The Book of Beer Awesomeness
Page 14
At the end of each round, the losing side must drink the amount of points they lost the round by. For example, losing by three points means each losing player must take three drinks.
Points cancel each other out. For example: The red team (red bags) has three bags on the board (three points) and one bag in the hole (three points) totaling six points.
The blue team (blue bags) has three bags on the board (three points) and one bag off the board (zero points).
The red team wins the round scoring three points (six points for the red team minus three points for the blue team equals three points net for the red team) and the blue team must take three drinks.
The first team to get to twenty-one points wins the game. Getting 13-0 is considered an automatic win or “shucking,” and the losing team must finish their beers.
CORNHOLE DRINKER DICTIONARY
As you can see, Cornhole is a very distinct sport, and like all things distinct, a specific vocabulary is inevitable.
AIRMAIL: A cornhole—nothing but hole.
BLOCKIN’: A player blocking the hole by the position of one of his bags.
CANDY CORNH: A short shot—this one didn’t make it to the board.
DIRTY: When a bag hits the ground before reaching the board.
FAULTIN’: A foot fault; stepping past the front of the board.
CORNHOLE: A three-point shot, one that ends up in the hole on its own or with help, they all count.
CORNZIZZLE: When a player makes four cornholes in one round.
SHUCKED: A team or player who is beaten 13–0 as in “You’ve been shucked—now drink up, son!”
LIPPER: A woody hanging on the lip of the hole and is ready to drop in.
SLICK WOODY: Cornhole, this one slides into the hole.
STANKER: Any foul bag such as a “dirty,” “faultin,” or “candy corn”—zero point value.
WOODY: A one-point shot landing and staying on the board surface.
MASTERING THE GAME
Perfecting a proper pitching technique is the only way to accurately and consistently get in the hole (that’s what she said). Here is a rundown of the most popular grips and stances.
PITCHING GRIPS
WAD AKA NEWBIE, FOLD
Most commonly used by beginners. Player grabs bag as if it is a ball and tries pitching it. This is an inconsistent grip often resulting in inaccurate pitches.
PINCHY AKA SLING, FLING
Player pinches the corner or side of the bag and flips it. Fairly safe shot for having your bag land on the board resulting in a woody.
CLASSIC AKA PANCAKE, FRISBEE
This grip is used by most professionals, with the thumb on top of bag and four fingers underneath. Player is attempting to get bag to fly flat with a little spin. Gives players the most options for bag performance, by helping to slide to the hole more accurately.
PITCHING STANCES
TRADITIONAL AKA STANDING, REGULAR
By far the most common stance. It allows for less mistakes in player mechanics, but means less drive in the pitch. In this stance, players pitch standing still with either the left or right foot forward for stability.
STEP AKA POWER STEP, HORSEY
Very similar to techniques used in horseshoes. The player takes a step forward while releasing the pitch. The Step is useful in putting additional drive behind a Cornhole pitch but make sure to avoid any foot faults.
SQUAT AKA POP-A-SQUAT, PITCHING A LOAF
This stance is similar to a bodybuilder doing a squat, releasing the bag on the way up. This motion allows for a large arch but can be stressful on the knees.
HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR CORNHOLING
BY FRANK GEERS, FOUNDER OF THE AMERICAN CORNHOLE ORGANIZATION
Add arc to your throw—and just get the bag on the board.
Aim at a mark beneath the hole—your bag will slide.
Decide on your throwing stance—and stick with it.
Get comfortable with throwing on both sides of the board.
Pick your pitch—choose between holding the bag flat, pinched or squeezed into a wad.
Have fun and keep a cold beverage close by.
BREW FACT
An official Cornhole bag is made of fabric that measures six by six inches square and is filled with either two cups of PET resin or two cups of corn feed and then double-stitched. The finished bag weighs roughly one pound.
Sport, like life, is all about perseverance and overcoming adversity. Sometimes that is battling through an injury or standing up to a Goliath competitor. Sometimes it’s battling against self-inflicted vertigo and standing up to an empty can.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED BESIDES BEER
1 plastic bat (aka Wiffle)
SETUP
At least two players are required but a crowd of a hundred screaming lunatics is ideal.
To start, you’ll need to cut off the end of the bat’s handle and shave or sand it down smoothly so as not to cut your mouth while drinking.
BREW FACT
Dizzy Bat fail videos are running rampant all over the Internet, and—spoiler alert—somebody swings and misses or just falls down in every Dizzy Bat video in history. So if you do post one, make sure someone bites it big time.
GAME PLAY
POUR. Empty a can of your favorite beverage into the bat.
DRINK. Pretty self-explanatory.
SPIN. Orbit yourself around the bat one time for every second it took to drink. (For example, 10 seconds = 10 spins.)
HIT. Have your friend toss you the empty can and try to hit it. (Keep repeating until you hit it.)
SCORING (DRINKING) METHOD:
While no points are earned in the game, one does receive the satisfaction of connecting on a hit—and the joy of drinking out of a plastic bat.
Due to the high entertainment value for spectators, beers should be enjoyed by the crowd as well.
Considered Coaster Flipping’s little sister and Beer Pong’s illegitimate brother-from-another-mother, Flip Cup is arguably one of the hottest beer sports around. The game tests an individual’s dexterity and speed as well as the team’s ability to function cohesively. The result is copious amounts of smack talk … and good times.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED BESIDES BEER
1 plastic party cup per player
1 table
SETUP
Two teams with an equal number of players stand on opposite sides of a table directly facing one another.
Teams typically consist of four or more players per side.
One cup is placed in front of each player and filled with a set amount of beer—usually two ounces—at the start of each round.
GAME PLAY
THE TOAST AND THE START: The game begins with the first two opponents (two players at one end of the table) partaking in a customary toast, which consists of tapping their cups, lowering them down to the table, then raising them back up to the mouth. This marks the start of the round.
THE CHUG AND THE FLIP: The players first drink the entire contents of their cups. Once a player’s cup is emptied, he must then place the cup mouth-side up on the edge of the table and attempt to “flip” the cup by flicking or lifting the bottom of the cup until it lands mouth-side down. If unsuccessful on the first try, the cup is reset and reflipped until it lands mouth-side down on the table. Players may only use one hand to flip, and cannot blow on or otherwise guide the cup. The next team member cannot touch his cup until the previous player’s cup is 100 percent settled and mouth-side down on the table.
PASS AND REPEAT: Once the first cup is successfully flipped, the next player in line repeats the same process. This process continues sequentially until all team members have successfully drunk and flipped their cups. In the event that the last two opponents’ cups are successfully flipped at the exact same time, the game is decided with a rematch. Flip Cup matches are typically played as a best-of-seven series.
SCORING (DRINKING) METHOD
The victorious team wins the table—staying on to
challenge the next team.
The victorious team also wins the chance to drink again during the next match.
MASTERING THE GAME
Proper technique is essential to a successful flip. There are many means to an end but these methods allow for the highest first-flip success rate.
TRADITIONAL WRIST FLICK
AKA SNAKE CHARMER, ALL-IN-THE-WRIST, DEVIL’S HANDSHAKE
With the palm facing up, use the middle and/or index finger to lift the edge of the cup up and slightly forward to complete the flip. Keep the fingers stiff, the wrist nimble, and the mind focused.
FINGER FLICK
AKA TICKLER, STROKE IT, SCRATCHING THE ITCH, TWO-FINGER TANGO
Place just a finger or two to gently lift the bottom of the cup. This flick limits exertion to only the finger muscles—saving all other energy for drinking.
REVERSE WRIST FLICK
AKA SLAPPIN’ PAPPY, FORGET-ABOUT-IT, BUZZ OFF
This technique is a bit unorthodox but when performed properly can be lethal and intimidating. With the palm facing away from the cup, place one to three fingertips under the cup’s lip. Use both a flick of the wrist and a flick of the fingers to complete the flip.
RULE VARIATIONS
Though Flip Cup’s basic rules are practically universal, there are some variations incorporated to spice up the challenge level.
SURVIVOR FLIP CUP
Survivor follows the general rules, except after each match the losing team votes off one player. The remaining players on the team will have to make up for the loss by a player drinking and flipping the voted-off player’s cup.
JUNGLE FLIP CUP
Jungle rules mean everyone drinks and flips at the same time. The initial Setup is the same, except the entire table will simultaneously perform the customary toast, then everyone will flip. The first team to have every team member flip their cups wins.
BATAVIA DOWNS FLIP CUP
Players surround a circular table, with opposing players toasting as in the general rules. As each player successfully drinks and flips his cup, the person to his right takes his turn. After each successful flip, players must refill their cups in the event that the player standing directly to the left flips a cup. The game continues as a clockwise race until a player is unable to successfully flip his cup before the person directly to the left flips his.
FLIP CUP TIPS AND TRICKS FROM A PRO
BY MIKE VOLPE, COFOUNDER OF FLIPCUPGUYS.COM
Don’t swallow. Save time and energy by holding the beer in your mouth while you’re flipping. Once you make a successful flip, swallow and enjoy.
Treat the cup like a lady. Be polite and gentle and have a delicate touch when flipping. She’ll thank you later.
Don’t wait. Don’t let the cup bounce around and finally stop before trying to flip it again. If you know it isn’t going to flip, grab it as fast as possible and flip again.
Get low. Stand in a crouching position when you’re setting up. The closer your lips are to the cup, the faster you can start.
Practice, practice, practice! There is no other way to get better at any sport.
When you’re ready to graduate from basic drinking games, Poleish Horseshoes is the next logical step. Not that balancing beer cans on sticks and whizzing flying objects around is logical, but you get the point.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED BESIDES BEER
2 ski poles
1 plastic flying disc (aka Frisbee)
SETUP
Games are played with two teams of two.
The setting requires a soft surface like sand, grass, or even snow.
Stick the two poles upright about twenty to forty feet apart.
Place an empty beer bottle (or can) atop each pole.
Each team chooses one of the poles to stand behind.
Each player must have a drink in one hand at all times.
GAME PLAY
Teams take turns throwing and catching the disc. Players alternate throwing attempts on each offensive turn. The goal of offense is to knock the empty bottle off the opponents’ pole.
The throwing team must throw the disc so it remains inside the “catching area.” The catching area is no more than two steps to the left or right of the pole and no lower than knee height and not so high as to make a player jump. Throws that are outside the catching area are considered “uncatchable” and result in a loss of turn.
The receiving team must attempt to catch the disc each time it’s within the catching area to avoid awarding points to the throwing team. Any player may catch the disc.
If the bottle is knocked off the pole, either player on the reciving team must catch the bottle before it hits the ground.
During offense, players must stay behind their pole and during defense, players must wait for the disc to pass the bottle and/or the pole before attempting to catch it.
Games are played to twenty-one points. Win by two.
THINGS TO USE FOR A POLE
Traditionally, a ski pole is considered the Official Pole of Poleish Horseshoes but there are numerous other things that make a good replacement when one isn’t available:
Broomstick
PVC tubes
Plumbing pipe
Tiki torch (extinguished)
Fence posts from unfinished project (get off my ass, Mom)
Abnormally long frozen Hillshire Farms sausages
SCORING (DRINKING) METHOD
Uncatchable throw = 0 points and the shooter drinks.
Disc catch = 0 points and the shooter drinks.
Bottle and disc catch = 0 points and social—everyone drinks.
Disc drop = 1 point and the catcher drinks.
Bottle drop by hitting the pole = 2 points and the catcher drinks.
Bottle drop by direct hit, aka “dinger” = 3 points and the catcher drinks.
Drop your drink or no drink in hand = 3 points and replace beer and drink.
Since a drink in the hand is actually a requirement to the game, casual drinking is clearly part of the game too.
In England it’s called Toad in the Hole, in Hong Kong it’s called Holeyboard, and in Hawaii it’s known as Potagee, but no matter where it is played, Washers is perhaps the most basic of all beer sports. It makes the perfect entry-level activity into the drinking sports arena. And a handy way to repurpose spare hardware.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED BESIDES BEER
2 milk crates
2 empty coffee cans
4 washers (2 per team)
MAKING THE BOX
Place the empty coffee can open end up directly in the center of the milk crate. Secure it to the milk crate with some super-strong glue. It’s that easy. Fancy versions can be made using wood, power tools, pipe, paint, and a lot of time, but we’ve found this milk crate/can version offers the best game play and adds to the aw-shucks character of the sport.
SETUP
Games are typically played outdoors with two teams with two players per team. It can also be played as singles.
Two “boxes” must be made (see “Making the Box”) and boxes are placed eighteen feet apart.
One member from each team stands behind a box.
If playing singles, players move to the opposite box for each round.
GAME PLAY
Players on the same team stand directly across from one another and stay in this position the entire match. Partners do not stand on the same side or diagonally across from each other (see following illustration). If playing singles, both players toss from the same side and switch sides after each turn.
Each round, opponents from the same side toss two washers each (one at a time) towards the same opposite box. After each round, play switches to the opposite side.
Players must toss from behind the front edge of the box to avoid a foot fault. A foot fault results in the washer being removed from the box (if applicable). The same rule applies if a player tosses out of turn.
To determines who goes first, one player from each team tosses one washer towa
rd the opposite box and whoever gets closest to or into the can will be the first tosser. This ritual is called the “diddle.”
To start the match, the diddle winner tosses both their washers, then their opponent tosses both their washers.
For the remaining rounds, play begins with the player of the team that scored the previous round, always throwing both their washers first.