World Series of Beer Pong
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The World Series of Beer Pong (WSOBP) is the largest Beer pong tournament in the world in number of participants and cash prizes offered. It has been held close to or in Las Vegas since January, 2006.
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[edit] History
[edit] WSOBP I
WSOBP I, originally known only as “The World Series of Beer Pong”, was held at the Oasis Hotel and Casino in Mesquite, NV from January 2 through January 6, 2006. Approximately 80 teams from the United States and Canada competed for the $10,000 grand prize. The event was won by Jason Coben and Nick Velissaris of “Team France”[1].
The two teammates met while competing as athletes at the University of Michigan. Nick Velissaris was a member of the school’s varsity wrestling team, while Jason Coben was a diver on the school’s varsity swimming and diving team. Jason won the 2003 NCAA Championship in Platform Diving.[2]
[edit] WSOBP II
The World Series of Beer Pong II, or WSOBP II, was again held at the Oasis Hotel and Casino in Mesquite, NV, from January 1 through January 5, 2007. The grand prize was doubled from the previous year to $20,000. The increased prize, along with increased public awareness of the event, helped draw 246 teams.[3] The grand prize was won by Antonio “Tone” Vassilatos and Aniello “Neil” Guerriero of “We Own Your Face”.[4] This team had competed in WSOBP I, going undefeated during the preliminary rounds, but dropping out early in the finals.
A documentary entitled “Last Cup: Road to the World Series of Beer Pong” was produced leading up to and at the event. The film focused on four characters and their preparations of WSOBP II: Jamie “The Champ” Clouser, Scott “Iceman” Reck, Sean Foster, and one of the eventual tournament winners, Antonio “Tone” Vassilatos. The documentary premiered at Cinevegas 2008.[5]
[edit] WSOBP III
The World Series of Beer Pong III, or WSOBP III, was the first World Series of Beer Pong to be held within the limits of Las Vegas, NV. The tournament was held at the South Point Hotel and Casino from January 1 through January 5, 2008. 296 Teams competed for a $50,000 grand prize. The event was won by Jeremy Hughes and Mike Orr of the team “Chauffeuring the Fat Kid”.[6] The final match proved to be high drama, as Chauffeuring the Fat Kid was forced to sink four consecutive cups to stay alive. They were able to do this, forcing overtime, and were able to defeat their opponents from Albany, NY - Chris Baker and Mike Hulse of “The Iron Wizard Coalition”, for the title.
[edit] WSOBP IV
The World Series of Beer Pong IV was held January 1 through 5, 2009 at the Flamingo Hotel and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip. The tournament paid out a $50,000 grand prize, and was sponsored by Pabst Blue Ribbon.[7]
The final match was announced by veteran UFC announcer Bruce Buffer[8]
- Winners - Smashing Time
- 2nd - Getcha Popcorn Ready
[edit] Format
WSOBP IV was structured as a three day event, with tournament matches scheduled for January 2, 3, and 4. The first two days are preliminary rounds, with each team playing 6 games per day, for a total of 12 games. The 128 highest ranked teams from preliminaries qualified for finals on day 3. The final day filtered the 128 teams down to 64 teams who were then be entered into a double-elimination bracket for the championships. Smashing time won this event making them 2X champs.[9]
[edit] Equipment
All games at the WSOBP and all WSOBP Satellite Tournaments are played using 8Ft. Beer Pong Tables, 16 oz. cups, and 40mm 3-star Beer Pong balls, all manufactured and sold by BPONG.COM.
[edit] Rules
According to BPONG.COM, The World Series of Beer Pong official rules were designed with three purposes in mind:
- Fairness to all players
- Efficiency in running a maximum number of games simultaneously
- Minimization of possible disputes between participants.
[edit] WSOBP V and beyond
The World Series of Beer Pong V was held January 1st through 5th, 2010 at The Flamingo in Las Vegas. "Smashing Time" won the event for the second consecutive year. The main event will be held at the Flamingo annually until at least 2014. The grand prize will remain $50,000 for WSOBP VI, with a total prize pool of $65,000.
[edit] Satellite Tournaments
While entrance to the WSOBP can be purchased, many teams gain entrance to the World Series of Beer Pong by winning a WSOBP Satellite Tournament. WSOBP Satellite Tournaments are smaller regional tournaments held by local bars and Beer Pong leagues that offer entrance into the WSOBP as the grand prize. These events are operated in accordance with WSOBP standard rules, and use the official equipment (cups, balls, and tables) of the World Series of Beer Pong. For the WSOBP IV season, over 100 Satellite events were held in 19 States and 1 Canadian province. [10]
[edit] References
- ^ Las Vegas Review Journal - World Series of Beer Pong January 8, 2006
- ^ Coben wins NCAA title in a squeaker March 31, 2003
- ^ Beer Pong - eCollege times November 7, 2007
- ^ The World Series of Beer Pong Champions from CollegeHumor February 8, 2007
- ^ CineVegas Film Festival 2008 July, 2008
- ^ San Diego Reader - We love Beer Pong May 21, 2008
- ^ WSOBP IV Information
- ^ Bottoms up! Beer pong world champions net $50,000 at the Flamingo
- ^ Official Rules of the WSOBP
- ^ WSOBP Satellites
