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Drinking game

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Definition of drinking games

Drinking games are games which involve drinking beer or other alcoholic beverages. These games take place usually among friends and usually at fraternities, sororities or at public bars or pubs. The objective of these games is either simply to drink competitively for speed, or alternately to make your opponent drink more than you do, so that they become drunk. Participants are primarily college students or young adults.

History of drinking games

Symposium scene
Fresco depicting an early drinking party from the Tomb of the Diver. 475 BCE. Paestum Museum, Italy.

According to Dr. Rupert Thompson of the University of Cambridge, the earliest reference to drinking games in Western literature is from Plato's Symposium (‘The Drinking Party’). The game was simple: fill a bowl with wine, drink it, and pass it on to the next person

Kottabos is one of the earliest known drinking games. It involves skill in pouring a small quantity of wine into a large vessel. A modern variant is "Cottabus", also known as Arrogance, which requires that players take turns to add as much beer or wine as they like to a central jug before correctly predicting the result of the flip of a coin. Failure to call the coin toss correctly (or dropping it, which becomes a real possibility during the later stages of the game), means the unlucky player must drink the entire contents of the central jug.

Basic drinking games

The simplest drinking games are endurance games in which players compete to out-drink each other. Players take turns taking shots, and the last person standing is the winner. Some games have rules involving the "cascade" or "waterfall", which encourages each player to drink constantly from their cup so long as the player before him does not stop drinking. Such games can also favor speed over quantity, in which case players race to drink a beer the fastest.

Games to decide who buys the next round

Drinking Games involving Speed and not quantity

Many pub or bar games involve competitive drinking for speed and not necessarily quantity consumed. The object of these games may not be inebriation, but may involve simply "bragging rights" or wagers of cash which benefit the fastest drinker.

World Records for Speed Beer Drinking

Steven Petrosino, during his successful June 1977 Guinness World record attempt at the Gingerbreadman Pub in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. He established records for ¼ liter (0.137 seconds), and for ½ liter (0.4 seconds), but Guinness accepted only the record for 1 liter.

The Guinness Book of Records began to list world records for speed drinking in this category in the early 1960s. These early drinking records involved drinking beer from challenging vessels such as the yard of ale glass, which, if not correctly mastered, resulted in the user receiving a blast of beer in his or her face. The 1969 edition of the Guinness Book lists Lawrence Hill (age 22) of Bolton Lancashire England as having consumed a 2.5 pint yard of ale in 6.5 seconds on December 17, 1964. The 1974 edition lists Jack Boyle, age 52, of Barrow-in-Furness England as having consumed a 3 pint yard of ale in 10.15 seconds on May 14, 1971. In the mid 1970s, Guinness began to list speed records achieved using any drinking vessel. The 1977 edition dropped the earlier records established by Hill and Boyle and listed a 2.5 pint yard record by "R.A.F. Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire" in 5.0 seconds and a 3 pint yard record established at "Corby Town, S.C., Northamptonshire on January 23, 1976 in 5.5 seconds". The 1977 edition listed the new world record established at the Gingerbreadman Pub by Steven Petrosino (age 25) of New Cumberland Pennsylvania on June 22, 1977. Petrosino drank 1 liter of beer in 1.3 seconds. Video: ¼ liter in 0.18 seconds. Petrosino approached the challenge scientifically and used 2 specially designed half-liter drinking vessels to establish this world beer record. The 1977 edition also lists Peter G. Dowdeswell of Earls Barton, Northampton England for drinking 2 pints (one liter) of beer from a single vessel in 2.3 seconds on June 11, 1975 and 2 liters in 6.0 seconds on 7 Feb, 1975. These records were all dropped from the Guinness book in 1991 due to concerns about litigation.

Games of speed consumption

Drinking games involving memory, the power of observation, or intellectual skill

Games that involve creative thinking (i.e. naming a sports player whose name begins with a particular letter) might be played under a "drink while you think" rule in which a player must consume his beverage until he can come up with an answer.

Numerous drinking games are based on popular movies, television shows, or books. The rules for these games usually require that the players drink when some event occurs, such as a character speaking a catch phrase in comedies, or the use of a particular technology in science fiction. Typically the size of the drink is inversely proportional to the frequency of the event — an event that happens rarely can call for downing one's current drink. These games might have simple, easily remembered rules, or they might have detailed rules, often available on the Internet.

In games involving the powers of observation, each player may be assigned the name or number of a football player, and must drink when that name or number is mentioned by the commentators or shown on the screen. Current events such as the State of the Union address, the Oscars, Eurovision Song Contest, and the Rod Allen Drinking Game have become targets of such drinking games, often as a means of injecting humor into long or monotonous events. Variants of this theme may penalize participants who fail to observe an expected event.

In drinking games involving memory, each player must repeat a series of events, and then add to it. If a player repeats the series incorrectly, he or she must take a drink. Another variation on this memory theme is a game that is played while drinking with the non-dominant hand (left hand if you're right-handed, and vice versa). If a player accidentally picks up their glass with the wrong hand, they have to finish their drink. Such games are not difficult at the onset, but become much more challenging as the game continues as players become inebriated and their coordination and memory deteriorate.

Drinking games of skill, memory or repetition

Drinking games involving coordination

Some drinking games, such as Quarters, involve performing certain skills, which become more difficult as the level of intoxication increases.

A very popular drinking game in germany is Flunkyball: You need two teams, one ball and a certain amount of empty beer cans/bottles plus one beer for every player. The teams form up on one line each aprox. 10 Meters apart, in the middle the empty bottles/cans are lined. Now one teams throws the ball at the bottles/cans in the middle. If a bottle/can is hit and falls the other team now has to run to the bottle, pick it up and put it on it's original place, pick up the ball, get back to their line and yell "stop". As long as that didn't happen the other team is allowed to drink the beer. Then it is the other teams turn, also if no bottle was hit. Spilling the beer, continue to drink after a "stop" and other rules violations a punished with a new, full beer. If a player finished his beer he yells "Tot (dead)", lifts the bottle up and turns it upside down for everyone to see that there is nothing left but foam. He still has to throw the ball when it is his turn and he can still run, but he doens´t have to drink. The team which has finished all beers first won this round. There where Championships in 2005 and 2006 [1] [2]

Wizz Bonk

This game is best played with 8+ people. All players sit in a circle. The first person uses both hands to pass an imaginary ball to the person to their left/right. When the ball is passed the person passing it has to say "wizz" the ball will travel around in a circle until it is reversed by the receiver saying "Bonk". The person who receives can either Wizz, Bonk or Kick the ball to anyone in the circle by pointing at the person and saying "Kick!". The person who receives the imaginary ball has to hold up both arms and yell "Safe!" or "A little to the Left/or a Little to the Right". If the person who was "kicked" to says "Safe" they are free to wizz the ball left or right. If they say "a little to the left" the person to their left has to yell "What a Beaut!!" if the person who was kicked to says "A little to the Right" the person on the right has to shake their head and say "Awwwww". Then the Kicker does what they want with the ball.

Of course, whenever a player makes a mistake they must take a drink.



Drinking Rules

Many drinking games have their own set of governing rules. While a drinking game is in progress, or between games, International Drinking Rules may be in force.

Other drinking games

Card games

Dice games

Quarters Games

Board Drinking Games

Movies, television, music, etc.

  • Beerfest is a 2006 comedy glorifying drinking games, many of which are mentioned on this page.
  • The DVD for the comedy movie Eurotrip (2004) has a full-length audio commentary wherein the directors play a drinking game to their own movie.
  • "Hi, Bob": a sip is taken whenever a character on The Bob Newhart Show says the name "Bob," and the entire drink is consumed when the sentence "Hi, Bob" is spoken.
  • Banzai, a DVD game based on the Banzai (game show).The game DVD is packed with lots of the best clips from the actual show and uses plastic sushi pieces as the main betting and winning device. Players must use chopsticks to transfer four types of wacky sushi characters into the main community betting bowl. Whoever transfers the most for that round gets to put down a numbered or lettered betting card in conjunction with the "Banzai" clip in the hopes of getting it right and winning all the sushi in the community bowl. The player with the most sushi wins the game
  • Jamming: Whenever the word "Jamming" is sung in the song Jamming by Bob Marley, a drink is taken. This leads to large quantities of liquor being imbibed during the middle section.
  • Roxanne
  • Withnail and I
  • Deadwood (everyone drinks every time a character says "cocksucker")
  • The Matrix (everyone drinks when the word "matrix, or It" are spoken)
  • Pulp Fiction: Whenever a character in the film Pulp Fiction says the word "fuck", a sip is taken. Due to the word's frequent utterance in the film most players will need to pause the film several times to catch up on the sip count. The word is used 271 times in the film.
  • Reservoir Dogs: In the same vain as in Pulp Fiction decribed above. Whenever a character in the film Reservoir Dogs says the word "fuck", a sip is taken. Although the word "fuck" is used only a mild 252 times during the film, this game is deemed to be more hardcore as the film is much shorter Pulp Fiction at 99 minutes.
  • Office Space: Whenever Bill Lumbergh says the word "yeah", a drink is taken. The answering machine scene often results in a run to the package store. The word is used 19 times in the film.
  • Pirates: Whenever someone in the film the Pirates of the Caribbean says the word "Pirate", you take a sip of Malibu. If someone says the word "Pearl", you take a swig from the bottle.
  • "Thunderstruck": while listening to AC/DC's "Thunderstruck" (preferably the live version), after someone begins to drink, every time the word "Thunderstruck" is said, that person stops drinking and another begins. The challenge of this game occurs during the verse and solo, where the drinker must continue to drink until "Thunderstruck" is said. The same has been said and played of AC/DC's "Safe In New York City"
  • Lawrence of Arabia: A drink of some sort is consumed every time Peter 'O' Toole says the word 'yes'. Alternatively, a drink when a man wearing eyeliner appears on screen.
  • A Knight's Tale: A drink is consumed for every point that is scored by the jousters during the movie (1 for body, 2 for head, 3 for unhorsing).
  • The DVD for Wild Zero features a drinking game wherein a drink is taken whenever someone says 'Rock and roll,' something explodes, something burns, a zombie's head it blown off, or someone combs their hair. At several times throughout the film two or three drinking symbols appear on-screen.
  • The English comedian Bill Bailey explains that Dallas was a TV show that he would frequently drink along with, saying "Every time they have a drink on Dallas, you have a drink!".
  • The Manowar Drinking Game: for fans of Heavy Metal band Manowar, known for the extensive use of certain words in their lyrics. Every time Eric sing "steel", "blood" or "kill", take a drink. Even using just beer you'll be wasted after 2-3 songs. If you use dude you'll die. Seriously, do not do it.
  • Veronica Mars Drinking Game: Sip every time someone says 'Veronica' and chug every time someone says 'Veronica Mars.' Invented by creator Rob Thomas.
  • The Simpsons Drinking Game: 1 shot (4 oz) of beer at the beginning (a toast to The Simpsons); 1 shot every minute; 1 additional shot for double numbers (that is, 11 minutes, 22 minutes); 1 shot for every instance of Duff Beer; 1 shot for every "D'oh!"; 1 shot for the ending.
  • Futurama- Each person has to take a shot everytime they hear a robot speak. Note: This game should be only attempted by extremely experienced drinkers due to the large amounts of robots actually talking throughout a typical episode.
  • "The Baseball Drinking Game" is a drinking game in which the participants bet on every pitch in a given drinking game. There are three options: Ball, Strike, or Contact (foul ball counts as contact, not strike). If you guess incorrectly, you drink. In addition, players can make risky bets (ie homerun) on any pitch for whatever amount of drinks are determined in the wagering process. Traditional rules are a bet of one full beer given/taken for the correct/incorrect bet of "homerun".
  • "Boondock Saints" Drinking Game: (Perfect St Patty's day activity. Have Guinness around for the Irish car bombs but use a less filling beer for the rest.) Drink every time they say the word "fuck," and chug every time Rocco goes on a rant screaming "fuck" repeatedly. Do an Irish car bomb when they drop the toilet and when they drop through the ceiling. Take a shot of whiskey when Rocco shoots the cat. Waterfall during the firefight.
  • Diggnation - A drink is taken every time kevin or alex mention certain things like alex's girlfriend or if they go off topic.
  • "C-SPAN Drinking Game" - A drink is taken every time congress appropriates a quarter of a million dollars. When military leaders address either house of congress, two drinks are taken. When Dick Cheney or the House Leader addresses represenatives, you take two shots, and one subsequent shot after every ten second pause in speaking (which can result in heavy drinking). Many variations on this game are played throughout the country depending on whether the state is democratic or republican, or how big/small the drinkers' tolerance is to politics on TV.
  • "The State of the Union Drinking Game" - a topical drinking game based on keywords in the presidential address
  • "Strange Brew" - Watch "Strange Brew" and drink (preferably beer) every time Bob or Doug McKenzie say "eh" or "hooser".
  • "Family Guy" - Each person drinks when a flash back scene is shown ("remember the time I...").
  • "Mean Girls" - Each person takes two drinks whenever there is a good veiw of breasts. Each person takes one drink when there is a good view of a backside. One drink can also be taken if there is a shot of a really hot girl too.
  • "Grandma's Boy" - Each person drinks every time somebody says the word "roommate(s)". Take one shot every time somebody or a group of people smoke weed (only once per scene). Shotgun twice during the huge party.
  • "The 40 Year-Old Virgin Challenge" - One shot of beer, preferrably Coors Light, is consumed each time they say the word "virgin", everytime David mentions Amy, and for every condom Andy tries on. Shotgun during the crazy drinking night. One game of flip cup is played after Andy gets in the car crash, during the "Date-A-Palooza" scene, and during the argument between Jay and the African-American customer. Shotgun when Andy has sex for the first time and smoke a joint once he starts singing. For a bonus beer: if anybody in the group notices the numbers "10" and "16" in that order, e.g. 10:16 p.m., chapter 10 and scene 16, etc.

Other party and pub games

Conversion of other games

Almost any game of skill or chance that does not traditionally involve drinking can theoretically be converted into a drinking game. In some games, conversion could be as easy as letting the winner distribute shots to the other players, while in more complicated games, shots can be forced upon players for specific events in the game.

For example, in the game of chess, players may have to take drinks when one of their pieces are captured (or perhaps the opposite, where they have to drink upon capturing a piece), as portrayed in the checkers-game scene of Our Man in Havana (in which the pieces are replaced with mini-whisky bottles). In a popular variant of baseball called Beer Ball, players have to drink some beer every time they reach a base.

The Cambridge University Tiddlywinks Club have experimented with ways of converting many existing games into drinking games, and have frequently invented their own as a consequence. It has often been found that some quite complex algorithms are required to produce a good fining system. Those trying to convert an existing game into a drinking game should therefore not give up easily.

Players should exercise caution before choosing to add drinking to any sport that could be dangerous under intoxication.

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