Top 5 Drinking Games to Welcome 2012!

Hello people and welcome to Friday! We are one day away from New Year’s Eve and I have something that will make your party that much better. Now I know everyone likes to play Beer Pong but how about something else for a change. I for one have never played Beer Pong so maybe I’m missing something but from high school to now I have played drinking games that kept the party going for hours. The games are pretty easy to learn and I will be giving a written explanation as well as a video demonstration to come. 1. Kings

The game of Kings is best played with a large group of people. To set up the game you need a full deck of cards, minus the Jokers, and either a can of beer or a glass full of something Alcoholic. Place the beer in the middle of the table and spread the cards face down around the drink.

In order to see who goes first you can see who has the closest birthday and work from the left. The object of the game is to complete a round without getting the last King. Along the way are some fun cards that will get you smashed so here’s what those cards mean,

10 card – (Optional) Either a social drink with the whole group or you can invoke the Thumb Master Rule. If you pull a 10 card you become the Thumb Master or TM. While going through the game the TM will put their thumb on the edge of the table and the last person to put their thumb down has to take a drink. This can be done as many times as the TM wants or until someone else pulls a 10 card and a new TM is crowned.

Jack card – This is the Rhyme card. For example I pull a Jack and I say, Cat. The person to the left would say Bat and so on. The person who messes up the rhyme has to take a drink.

Queen Card – This is the category card. For this card you need to know your stuff. For example I pull a Queen card and I choose different beer but no lights. I would say, Budweiser, then the next person would say Coors and so on. If someone mentions a light beer or can’t think of anything within 5 seconds then they have to take a drink.

Ace Card – This is known as the waterfall card. If you happen to pull an Ace the entire group must drink as long as you are drinking. So if I pull an Ace I will chug my beer and everyone else has to do the same until I stop.

King Card – This is the dreaded King card. If you pull a King you place it next to the drink. There are four in the deck so be careful. The person who pulls the fourth King has to slam the possibly warm drink that is in the middle of the cards. You do not want to get the last King.

So there you have it folks! This is my favorite of all drinking games and before I forget, there is a time limit when thinking of a rhyme or category. If your turn comes up to choose a rhyme or add something to a category you have 5 seconds or you have to take a drink.

2. Bop It!

I’m sure you have all played Bop It at one time or another but have you played Bop It for drinks? This game is very easy so if your kids have this game you’re in luck! The game is played in a group and the game piece itself says what to do as you pass it to the next person.

It’s a think fast type of game already but once you take drinks with it the game gets interesting. The game piece will say bop it so you bop it fast and pass it on. It will then say twist it or pull it and will go on and on until someone messes up the sequence. The person who messes up will take a drink. The game starts again and goes on for as long as each player wants to go. The combination of drinks and fast thinking will eventually collide and you will not be able to think fast enough to keep up with the game piece. This is what makes the game so fun. You’re buzzed and trying to concentrate but the game is fast paced and you fall behind leaving you with multiple drinks and laughter from the group. It makes for a good time!

3. Speed Bump

This drinking game is a beast! If you have the stones to step up to this game then you are a beast yourself. The game is simple; make it from one side to the other and you’re done. Pretty easy, right? Wrong! In order to get to the other side you have to turn over cards and make the jump of the speed bump. Certain cards can add cards to your deck and the journey, as well as drinks, becomes harsh.

To set up the game you need a speed bump. This can be a pencil, cork, bottle cap, etc. Take out the Jokers from your deck, shuffle, and place four cards on each side. Let the player choose where to start from and have at it! The dealer will turn over the first card. If the card is a number under 10 the player can proceed to the next one. If the next card is a 10 or higher a card is added and you drink between 1 and 5 drinks. This is where it gets fun.

10 card – 1 drink no card

Jack – 1 drink 1 card

Queen – 2 drinks 2 cards

King – 3 drinks 3 cards

Ace – 4 drinks 4 cards

Speed Bump – If you hit the speed bump going either way you have an automatic drink.

This is why I call this game a beast. It sounds confusing but once you get into it, it becomes addicting. I have seen players go through the game in one quick shot where others have added a few rows to their deck and dreaded taking on the beast in the first place.

4. Jenga

Jenga is a game that takes concentration and strategy so why not turn it into a drinking game, right? The adult version with drinks is very simple. Each player pulls a block and places it on top until someone finally makes it topple. The game is fun and gives bragging right to all those who didn’t break the tower. Now lets add drinks to the game. After every piece that is pulled by a player, that player will take a drink of whatever they are having. The person that breaks the tower will have to slam a fresh can of beer or mixed drink depending on what the player is having. The game is awesome and the concentration and strategy that is needed for Jenga is clouded by the amount of drinks taken during the game. Once the tower gets tipsy the players are tipsy as well.

5. Up and Down The River

Oh the wonders of Up and Down The River. This game should be played with a large group or at least a minimum of 3 people. For the explanation of this game I will use 3 players. Each player is dealt 5 cards and they will need to face them up for everyone to see.

Player one’s hand – 5, 10, King, Ace, 3

Player two’s hand – 8, 8, 2, Queen

Player three’s hand – 10, King, 3, 9

The dealer will pull a card from the deck and say, “Take 1”. The card pulled is a 5 so Player one would take a drink. The dealer will go on to say, “Take 2”, “Take 3”, and “Take 4”. A lot of drinks are taken and it sucks but it sucks even more if the dealer gets to Take 4, pulls an 8 and you are Player two. I say this  because that means that Player two takes 8 drinks instead of 4. The good thing is that each card has four in each suit so if this were the scenario then the 8 card can only be pulled one more time. Make sense?

Now that was going up the river. It’s now time to go down the river and this is where it gets even more fun in my opinion. So when going down the river you get to give drinks. The dealer will say, “Give 4” and pull a number. If the dealer pulls a 3, Player 1 can give 4 or split them among each player. This is where players get cocky but if they are not paying attention they can get it right back. So Player one says to Player 3,

“You can take all four drinks man!”

“Yeah, well I have a 3 too so right back atcha.”

If you’re Player 2 and the dealer pulls an 8 on “Give 4” then you can give 8 drinks to one person or split them up. The “Give” drinks go down the river until you get to 1 and then you work your way up the river once again with “Take” drinks. The game goes on until someone finally bows out. It’s a very fun game and after a few rounds you’ll be a pro.

These are the five drinking games that will make your party the most fun that anyone has ever had. This has been brought to you by Jabber Log! Make sure to drink responsibly, sleep at the party or have a designated driver and we wish you a happy New Year. Cheers!