Information AboutBeer Die |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT BEER DIE | |
| drinking games | |
| dice games | |
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RULES The Table While there are no official regulations for the table, it has traditionally been an eight feet long by four feet wide piece of plywood, supported by legs at the corners so to be at a comfortable height for the players when sitting (approximately thirty inches). Both size and surface type affect gameplay; a harder surface will cause the die to bounce more, changing certain aspects of the game. Thus it is recommended that material with similar hardness to plywood be used for the surface. Legend has it that the original beer die table was a green ping pong (table tennis) table. A single stripe should be placed across the center of the table (traditionally with duct tape) to signify the halfway mark the die must clear when being thrown. The Die The die used is a normal six-sided die. The Cups Cups must be able to hold one twelve ounce beer and be able hard enough so that a die hitting the cup will not move it much. Hard plastic cups work quite well. Basic Rules Four players form two teams of two players each. The teams sit across from each other at opposite ends of the table. The four cups are filled with exactly one beer and set at "regulation" positions: each player sets his or her cup on the table one hand length horizontally and one forearm length vertically from his or her corner of the table (Or to make it easier..in the corner closest to them). Oldest person at the table throws first. Play consists of the teams taking turns throwing the die across the table, alternating between players. Players are not allowed to have teammates take their throws and must throw from a sitting position. Furthermore, players are not allowed to cross the vertical plane defined by the end of the table when throwing. At no point during play is any player allowed to stand. As noted above all throws must be made from a sitting position. Players on the defensive are allowed to leave their seats only in a "diving" attempt to catch the die. Players are allowed to stand during any drinking or any other "dead die" situation. If at any point, a cup is not in the regulation position, play can not continue. Games are played to five (called bizz) or more often to seven (called buzz), and a team must win by at least two points. The words "five" or "seven" may not be uttered during game play by participants. Any infraction or error results in a penalty chug out. (That means the entire beer). Some variations of the game require only a sip for each mention of the word, and one of the side-objects is one player to get another player to say the number numerous times - for example, asking for his phone number. Only "bizz" and "buzz" may be said. This rule also applies to all areas of numbers during a game. For example, one may not say the time is "two twenty five." Instead, he must say "two twenty bizz." However, since the word fifty does NOT contain the word five in it, you can say fifty without penalty, so "four fifty" is still legal. However, seventy is pronounced buzzty. Scoring A team scores a point when one of its players makes a throw which: # Is underhand # Reaches a certain height (approximately 6 feet above the table height -or- As high as it goes long) # Bounces on the table on the line or on the other side of the center line on a fly. # Goes off the far end of the table # Lands finally on the ground This is harder than it sounds, especially since the other team is allowed to play defense. As soon as the die has bounced or rolled off the table, they are allowed to try to catch it with one hand and one hand only. The die may be juggled between hands, and other body parts can be used in an attempt to catch it, but the die must come to a rest in one hand only. Body traps are not allowed, and result in a point for the opposing team. The die is still in play and can still be caught until it either hits the ground, or stops moving. Plunking If a player manages to land the die in an opposing player's cup, the other team fill their cups (keeping the die in the beer) with a new beer, and then chug the entire beer. This is known as a "plunk" and does not have any effect on the game's score, but often a separate tally of "plunks" will be kept written on the table itself. The player that manages a "plunk" would then get to add their name to the table, or add a tally mark under their name. The game then continues as it had before the "plunk." The plunked team, once they chug the entire beer, must spit out the die on the table. If they miss the table, they must drink another beer. As a result, most players move right next to the table so that there is no way the die can roll off the table. If the die lands bizz-up, then the throwing team must fill up their beers and chug, as if they had just been plunked. The die is also placed in the oringinal throwing team's cup and they too get a chance to spit out the die so it lands bizz-up. The process can, in theory, go on forever, but the probability of that is obviously incredibly low. If it lands on anything else, nothing happens. Plunking brings a unique reward. The player who threw the plunk gets to write his/her name on the table and start a hash mark count of their plunks. Any player guilty of a self-plunk must write their name on the underside of the table along with a count of self plunks. You CAN plunk yourself, and both players must still chug an entire beer, and spit out the die. If you spit it out bizz-up, your team must chug another beer. In theory, your team could keep going chugging beers if the die kept being spit bizz-up (and if you miss the table on purpose, you must drink an entire beer). Plinking If a player throws a die that touches or bounces off either of the other team's cup, this is known as a "plink" and requires the team's cup's hit to take a sip. The die can "hit" both cups, this would require 2 sips. In theory, if the die managed to riccohet back and forth between the cup multiple times, it would be that many plinks. The only negative thing that can happen to the throwing team after a plink is if the die ends Bizz-up (the die can not end up being a heinous or an OB or anything else negative for the throwing team). Drinking Teams drink together. One "drink" is one fifth of a beer or one fourth depending on how many drinks you give yourself to finish your cup. As soon as a teams cups are empty, they get filled again. Besides the "plink" and "plunk" drinking requirements, players may be forced to drink for several illegal moves, such as:
Out of Bounds If a throw lands on the table legally, but instead of going off the table vertically (where the other team must try to catch it), goes off the table horizontally, this is called an "Out of Bounds", or OB for short. After 3 OBs from one team, that team must drink. The other team can still try to catch the die and if they do so, there is no OB penalty. Most players try to catch the die since it is a gentleman's game, and by doing so, the other team will try to return the favor when you throw an OB. However, some players do not attempt to catch it in an attempt to make the other team drink. Back If the die lands on the table, but past the other team's cups (near the end of the table), this is called a Back. Once the die lands back, the die is dead and the play is stopped, it can not then bounce in a way to cause a Plink , an Out-Of-Bonds or anything else. The die is dead. Low If the throw is too low, the other team immediately calls Low, and the die, like in Back , is dead. Nothing else can happen with the die once it is called Low, negative or positive for the throwing team. Bizz-up If the die is thrown and eventually comes to rest on the table with the "bizz" facing up, the team who last had contact with the die must take a sip (or, in other games, must drink until the non-drinking team touches the die). This rule can lead to the only time both teams drink at the same time - the throwing team plinks, and the die land up bizz-up. Self Plunk The most egregious blunder is the self plunk. Plunking your own or your parnter's cup, while difficult, is not impossible. On a self plunk both you and your parnter must fill and finish your beers and the die goes to the opposing team for their normal throw. Blocking or covering your own cup to try to prevent a self plunk is against the rules and should be scored as a self plunk if the die hits a player trying to defend his cup. Often times the player who throws the self-plunk must sign the bottom of the table; also known as the "Asshole List". This is a direct result of the humiliating toss that led to a self-plunk. God Often, someone not participating in the actual competition will be chosen to act as the referee, or "God". "God" has final say on all questionable throws and catches, but he must remain silent until he is asked his opinion. If a player makes a throw that is too low, it is the burden of the other team to appeal to God and ask if it was an illegal throw. "God" is also in charge of keeping score, and knowing how many drinks remain in each player's cup. Extreme Penalties If a thrown die fails to cross the "Salsa Line" (in reference to the inaugural game of beer die in which a can of salsa was used to denote center table) and lands on the thrower's side of the table (whether through an exceptionally weak throw, or by bouncing off the ceiling or opponent's cup) that team's players must play with their pants around their ankles until they complete a regulation toss. It is suggested that before play, everyone guarantees that they are indeed wearing boxer shorts. A common variant to this rule states that a die that lands on the thrower's side of the table is either a "heinous" (if it did NOT at any time cross the center line and hit the other team's table) or nothing (if it did cross). If the die lands Bizz-up , the throwing team still drinks. If the die did not land and also did not cross, this results in a double drink. A nother varient to the rule states that if you "self plunk" you are require to run around the perimeter a dorm (no matter the weather) completely naked. Or, depending on house rules, you must simply play naked, or remove an article of clothing. Roommate One on One Game If two roommates are playing together with no one else waiting for the table, then they follow the roommate rules. Every few tosses of the die, instead of throwing it underhand they throw it overhand directly at the opponent's cup. Winner is the person who passes out last. Cheating Cheating, such as lying about the score or purposefully making a false call on a throw, is considered very poor sportsmanship and incredibly frowned upon. The game is considered a gentleman's game; treat it as such with proper respect. TACTICS Several skilled players have adapted elaborate tactics to win close games. Some of these tactics include: The blind throw Player throws the die from the inside, and releases the die before his hand becomes visible above the table. Though this throw often results in over-throws, when done properly it is fairly effective in catching opposing players off guard. The double throw Player fakes throwing with one hand and quickly throws with the other hand. The partner feint Player fakes throwing out of turn, and then his partner quickly follows with the actual throw. This is often preceded by the feigning player making a visible showing of the die, and then passing it surreptitiously to his teammate under the table. The Krueger Gambit One player attempts to score points on his throw, while the other player attempts to get "plunks" on his every throw. This tactic is especially effective in tournament play, as getting your opponents drunk early may pay off in the long run. There is usually some form of bourbon or Jaegermeister involved in this gambit as incentive. The Collins Defense More an organization of responsibility than a tactic of the mind, this style stresses placing the better catcher on the left side so he can use his right hand to catch the die when it comes between the two teammates. (This is assuming the superior catcher favors his right hand. If he favors his left, he would occupy the right side instead.) The Rebmann Offensive Like the Collins Defense, this style of play focuses on the position of the players. This style emphasizes having the better thrower on the right side (again, assuming he is right handed), so he can throw from outside the table instead of from the center. This style of throw enables the player to put more spin on the die, and drastically alter its course after the first bounce. The Slothe Offensive This fearsome offense is a combination of skill and finesse. It was named after the Great Carmone and focuses on powerdrinking and herbal lore. Little details are know of the origins except that the object is to drink your opponents under the table causing a forfeit. The Huff Gambit The Huff Gambit involves intentionally throwing the die short and with various spin angles and speeds in an effort to utilize the die's unpredictable bounce and confuse and surprise the enemy. This gambit can be likened to a fluttering knuckleball in baseball...it travels much slower than the other pitches but is extremely hard to hit (or catch in the case of Beer Die). The Huff Gambit is a difficult throw to pull off correctly and will not work well on softer tables. As the knuckleball is more effective on a windy day, the Huff Gambit is more effective on a harder playing table, such as a laminate, metal, or mica surface. Seasoned veterans, however, would be remiss to not have it in their offensive repertoire. The throw can be used in a multitude of situations, but it is most effective in the later stages of the game when player's faculties are not 100%. The short flight of the die surprises unexpecting opposing players, who initially think the thrower made a mistake. They soon realize, however, that they must now catch the die as it is bouncing unpredictably towards them. In rare instances, a well thrown Huff Gambit will score a plunk; but it most frequently scores a plink or a drink when the opposition cannot catch it. The gambit can also be effective when thrown down the middle as the opposition has more time to think about it and catching assignments have a greater likelihood of being blown. One final benefit of the Huff Gambit is that it changes the pace of throws, making it harder for the enemy to get into a rhythm. EXTERNAL LINKS VARIATIONS Cutthroat In the unfortunate event that a 4th player cannot be located, a game of Cutthroat Beer Die may be played. The side with 1 player moves back and forth between the seats on his side, moving after he has both thrown and played defense with the person diagonal from him. After each match point, the three players rotate so that everyone takes turns being on a team alone. The side of the table with 2 players each get 1/2 of a match point for winning, where as the side with 1 player gets the entire match point for winning. This version was developed at Kansas State University at the Chase Manhattan Apartment Complex. |
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