4 Adults, age 21+, 2 per team
22 Plastic Cups (SOLO or similar)
At least 2 Ping Pong Balls
1 Port O Pong inflatable Beer Pong table
Setup:
10 Cups are arranged on each end of the table, in a pyramid shape (4 in the back row, 3 in the next row, etc.) The remaining 2 cups are filled with water, and each side gets one of these cups for rinsing their ping pong balls should they become dirty. Each team should fill the ten cups with the same amount of beer (usually 2 or 3 beers split evenly.) It is customary to play with a light, American lager or pilsner style beer, as these are both less filling, and less expensive, than other beers.
Gameplay:
If this is the first game of the night, the two teams will shoot to see who has the first turn. One member of each team will take a ball and shoot at the same time while looking each other in the eye. If one team gets the ball in a cup, that team gets the first turn. If either both teams or neither team makes it, the other members repeat this procedure, and it proceeds in this manner until one team makes it and the other does not.
If this is not the first game of the night, the winning team from the previous game gets the first turn.
Both members of the first team then shoot one after the other. If they get the ball in the opponent’s cup, that beer should be removed and consumed by a member of the other team. If both team members hit cups, then both beers are consumed and the balls are sent back and that team goes again. If both balls hit the same cup, either two or three beers are consumed by the opponent, depending on local custom. If a cup is knocked over either by a shot or by a team member, that beer is to be drunk and the cup counts as made.
When shooting, the player must stand so that their elbow is behind the table when extended. As soon as the ball bounces, whether on the table, floor, or cup rim, the opposing team is allowed to grab it or bat it away. If a ball is intentionally bounced and goes in, it counts for 2 cups.
At the end of a turn, the balls then switch to the other team, and the process is repeated until one team hits all of the opponent’s cups.
Re-Racks:
In 10 cup beer pong, each team receives the opportunity to re-rack twice per game. There must be 6, 4,3, or 2 cups remaining in order to invoke a re-rack. The re-rack formations for these number of cups, are triangle, diamond, triangle, and vertical line respectively.
End of Game:
There are several different end-game scenarios possible in beer pong, and the way the end of the game is handled differs based on the scenario. Here are some possible scenarios:
Variations:
There are almost as many variations of beer pong as there are people who play it, so coming up with your own “house rules” is encouraged. Some common variations and house rules are:
Enjoy!
