Buffalo (game)

Buffalo is a drinking game popular in Iceland, although it is played around the world. People who play the game refer to themselves as "Buffalos". A group of people playing the game often form Buffalo Clubs.

Rules

The rules are very simple, and involve which hand you may use to drink.

1. You can hold your drink with either hand, but may only drink from it with your non-dominant hand. If any other Buffalo players spot you drinking with your dominant hand, they call Buffalo on you and you must finish your drink as quickly as possible. If you hesitate to finish your drink, the other players will usually proceed to make a ruckus chanting "Buffalo!" and banging on the table until you finish.
2. If you call a false Buffalo on somebody (call Buffalo when they are actually drinking with the proper hand), you are obligated to finish your own drink. Special care must be made when drinking with left-handed Buffalos because of this rule.
3. Once you begin playing Buffalo, you are playing it for the rest of your life.

Initiation: Derivation 1 You begin playing if you respond to the question posed by a Buffalo player, "Are you a Buffalo?" to which the reply is "Once a Buffalo always a Buffalo" and the game is on. The Buffalo player posing the question is rarely willing to explain what this question means, but will either try to talk the person they are asking into answering in the affirmative or employ reverse psychology to attempt to trick them into answering in the affirmative.

Initiation: Derivation 2 To make the game more interesting and to create a sense of commitment, many require an initiation to join the club. This initiation consists of finishing a full drink and taking a shot in the presence of a Buffalo Club member. This helps weed out the weak players and those who would just disobey the rules.

Nobody needs to declare that the game is on. At least in principle, if rarely actually done, if you spot a complete stranger drinking with what you think to be their dominant hand, and you call Buffalo on them, they will either be confused or immediately know that they have transgressed the rules in the presence of another Buffalo player and are obligated to finish their drink or return a false Buffalo, if applicable. If they are aware of the game but have avoided playing, they do not have to drink, but also may not return a false Buffalo.

History

It is said that the history of buffalo stems from the wild west, where it was essential to be able to shoot anyone at anytime. Therefore it was important never to drink your drink with the hand you would normally shoot with, which gave birth to the rule of the non-dominat hand. Because the game essentially was a matter of life or death, it could never be stopped but would run continually throughout one's life. The game was then perfected during the Gold Rush by the famous pioneer "Chris Jones", a man amongst legends. Jones would use the drinking game as a strategy to intoxicate rival pioneers and then proceed to steal their gold.

International Variations

Additional rules that apply in New Zealand.

1. Buffalos may not refer to other players by their first name. Buffalos must refer to other buffalos with an appropriate title and their last name e.g. Mr Duncan, or Miss Winter. The penalty for infringement is the consumption of the entire vessel. (With the non dominant hand of course.)

The California Version

• The basic premise of the game applies (not being able to hold drinks with one's dominant hand) but there is some variation in terms of penalties and exceptions. First of all, one needs only to touch the drink (not actually grab it) in order to be subject to a Buffalo. Second, a Buffalo cannot be called on wine or bottles containing a large amount of hard liquor. Third, a Buffalo cannot be called on a person who is transporting more than can be carried in one hand (transport exception). Lastly, since the aim of Buffalo is to get people drunk, not vomiting, one can always defer his penalty to a single shot.

The Hawai'i Version

• The basic premise of the game applies, but there are two major differences. First, the rules apply to all liquids, not just alcoholic beverages. This includes water, soda, even cough syrup. This causes the game to be more than just a game, but a lifestyle change. This may be related to the Wild West theory. Second, it is always the left hand that causes the penalty, regardless of the player's dominant hand.

• There is also a notable difference in how the game is started. One must be made a Buffalo by another. A speech is often involved, explaining the rules, history, and a lot of filler to make it sound more important. It is capped off with a left-handed shake.

The Danish version

• The basic premise of the game applies, however members always drink with the left hand (dominant or not).

There are also a few variations in terms of membership and penalties:

• All members must, at any time, be able to present his/her personal Buffalo Club membership card
• A member can, at any time, challenge another member to present the the membership card. If unable to do so, the challenged member must pay drinks to all other Buffalo members present. If, however, the card is successfully presented, it is the challenger who must pay a round of drinks.
• If a female member is "Buffalo'ed" the penalty is a kiss on the cheek to the member that is "Buffalo'ing" her

The Danish GG-version

• In this version the basic premise of the game has been altered, which means that the hand you drink with is determined by the date. You drink with your right hand on even dates and your left hand on odd dates. This is done partly because eventually it got too easy to get used to drink with your opposite hand, but mostly because of the great fun this rule results in when the clock passes 12 at night. Also it is possible to get a "befrier", which roughly translates to "liberator". This "liberator" is achieved either when you perform some sort of heroic deed (i.e. saves a persons life or eat five pizzas in a row), or when the person who has given you the buffalo feels sorry for you and let you free of the buffalo (maybe because you drank from a filled bottle of vodka, or is attending a funeral). If you do the heroic deed you are the recipient of the "liberator", and if a person lets you off a buffalo he/she is the recipient. A "liberator" can free you from a buffalo, but can only be cashed in with the person you have received it from (i.e. if two persons give you a buffalo at the same time, and you only have a "liberator" with one of them, you still get the buffalo). Mostly "liberators" aren´t cashed in, but kept as trophies.

The Melbourne Version

• The premise and rules of the game remain the same, with the major difference that the rule of not drinking from your dominant hand is altered. Instead, players must only drink from their left hand. Also, upon induction to the club the new member must pay a membership fee of A$0.10 which is consequently thrown away in the most dramatic manner possible. The new member is then informed that the Buffalo club is a 'not for profit organisation'.

For more info see the webpage: [1]

Special situations and exceptions

• Playing Buffalo applies to all alcoholic drinks. When doing shots, since finishing the drink in your hand is not possible, a second shot must be consumed if the shot is done with the dominant hand.
• Buffalo does not extend to non-alcoholic drinks, as calling Buffalo on somebody drinking, for instance, a hot cup of tea could have disastrous results. Calling buffalo on a non-alcoholic drink is considered a "false buffalo".
• If you have buffalo called against you when drinking from someone else's drink, you must finish it and buy another drink to replace it.
• When drinking with straws, both the straw and drinking vessel (ie. glass/bottle) must be in the non-dominant hand. A popular method with straws is to "check" the straw, which involves making contact with it with your hand before drinking commences.
• The only get-out of finishing your drink if you are "buffalo'd" is to buy every other buffalo in your presence a drink. This is typically frowned upon in most situations, but fully acceptable if the person is driving later that night.
• If a member is "buffalo'd" on a beverage that may cause physical harm, e.g. a full bottle of spirits, the buffalo members present may decide on a suitable compromise.

*One is immune to getting buffaloed if one is actively consuming an alcoholic beverage in each hand (double fisting).

Cheating

Buffalos are usually honorable about their game, but it is possible to cheat in the presence of people who don't know you are a Buffalo, who don't know about the game, or, of course, when drinking alone. It is a major transgression to lie to a fellow Buffalo about which hand is your dominant hand. When in doubt about another players integrity it is acceptable to ask them to perform a task with their non-drinking hand in order to ascertain whether they are telling the truth. Penalties for those who lie or those who unjustly accuse someone of lying can be determined by the players.

External links

• Webtender entry for Buffalo

• swedish fraction

• Danish GG-version

• Canadian organization