Beer die

Beer Die is a table-based drinking game in which opposing players sit at opposite ends and throw a die over a certain height with the goal of either landing the die in their opponent's cup or having the die hit the table and bounce over the scoring area to the floor. The defending team attempts to catch the die one-handed after it hits the table, but before it touches a non-table surface, without leaving their chairs. The game typically consists of two two-player teams with each of the four players having a designated cup on the table.

Setup

Teams

Beer Die is usually played with two teams of two players each, though it can be played with two teams of one person each, or other numbers of players. Each team begins the game sitting in chairs at either end of the table behind their cups.

Playing Field

Typical play occurs on a horizontal wooden surface of 6-foot to 8-foot in length. While an 8-foot hardwood banquet table is the ideal choice, substitutions of plastic folding banquet tables and even an 8-foot sheet of plywood are acceptable. West Coast rules dictate that the die table be precisely biz feet long.

Cups are filled and placed one hand's length in from the side edges and one hand's length from the back edge of the table for two player teams. Scoring is allowed only off the back of the table.

Equipment

The standard, and more challenging choice, is to use 12-ounce plastic cups (e.g., Dixie cups or those provided by a liquor store when purchasing a keg); however, common 16-ounce disposable plastic cups (e.g., red Solo cups) are sometimes used due to their prevalence at parties and in many other drinking games.

The die used is a standard 16mm six-sided die with non-rounded corners. Enthusiasts prefer the Bicycle brand.

Alcohol

Generally, an inexpensive pale lager or light beer of 3.2-5% ABV, such as Pabst Blue Ribbon, Natural Light, or Coor's Light is used, although liquor-based and non-alcoholic versions exist.

Game play

As with most drinking games, there are no "official" rules for Beer Die with variations occurring in different groups, universities and geographic areas. Typically, the host will set forth the "house rules", which will govern play for the evening, prior to games commencing. House rules supersede any more widely accepted variations and are considered law of the game.

In general, play begins with a seated player from one team tossing a die over the bar (or to the appropriate height) and attempting to either "plunk" (see below) it in the opposing team's cup or have it hit the table and bounce to the floor while the opposing team seeks to catch the die with one hand before it reaches the floor. Play typically progresses with a player from the opposing team tossing, and then the second player from the starting team followed by the second player on the opposing team. Play then recycles.

All throws must be underhand. Forehand throws are not allowed. Backhand throws are allowed.

Drinking

Unlike drinking games such as Beer Pong, Beer Die requires all players of a team to drink when one of its players drinks, including casual drinking; therefore, teammates should always have an equal amount of liquid in their cups. A 12-ounce cup contains four drinks (or three if using West Coast rules). When a team's cups become empty, they are refilled by the opposing team because Beer Die is, in fact, a gentlemen's game.

One drink is assessed for the following infractions:

• Throwing a die that does not reach the minimum height requirement ("Gay bar" or "PIKE bar")
• Throwing a die that does not hit the table
• Throwing out of turn
• Dropping the die on the ground when it is in your possession between throws ("Dirty Die")
• Spilling liquid from a cup when attempting to catch
• Trapping a die instead of catching it with one hand (can also be counted as a point, in which case no drinking penalty is assessed)
• In some variations, saying the words "five" or "seven" (the words "bizz" and "buzz", respectively, are substituted)

"Plink"

When a die hits an opposing team's cup, but does not "plunk" (see below), then the team whose cup was hit must drink. As soon as the die hits the cup it is considered dead and may not score a point, however, if the die ricochets and hits the team's other cup drinking is doubled. A third bounce into the original cup would triple and so forth). Exception: If a team is plinked by the die bouncing off the rim of the cup and a player manages to catch the die before it hits any other surface, then no drinks are assessed. Due to the difficulty of such a maneuver, some variations allow the catching player a standing "free shot" at the throwing team's cups. Another variation stipulates that any time a die that plinks is caught before striking the floor or another "dead-ball" surface such as a chair or lap, even after it has hit off of the table again, makes the ensuing drink a "social" in which all players at the table partake. On the West Coast, this is known as a "dink".

"Plunk"

When a player lands his die in a cup that is not on his team. 1 point is awarded for a plunk. However, the player who has been "plunked" and his teammate must finish the remainder of their beer before play can continue and refill their cup. Depending on the participants, players are sometimes required to "chug" their beer in the event of a plunk.

Once a player achieves a plunk, they are entitled to add their name to the game table. Additional plunks allow the player to add a hash mark for each instance. At schools where die is popular, it is common for students to acquire a banquet-style table at the beginning of their college career and to keep it within their group of friends through the years so that a table becomes covered in names and tally marks. As such, it is often considered poor die etiquette to write one's name with large handwriting on a table if they are only visiting or playing a casual game as it is unlikely that player will amass a large number of plunks on that table.

On a new player's first plunk, the player is given a "die-name" by the veterans in attendance. The process generally pauses the game for several minutes as the player in question is called upon to relate several embarrassing stories about their life, generally sexual or alcoholic in nature, and then asked to leave the room while veterans consult each other to develop a name. The ideal name is unique to the player and references something specific about them. The player is required to use this name in all subsequent Beer Die games (regardless of their location) until the player reaches 100 plunks at one table in one academic year, at which time they may rename themselves. When questioned, a player is obligated to explain the etymology of their "die-name".

While plunks do not score points, they are recognized as a significant part of the strategy and culture of die. For instance, if teams are engaged in a series (2 of 3, 3 of 5, 5 of 7, etc.), they may try to score more plunks rather than points if they are up by a comfortable margin in an early game so as to make their opponents drink more beer and thus be more inebriated for future games. Additionally, die players are often known either for their superior catching ability or an uncanny knack at tossing plunks. Therefore, one player in a group who tosses many plunks throughout a night of beer die is often regarded as the best player of that game, even if his team did not dominate the points matches. Furthermore, due to the eminence of "die names", one's die-tossing ability will only be remembered in posterity or by those not present for a specific game unless a player tallies plunks during the course of play. Therefore, while it is considered bad sportsmanship to blatantly toss for plunks, players tend to favor a toss strategy that lands the die in the vicinity of their opponents' cups, even though such tosses are often easier to defend than those that strike towards the end of the table or those that take multiple bounces to reach the back edge. On the West Coast, this is known as a "sink".

Self-plunk

The most egregious blunder is the self-plunk, when the die lands in a cup on the throwing team. On a self-plunk all team members must finish their cups, and either play the rest of the game naked or run around the block naked.

Trap

A trap is any stoppage of the die using more than just one hand including, but not limited to, trapping the die against the body, against the table, against a teammate, between one's legs or a two-handed catch. Such a catch generally is ruled to be a point for the team that tossed the die, although in many cases players are given a warning if a determination is difficult to make.

According to West Coast rules, when a player traps the die against the body rather than catching it with one hand like a true gentleman, he must drink half his cup. In some circles, a two-handed catch results in a full cup being drank while others play that any type of trap is a non-catch resulting in one point for the throwing team.

The trap rule is often waived for female players that make a "cleavage trap".

Scoring

A game is played to either 5 ("bizz") or 7 ("buzz") and a team must win by two.

The only way to score a point is to make a proper toss (sufficient height, underhanded and/or backhanded) that lands on the table and bounces off the back edge and hits a horizontal surface (generally the floor, a player's lap, or a chair). There is no drinking associated with scoring, but the game does not end until the pre-determined score (generally 5--bizz—or 7--buzz)

As with any respectable drinking game, any team which loses with a score of zero must strip naked and run around the building the game is being played in.

Low

If the die does not reach the proper height (generally defined as either the height of the table being used or within six inches of the ceiling) the defending team can call "Low" while the die is in the air and negate any scoring attempt for that throw. If a "God" is being used, he may call Low even after the die has hit the ground

Biz/Buzz Rules

In most places, the sacred numbers are 5 and 7, or bizz and buzz, respectively. These numbers are sacred as they are typically the winning score. The variation noted in the Drinking section above forces anyone who says "five" or "seven" or any variation thereof to drink.

Alternatively, in some places, 3 is known as "bizz" and 5 is known as "buzz". Any time the die lands dead on the table with the numbers 3 or 5 showing face up the throwing team must take one drink. In this version, no one is allowed to say "three" or "five".

Cheating

Cheating, such as lying about the score, making a false "low" call, or any line drive throw, is generally considered poor sportsmanship and ungentlemanly. Yet, many circles encourage cheating whenever possible and consider persuasion an integral part of the game. In tournament play, however, the teams will often appoint a "God" who has absolute power over disagreements that occur throughout the course of play in order to discourage arguments, especially in high pressure situations.

Poaching

Poaching refers to the intentional dominance of one defending player usually due to their partner being inexperienced or a poor defender. It often leads to partner confusion and collision in an effort to catch a scoring die. While not gentlemanly, the Poach is a valid move.

"PDT"

A "PDT" or "Perfect Die Toss"(also referred to as a "natural" in some circles) is a commonly used term for a toss that strikes the very back edge of a table so precisely that it does not bounce up but rather deflects downwards, making such a toss difficult to defend. While the PDT is the most effective toss, players who attempt it with regularity will flirt with the far edge of the table, and thus may be required to drink for the "long" penalty many times through the course of one game. In some games, it is common practice for players to drink after a PDT, even though the rules to not dictate such action, as a toast to the player who has just made the great toss. Additionally, should a PDT be caught by the defending team, players will often drink as a toast to the remarkable catch.

"TGB"

At anytime during game play, a player may request the "TGB" or Total Game Breakdown, which is a gentlemanly reminder of the score and the amount of drinks left in both team's cups. The purpose of the TGB is to allow the players to come to a consensus and avoid disputes near the end of the game which would take the game in a regrettably ungentlemanly direction.

Origin

There are several theories relating to the emergence of this beloved game. However, it seems that Colby College in Waterville, Maine is to be credited with its invention.

Notes

Beer Die enthusiasts often argue about the greatest beer die game ever played. It is nearly universally aknowledged, however, that said game was played October 7, 2006, in the basement of the game's birthplace, Phi Eta Kappa (hereinafter "The Castle.") Mark "Big Johnson" Johnson, battled Thomas "The Cobra" Cook, for nearly 8 hours, in a one-on-one match to 100 points. Near the 4 hour mark, the contest had degenerated into a war of attrition, with vulgarities being exchanged between the two parties in what the few spectators in attendance would later refer to as "a shitshow." By nightfall, word had spread around the sparsely populated campus, and a crowd gathered around the two men. Barely able to raise their arms to throw, and certainly unable to speak words other than to insult each other, Cook went on a hot streak in the 11th hour, claiming that although he could no longer see the cup, he would outplunk Johnson. Aided by six consecutive plunks, Cook scored 14 unanswered points to knot the score at 90 as the match entered its eighth hour of play. In the end, as both had reached BAC levels that approached .40, otherwise known as death, Johnson was able to secure a 100-93 victory. One innocent bystander exclaimed "I almost didn't think they would make it to the bar tonight."

External links

• Official Beer Die website