A Forum Guide to Beirut/Beer Pong

Life by Jonah Chodosh — February 10, 2009 at 7:24 pm | 5 comments | | Print

We all play it, yet everyone disagrees about both the game’s title, and its rules. The former I won’t attempt to solidify (although officially at CMC it is only considered beirut), but it’s about time we clarify how this game should be played at our beloved institution.

• Teams of 2. Players may call upon a “celebrity” to take a shot or 2.
• 10-cup format with 2 re-racks and a “gentleman’s” courtesy rack at the request of the shooting team. Use an appropriate amount of liquid in each cup.
• After face-off, the cup sunk must be removed from the initial rack. If both teams sink a cup on the same face-off, neither cup is removed. The next face-off includes 2 new shooters.
• Each team gets 2 shots/turn (usually 1 shot/player).
• Teams must sink at least 4 cups before calling for a re-rack. “Re-rack” may only be called at the beginning of a turn.
• Once a cup is sunk, it must be removed immediately. If a certain cup is sunk twice before its contents are finished, the game is automatically over.
• Bounce shot = 2 cups. If a shot bounces, the defensive team may swat at the ball in hopes of preventing a 2-cup shot.
• If a player sinks 2 separate cups in a row, he/she is heating up. The phrase “heating up” must be called before the player’s next shot, because if he/she sinks a third cup in a row, that player is “on fire” and gets to shoot until a miss.
• If 1 lone cup is not touching the rest of the rack, each shooter can take 1 shot at it (upon calling “straggler cup”). If the straggler is sunk on that turn, 2 cups are removed from the rack.
• After your shot, the ball bounces back to you and stays on the table… No “buffalo” behind-the-back shots are permitted.
• The “elbow rule” should be moderately regulated (respectfully?), but should not become a yelling matter.
• Upon sinking the final cup, the opposing team has the chance to “rebuttal,” where both players shoot until they miss. If both members sink the last cup, no rebuttal is permitted. In the event of a tie, a 3-cup, no re-rack format decides the match.
• If Team A successfully sinks all of Team B’s cups without Team B getting a re-rack (Team B needs 4 cups and a new rack), Team B must run a NAKED LAP around the building in which the match was played. Fans are encouraged to chant “NAKED LAP,” to further call attention to the circumstance.
• Respect the game.

Side Note: If the “house team” does not agree with these rules, it is their job to establish the “house rules” for the night prior to competition.