Like many great inventions, the game that is today known as beer pong was invented by accident.

Although there are no official records, beer pong was said to have been born in the late 1950’s at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire.

According to a brief documentary produced by Thrillist, Students were playing doubles ping pong and drinking beer, leaving their cups all over the tables.

The game picked up speed as more beer was consumed, until one of the balls landed straight in one of the guys’ cups.

So… who gets the point?

The matter could have been up for debate. But rather than wasting a beer, the fierce competitor grabbed his cup, pulled the ball out, and chugged the beer.

Nice.

This bold move inspired players on both sides to intentionally aim for each others’ cups. Land the ball in an opponent’s cup, they had to chug. This was a lot more fun than regular ping pong.

And thus, beer pong was born.

A Paddle Sport

Word of the new game spread from Fraternity to Fraternity on Dartmouth’s campus, each one coming up with a variant of beer pong such as ‘shrub’ or ‘tree’ depending on how the cups were arranged.

According to Thrillist, the most common early versions of the game involved four cups to a side and hitting the rim of a cup merited a swig, landing in the cup meant drink the whole thing.

In those days early days of beer pong, people weren’t perfecting their arc, shouting “Kobe” as they launched themselves into that icy fade-away.

They were still using actual paddles to try to hit the balls into the cups. Some players broke the handles off their paddles so that it would be easier to arc shots.

Going Viral

According to Thrillist, students at Dartmouth wrote to the New York Times in 1972 to ask who held the world record for beer pong.

Then in the late 70’s road tripping students introduced beer pong all across New England and eventually to rival Ivy league schools like Princeton University and University of Pennsylvania.

From there, beer pong made its way to central Pennsylvania to Bucknell and Lehigh, which are often given credit for inventing the game of beer pong, also known as “Beirut.”

In 1979 Lehigh published a “co-ed’s song of woe” in the school paper where a student recounts losing games of “beer pong, flip the cup, and tales” to a visiting Fraternity.

The nature of beer pong, sometimes known as “Dartmouth Pong” during that time, is still open for debate: how many cups did they use and how were they arranged? What kind of tables did they use?

And most importantly, were they even using paddles?

It probably wasn’t until the early 1980’s when people started throwing the ping pong balls.

Some say a Lehigh student visiting friends in Bucknell and joined the fun of playing without paddles, others say it was the other way around.

While Lehigh had the first documented mention of the game, some argue that  “throw pong” originated at Bucknell because of this photo taken at a 1980 house party at Bucknell thrown by fraternity Delta Upsilon.

So maybe someone brought it to Lehigh first but Bucknell was the first to start throwing?

Either way, the 80’s was the era of throwing the balls in beer pong. And throwing “bombs” into the opponent’s cups was what led to giving beer pong an alternative name…

Why Beirut?

In 1983 there were several attacks carried out by suicide bombers in Beirut, Lebanon that left over 300 Americans dead.

While the media called for the US to bomb Beirut in retaliation for the attacks, students at Lehigh seeing the newspaper headlines were inspired to make a game out of the controversy.

Some say there were tables made with a map of Lebanon with cups placed on a star that represented its capital, so the objective of both teams was to “bomb” Beirut.

When President Reagan ordered the bombing of Libya in 1986, some students tried to re-brand the game as “Libya” but tradition and perhaps the less controversial name of beer pong stuck as the popularity of the game began to travel across the US.

And so did the paddle-less playing style.

Modern Beer Pong

In the early 90’s the game became popular in the Midwest and Florida and was spreading quickly.

However, by this time new adapters of the game had never seen or heard of using paddles, let alone Dartmouth or Beirut.

The game was universally known as beer pong, and was more or less played according to the “universal rules” we know and play by today.

“Official Rules” of Beer Pong

Place 6-10 cups on either side of a table in a pyramid formation and fill about a third of each cup with beer.

Players one each side then take turns throwing the ball into the opponent’s cups–each time the ball is made into a cup, the cup is removed and the beer consumed, until no cups remain on one side.

-”Bounce” shots where a ball bounces from the table into a cup is worth two cups. Players can defend bounce shots by slapping it away.

-If both players on a side make shots on their turn they are entitled to a “rollback” or another turn before their opponents can shoot.

-If an individual player makes two consecutive shots, he or she can call “heating up” and then upon making a third shot “fire” which is worth two cups.

-Players can call for a ”Re-rack” of the opponents’ cups after a certain number of cups are made, typically at intervals of six, four, three, so that smaller pyramids or “diamonds” can be formed with the cups.

-Once the last shot is made, the losing team has a chance at “redemption” where they shoot until they miss. If the losing team manages to sink all of their remaining opponents’ cups consecutively, a sudden death match of three vs. three cups will begin.

Things Get Official

In 2001, a Carnegie Mellon student named Billy Gaines founded BPONG.com, the world’s first online community for beer pong players.

Five years later, BPONG.com organized the first annual World Series of Beer Pong in Mesquite, Nevada. Nobody believed the event would be a success, but it was–more than 80 teams signed up for the event the first year to compete for $10,000 in prizes.

Registration numbers more than tripled the second year, and reached as high as 500 registered teams in 2009.

According to BPONG.com, beer pong became so popular that former Las Vegas Mayor declared beer pong the city’s official sport in 2013.

Today the game can be played in tournaments and events all over the world, and in 2022, the World Series of Beer Pong will will offer over $50,000 in prizes

Put It All On the Table

Gone are the days of pulling out a dusty folding table from the depths of the moldy basement. In the 21st century it’s harder to find a party without beer pong. And bars are getting the memo too.

This map can help you find a place where you and some friends can toss around the ‘ol ping pong ball.

And if you’re looking to host your own game, be sure to check out our overview guide on picking the best beer pong table for you.

The post Wait, Where Did Beer Pong Actually Come From? appeared first on Bar Games 101.

But has trying to flip a cup ever made you so frustrated that you just wanted to slap the darned thing?

I don’t know if the table is too wet, my hands are too big, or if beer just makes me clumsier than I already am, but I’ve never had much luck with flip cup.

Thankfully there is a game where you can impress a crowd by slapping the darned cup.

And this “new” game, appropriately called Slap Cup, might be a better fit for casual bar games that don’t require a lot of skills.

Which Is Easier to Understand?

As far as the rules go, flip cup takes the cake.

Its rules are so simple that they can be comfortably summarized in just a few sentences

To Play Flip Cup You Will Need

• Table
• Cups (one for every person – get your supersized kit here [affiliate link])
• Friends
• Beer

Two teams line up on either side of a table with each player given a cup of beer.

Starting from one end, each player drinks their cup and then races to flip the empty cup on its lip; once it lands the next person can start.

The team that flips all its cups first wins.

To Play Slap Cup You Will Need

• Table
• Cups and 2 ping pong balls (get your kit here [affiliate link])
• Friends
• Beer

Create the “pool” in the center of the table by filling one cup with beer, surrounded by many ⅓ filled cups.

Two empty cups are given to two players with a ping pong ball each.

The objective of the game is to bounce the ball into your cup before the person to your left does.

If the person to your left makes their cup before you, they can slap away your cup.

If your cup is slapped, the slapper passes their ball and cup to the person on your right.

Meanwhile you grab a new cup from the pool, drink it, and then try to bounce your shot into that cup. That way you have an opportunity to make your shot and slap the cup of the the person to your right.

If you make a bounce on your first try, you have the option to pass the cup to any person at the table.

Use this to your advantage–whether to get the action away from you for a second, or to put more pressure on the person who was just trying to slap your cup!

Here’s a game of Slap Cup in action.

Variations of Flip Cup and Slap Cup

Flip Cup Survivor

Instead of splitting into two teams, this is a flip cup free for all.

All participants start at the same time, and race to flip their cups.

Last person standing is eliminated… until the final face-off where the final two players race to flip three cups each.

Stack Cup

The catch with slap cup is that with so many cups flying around, messes abound. One way around this is to create a tower with the empty cups, hence the name stack cup.

-The loser must then add the cup they failed to bounce into plus one from the pool to the stack, and then try to bounce into the stack.

-As you might imagine, once the stack reaches a certain height it’s impossible to bounce into it. It might be a good idea to limit the height of a stack, or to create a rule that if someone bounces into a stack on their first try they can remove a certain number of cups from the stack.

Which Game Is Easier To Master?

A good friend of mine, Jeremy, is unstoppable at flip cup.

He’s tried to show me the foolproof method to flipping the cup–where to hit it, how much force to apply… to me the mechanics seem as precise as a golf swing.

Jeremy is a talented dude.

Slap cup, on the other hand is just bouncing a ball into your cup.

For some people I’m sure this can be just as frustrating as flipping a cup is for me, but I like to think that there’s more left to chance with slap cup because you never know when you’ll get a favorable bounce.

After all, you can (theoretically) bounce the ball with one hand and move the cup with the other…

Okay, I guess the required skill level for each game is about the same.

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Which Is Faster?

A single round of flip cup will normally end faster, but as far as the pace of game play and overall excitement, slap cup wins this category for sure.

One of the biggest drawbacks of flip cup is that slow flippers like me can slow down the entire line.

This explains how Jeremy has ever lost a game of flip cup.

It wasn’t his fault–he didn’t even get a chance to drink during those rounds.

Slap cup keeps you on your toes no matter how many people are playing. And it doesn’t matter how slow they are. The cup can be passed to you at any time.

I often see players surprising someone across the table by passing them the cup.

This strategy is especially useful as the game gets closer and closer to that final cup that the loser drinks, which is completely full of beer.

Bottom line is, there’s always waiting in flip cup, either for someone to flip their cup so that you can go, or for the game to be over so you can go again.

In slap cup, you never know when you’ll get a chance to slap someone’s cup, or when you’re in danger of having your cup slapped!

The unpredictability of the game makes it more exciting even if you’re not necessarily drinking as much or as fast as you would be in flip cup.

Which Has Been Around Longer?

There’s no way to know for sure from where or when either game originated, and it’s too soon to tell if either of these games has stood the test of time.

But as the title of this piece implies, slap cup is more than likely the new kid on the block, and it has some catching up to do in order to become as prevalent and popular as flip cup.

It’s generally rumored that flip cup originated in the late 1980s in Hoboken, New Jersey, by college students who intended to create a low-skill inclusive game that anyone could play.

According to Urban Dictionary, “Slappy Cup” came from the University of Illinois in the fall of 2009. It was probably invented for the same reason.

We do know for sure is that flip cup has been around at least since 2005, as the World Flip Cup Tournament hosted its 9th annual tournament in 2014.

An episode of the TV Series It’s Alway Sunny in Philadelphia centers around flip cup. In “The Gang Reignites the Rivalry” the main characters seek revenge against a bar that banned them from a flip cup tournament (Flipadelphia) back in 1998. The episode aired in December of 2009, and was written before the fall semester began. 

In 2016, the Chicago Cubs set a world record for largest flip cup game with 200 participants. A year later, the Word Adult Kickball Association set a new world record for largest flip cup game with 251 participants.

For now, flip cup boasts more popularity and recognition than slap cup, but who’s to say slap cup tournaments and conventions aren’t right around the corner?

For Jeremy’s sake I won’t be registering for any flip cup tournaments any time soon, but I’m excited to see what the future for slap cup holds.

In the meantime I guess I should step up my flip cup game, if nothing else because I have to admit, Flipadelphia logos are pretty awesome.

Thinking about hosting a tournament of your own? Whether you like flip cup, slap cup, or beer pong best, make sure you get a table that gives you a home court advantage! 

The post Is Slap Cup the New Flip Cup? appeared first on Bar Games 101.

Not that it gives us an excuse to hang out in the corner instead of being social, in fact it’s our favorite way to meet people by partnering up with a stranger and having some friendly competition.

Set up the cups, get ready for kickoff, and then woa woa woa wait a sec–here comes the host to explain all the house rules.

No bounce shots because they can’t stand it when people bounce, or bouncing is worth three cups because they love bouncing, is that cool?

Dude. Really? I mean of course it’s cool because, it’s your house.

But then the guests will inevitably forget about the house rules every now and then, and do you really want to be THAT guy constantly reminding everyone of the rules?

If you want to change up the game to suit your style, let the table set the rules for you.

Don’t Get Bounced out of Your Own House

We all know those sneaky players who love to get under your skin with a bounce shot (usually worth two cups) when you’re not paying attention.

Some say it’s cheap, others think it’s part of the game.

But if bounce shots aren’t your style, pull out a table that’s not ideal for bouncing.

The more solid the surface of your beer pong table is, the higher the bounce. So maybe you shouldn’t bother asking your friend who knows how to do carpentry to hook you up with a table.

Even a softwood like pine is going to give a good bounce. You want to look for something with a surface that absorbs bounces well. Like a whiteboard surface.

Of course, it’s far more likely that these beer pong tables were designed for decorating rather than bounce-proofing your game, which is why they come with a handful of dry erase markers, but hey. Sometimes the greatness is invented by accident.

Party Pong Tables offer a blank canvas as well as all sorts of varieties including tables with pre-drilled cup holes and/or neon lights.

The only potential downside to the Party Pong Tables is everyone loves to decorate at parties, and your guests might be having too much fun with that while you were trying to play a serious game.

(Learn more about custom beer pong table options)

One For the Bouncers

If you DO like to bounce, this beer pong table designed by The Pong Squad will make it much easier for you to sneak one in while your opponents are distracted.

The surface of the bounce factor is pretty average, and the pre-drilled cup holders is what changes the game in your favor.

Yes, aforementioned tables also have pre-drilled holes, but their surfaces reduce bounce to the point where it will take some serious skill to take advantage of it. 

Sunken-in cups are becoming popular with table designs for that and many other reasons. There’s no arguing about kissing cups or how much liquid you have in the bottom. If someone slaps a bounce shot, they won’t knock over the cups as much.

Don’t worry, if you want to re-purpose the table for a game of flip cup, hole covers are included.

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Don’t Go Chasing Beer Pong Balls

Have you ever thought about how much time is wasted chasing after stray beer pong balls? I hadn’t either until I saw this table designed by PongCaddie.

Everyone hates chasing after beer pong balls. Especially if you have to go under the table after a ball and wind up knocking the whole thing over… yeah. Buzzkill.

I know what you’re thinking: why would you need a table with nets to collect missed balls when you never miss?

Well, maybe you never miss because you’re leaning! I can relate as a tall guy, it’s always hard for me to keep track of my elbows.

I like to think as long as I don’t knock over any cups or partners, it’s a good day. The time I knocked over the whole table, not so much.

I have to admit that having a net in a beer pong game is weird at first but it forced me to shoot honestly and consistently which has improved my game. Plus it cuts down on wait time to get in on the next game.

Of course if you get sick of them, they’re easy enough to take off, but once you go with a net, you’re set.

Seriously, give these nets a try. I didn’t think of this at first either, but it’s also more sanitary for the ball not to be rolling around on the floor, in the couch, etc.

Take Things Outside

My buddies and I decided to make this past 4th of July extra epic with not just a cookout, but outdoor games.

Corn hole, water slides, and of course beer pong. Problem was, when we brought the ‘ol folding table out to the backyard, we couldn’t quite keep the surface level.

Cups were sliding all over the place, and eventually the surface got so hot that the bottoms of the sups started melting.

Thankfully our friend Owen had yet to grace us with his presence. We called him up and asked him to bring his “beach” beer pong set.

At first glance, you’d think okay, it’s a cloth surface so that you can easily brush off sand. Yes, and the pre-made cup holders keep everything level.

The legs anchor into sand or grass better. And that cloth surface that won’t melt your cups in the hot sun also happens to absorb bounces really well.

Watch your elbows! Camerons Portable Beer Pong Table is, at 6 ft long, a bit smaller than regulation size, but let’s be honest not everyone has room to stuff an eight footer in the back of their trunk.

And this bad boy can collapse down into a nice duffel bag that even our friend owen could fit it in the back of his Prius. (Don’t judge him. That Prius is often our designated drive ride home.)

Table The Table

Another excellent option for bounceless and outdoor play is this portable kit made by Versapong.

Because if you’re torn between bounce or no bounce, indoors or outdoors, there’s a table that really can do it all… and yes this one also fits in the back of Owen’s Prius.

As its name implies, this table can make the game of beer pong so versatile you might as well call it something else entirely.

You can set this one up for a classic, casual game, or you can position it so that have to bounce off the wall. You can put this on a basketball court and shoot literal threes.

Out of all the tables, this one travels best and can be setup anywhere, and it’s said to draw a crowd at concerts and tailgates.

Other Epic Games

Beer Pong isn’t the only thing you can do with a ping pong ball. With ping pong basketball, table hockey, and sharpshooter there’s plenty of games to change things up.

And if you’re going outside and looking for something a little more physical… ever hear of Polish Horeshoes?

The key to having a good time is keeping the rules simple–let your setup do the rest so you can focus on enjoying the games.

The post Beer Pong Tables that Give You a Home Court Advantage appeared first on Bar Games 101.