.
Continue flipping cards until one of the horses goes past the final card in the lane to win.
SCORING (DRINKING) METHOD
If a player picks a winning horse, he gets to distribute his bet (drinks).
Losing players must drink their own bets, plus whatever else a winning player might hand out to them.
COACH SAYS
If you love to bet and love to drink, then add some more excitement to this game by side betting exactas, quinellas, trifectas, and superfectas. If you know what those bets are then you should try it. If you don’t, then stick to the basic straight bet—it’s still fun.
They say that chess is the game of kings. We say that Kings is the game of kings. Versatile enough to be played by anyone from a prince to a pauper, it’s a royal good time. We’ve run out of mildly amusing puns about kings, so you’ll need to trust us that this classic has been passed down for many generations for a reason.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED BESIDES BEER
A deck of playing cards
A big empty cup
SETUP
Kings is best played with three to eight individuals.
Spread an entire deck of playing cards facedown around the empty cup.
GAME PLAY
Taking turns and rotating clockwise, players draw a card and follow the rule for each card (explained in the Scoring section).
For each king drawn, that player must also fill one-third of the center cup with her beer.
Once the fourth king is drawn, the game is over and the player to draw the fourth king loses and must drink the now-full center cup.
SCORING (DRINKING) METHOD
For each card picked a rule must be followed:
Ace = waterfall.
Two = you. Pick any other player to drink.
Three = me. Take a drink.
Four = floor. Last person to touch the floor must drink.
Five = guys. All male players must drink. (If playing with all females you can play “Give Five” and distribute five drinks in any combination. You must also call a male and ask him and his friends to come over.)
Six = chicks. All female players must drink. (If playing with all males you can play “Give Six” and distribute six drinks in any combination. You must also call a female and ask her and her friends to come over.)
Seven = heaven. All players must point up. The last player to point must drink.
Eight = mate. Pick another player to be your “drinking mate.” Anytime either player has to drink, her mate must drink too.
Nine = bust a rhyme. Say a phrase, then all the other players in turn must say a phrase that rhymes with the original. The first player who can’t come up with a phrase, says a phrase that doesn’t rhyme, or repeats a phrase, must drink.
Ten = category. Pick a category and the other players must say items from that category. The first player who can’t think of an item, says something not in the category, or repeats an item, must drink.
Jack = make a rule. Create a rule that all the players must obey until the end of the game.
Queen = question. Ask any player a question. That player must answer the question then turn to someone else and ask a different question and so on. If a player does not ask a question, cannot think of a question quickly, or repeats a question, she must drink.
King = thumbs. At any time during the game, you can place your thumb on the table. The last person to put her thumb on the table must drink.
MAKE A RULE CHEAT SHEET
Here are some “Make a Rule” suggestions for your game.
TIME-OUT: If you say another person’s name, you must put your head on the table, in “time-out,” until someone else breaks the rule.
POTTY MOUTH: If you swear, you drink.
ACCENT TIME: You must use the accent assigned to you. Break character, you drink.
IN MY PANTS: You must complete every sentence with said phrase, and if you don’t, you drink—in my pants.
POINTLESS: Anyone who points, you guessed it, must drink.
BOX HEAD: Fashion a hat out of an empty case of beer. You must wear it until a jack is drawn.
DRINK DRANK DRUNK: None of those words can be uttered. If one is, you must drink imbibe.
It’s generally a good idea to avoid doing arithmetic when drinking, unless of course you’re playing Three Man. This game combines the thrill of boozing with the challenge of simple addition to create a game that anyone with a liver and a first-grade education can enjoy. Take a look at the rules and we’re sure you’ll agree it all adds up to a ton of fun.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED BESIDES BEER
Two dice
One table
One chair per player
SETUP
Three Man is played with as many players as you want. The more the merrier.
Players sit around a table with their drinks in front of them and a pair of dice in the center.
GAME PLAY
Everyone takes turns rolling a single die until someone rolls a three. This person becomes the Three Man.
The game then proceeds around the circle in a clockwise direction with players rolling two dice at a time.
The dice are only passed from one person to the next when a player rolls a number combination that does not require drinking.
SCORING (DRINKING) METHOD
In Three Man, there is no simple roll of the dice. The following is a list of dice scores and their corresponding actions.
Three: Whenever the numbers on the dice add up to three, the Three Man must drink. He may then pass his title onto the player of his choosing.
Seven: Whenever the numbers on the dice add up to seven, the person to the right of the roller must have a drink.
Nine: Whenever the numbers on the dice add up to nine, the person across from the roller must have a drink.
Ten: Whenever the numbers on the dice add up to ten, everyone must have a drink.
Eleven: Whenever the numbers on the dice add up to eleven, the person to the left of the roller must have a drink.
Four and one: Whenever a player rolls a four and a one, he becomes the Thumb Master. The Thumb Master can place his thumb on the table at any time during the game and everyone else must do the same. The last person to put his thumb on the table must have a drink. The Thumb Master retains the title until another player rolls a four and a one.
Doubles: Whenever a player rolls doubles he gives the dice to another player of his choosing. If that player rolls doubles, he gives the dice to another player of his choosing. If not, he must take a drink.
Remember that song “Proud Mary”? The one Tina Turner sang about “Rollin’, rollin’, rollin’ down the river”? That song was written about Up the River, Down the River. Okay, maybe it wasn’t, but it should have been. Easily one of the most nautically themed drinking games out there, it builds on those matching skills you honed during many a childhood game of “Memory.”
WHAT YOU’LL NEED BESIDES BEER
One deck of playing cards (maybe two)
COACH SAYS
If you’re playing with six or more players, you’re gonna need two decks of cards.
SETUP
You will need at least three players to join you on this expedition.
Each player (including the dealer) is dealt four cards faceup arranged in a straight horizontal line in front of them.
The remaining deck is placed in a pile in front of the dealer.
GAME PLAY
There are four “up the river” (take a drink) rounds and four “down the river” (give a drink) rounds.
The game begins “up the river” when the dealer flips over the first card off the top of the remaining deck.
SCORING (DRINKING) METHOD
Any player with the same card value that was flipped (suit doesn’t matter) must take one drink.
If a player has more than one card that matches the flipped card, she must take a drink for each match she has.
After each “up the river” turn, the dealer then flips over the next card from the deck and the same rules apply. For each turn, however, the amount of drinks increases by one. Turn 1 = take one drink per match, turn 2 = two drinks, turn 3 = three drinks, turn 4 = four drinks.
After the four “up the river” turns, the game reverses to “down the river.”
The dealer flips over the next card in the deck and any player who has a match can now give out four drinks in any combination. If a player has more than one match, she gives out four drinks for each match she has.