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Beer pong

When you think of beer pong, you might picture a drunken party and a scattered, unskilled game.  And while it is true that beer pong is a popular drinking game and often an important part of many college get-togethers, did you know it is also a sport in its own right?  It’s true!  Beer pong has been around for at least six decades and has been recognized as a game of skill, as well as a highly entertaining activity for adults of all ages.  There is even a World Series of Beer Pong and a six month long Beer Pong Tour!  There is so much more to it than meets the eye!

Once you realize how popular beer pong really is, you might be interested in learning a bit of its colorful and varied history.  Beer pong is believed to have originated in the 1950’s in the fraternities of colleges such as Dartmouth.  It was created to liven up parties and give students the chance to show off a combination of sport’s skills and drinking abilities at the same time.  It wasn’t until the 1980’s, however, that beer pong became more widespread, and the version we know and love today was created and played by individuals from all walks of life.

In the early days, however, beer pong was played a little differently than it is played today.  When the game was first invented, it very closely resembled a game of ping pong, with the players using paddles to knock a ping pong ball into one of the cups of beer at the opposite end of the table.  Today, the game has changed a bit, with paddles rarely being used and players simply bouncing the balls at the cups of beer.  Of course, many people play the game differently, with many beer pong variations existing within groups of friends, fraternities and sororities.

Now that you are armed with a basic background of beer pong and its history, as well as the different types of ways to play the exciting game, you might be interested in trying it for yourself.  The first thing you need to do is gather supplies.  You will need cups-many players prefer the cheap plastic kind-a ping pong ball, and the perfect beverage.  If you don’t have a favorite kind of beer, you can try wine, cocktails, or just a nice tart lemonade.  You will also need a good beer pong table.  While a long dining table will do the trick, you can also buy a basic ping pong table, or if you want to be more official, you can get your hands on a beer pong table.  We even have a guide to show you how to build your own beer pong table!

Now that you have finalized your supplies, you are ready for beer pong rules.  You will first need to divide into two groups, the standard number of individuals per team is two, but you can play with just one person per team or include a whole party of people.  Start by filling your cups with beer, about half full.  Then the players take turns tossing the ball into the cups.  If a player lands the ball into a cup of beer, an opposing team member has to drink the beer in the cup and that cup is then eliminated.  Once all of one of the team’s cups have been eliminated, the losing team has to drink the beer in all of the remaining cups on the winner’s side of the table.  You are now ready to enjoy a competitive and entertaining game of beer pong!

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