What is Beer Pong?
Beer Pong, also known as Beirut, is a drinking game that originated in the 1980's in Beirut, Lebanon. Over the years, the game has evolved into a favorite past time among college students and young adults, but can be enjoyed by people of all ages. Overall, Beer Pong is a fun and exciting game that is often played at parties, tailgates, and other social events. The game is played with four players, two teams of two players each, and the objective is to throw ping pong balls into cups of beer set up on the opposite side of a table. The cups are arranged in a triangular formation. When a ball lands in the opposing team's cup, the players from the opposing team have to remove the cup from the triangle formation and drink its contents. Once all the other side's cups are empty that team has won.
The rules of the game are as follows:
- The game is typically played with 10 cups arranged in a triangle formation on each side of the table, with each cup containing a small amount of beer.
- Each team or player takes turns throwing the balls at the opposing team's or player's cups. If a ball lands in a cup, the contents of the cup are consumed by the opposing team or player.
- After a cup has been hit, the opposing team or player can attempt to "re-rack" the cups by asking for it before their turn starts.
- Once all cups on one side of the table have been hit, the game is over, and the team or player that successfully sinks a ball into all of the opposing team's or player's cups is declared the winner.
- In some variations, if a team or player sinks the last cup, the opposing team or player has the opportunity for "redemption" by sinking all the remaining balls in the final cup. If they succeed, the game goes into overtime, otherwise the sinking team wins.
To play beer pong, you will need the following materials:
- A beer pong table: The standard size is 8ft x 2ft, which is regulated by the World Series of Beer Pong (WSOBP), the most popular tournament in the world. However, some people may make a homemade table, in that case, the size may vary depending on the materials used and the space available.
- 20 Cups (with an additional, and optional 2 cups): 10 on each side in the formation of a triangle (and 1 on each side used as a "wash or rinse cup"): typically plastic cups that hold 16-20 oz. They are usually red solo cups.
- Cold Beer: to fill the cups with.
- 2 Ping pong balls: to throw at the cups. It's better to have a few extra just in case it gets stepped on or lost during a game.
- Water (Optional): to rinse the balls between throws. The ball can get gross if it rolls on the floor. It's good etiquette to rinse before taking a shot.
- Other optional materials like cup holders, racks, and lights, can be used to keep the cups organized and make it easier to play in low-light conditions.
Shot Techniques
Re-racks
Here are some other common rules and definitions that you may come across when playing beer pong:
- "Re-racks": Players can reorganize the cups in a different formation, typically in a smaller group, at certain points in the game.
- "Bouncing": If the ball bounces into a cup, it counts as 2 made shots and 2 cups get removed. But a bounce shot may be swatted. Be careful not to knock over your own cups while attempting to swat the ball because if you do, it counts as a shot made by the opponent and the cup is removed.
- "Islands": Some variations include the use of "islands" which are cups detached from the triangle that can be hit for extra points. The player must say "island" before taking the shot for it to count.
- "Rollbacks": If a ball is thrown and rolls back to the throwing team, it can be caught and thrown again for another chance to hit a cup. House rules indicate how this ball is thrown, whether behind the back, using a non dominant hand, and more.
- "Fingering": Some games allow players to use their fingers to try to knock a ball out of a cup if it is spinning at the top and does not get wet from the beverage.
- "Blowing": Some games allow players to blow into the cups while the ball is spinning at the top to force the ball out of the cup without the ball getting wet from the beverage.
- "Elbows": Some games allow players to use their elbow to make a shot, but it is a bit harder to control.
- "House Rules": These rules vary depending on the group you're playing with, and it's always best to establish the specific rules before starting the game.
Beer Pong is a beautiful game filled with strategy, technique, accuracy, and shit talking, and The PongPro will certainly take your game to the next level.