Published by Swiss James on 10 Dec 2007 at 12:10 pm
Four guys, twenty cups
Have you heard of the game beer pong? It is apparently how Americans amuse themselves whilst waiting for Association Football to become popular. The idea is that you take a ping-pong table, put an array of cups at either edge, beer in the cups- then throw a ping-pong ball and try and get it in your opponents cup.
If you do, they drink the beer and throw the cup away- you keep going until one side loses all of their cups, or Football finally comes on the telly.
I was with Dr Meakin pHD (AKA popular internet commentator ‘dingle’) in a bar in the early hours when we first played this on Saturday. Our first couple of tries were all over the place with the ball thrown so badly that sometimes it didn’t even hit anything and just floated in mid-air. Eventually though we were on fire and ended up losing to some Canadian / Fillipino chaps by just one cup. By the time Beijing 2008 comes around, I think we’ll be ready for the big time.
All of this was after going to Rojam to see the DJ NuMark from the Jurassic 5. Apparently ColdCut were on first, but we were too busy taste-testing Mojiitos to get there in time for that (test results: Mojiitos make you drunk). NuMark was great though, when he tried to leave the booth at the end of his set, I kept shouting “One more!”, other people joined in, and he came back to do another 10 minutes. So, you know, that was nice.
Judging by the photos, we had a similar tactic with the bar staff.
#1. (going back to working on my stupid project . . . )
Angie, have you just been sitting at your pc since Friday pressing reload every ten seconds so you can be the first or does James call you to let you know when he’s about to upload.
Well I’m English, so I was hardly going to be first. We never win anything.
James that game doesn’t sound very hygienic as I assume the ball goes all over the floor as well as everyone’s grubby fingers. But I guess that’s the object of the game - to kill your opponents by poisoning.
Angie, you’re starting to irritate me.
CP - that’s not true, it’s only cricket, football, formula one, tennis and boxing that we’re crap at.
dingle: it’s really just coincidence that my writing time/surfing the Internets on the Mac is around the same times as James’ lunch time uploading . . . but James, you can call me any time any ways!
CP: it’s not about winning, it’s about how you play the game . . .
WoAi: if you’re good at beer pong, then the germs are only limited to the ones on each other’s hands (and the table).
i’m irritating you in a good way right? not like in a bad way; like in a shopgirl way, right? (you know you love me . . . )
glad you mentioned the boxing WoAi . . . you know i would have called that.
Yes Angie that was a pre-emptive strike a bit like Eminem battling in 8 Mile - if we say a whole load of crap about ourselves then you have nothing left to say.
Yes, yes, in a good non-Shopgirl kind of way. What’s not to love - cigar smoking, whiskey drinking super mum blogger and Asian as well. If you weren’t American you’d be perfect!
Only football is a sport, all the rest are just games. And we’re frigging terrible at football.
This game is a bit unhygienic- you rinse the ball off with water before you throw it, but still. It’s top fun though, and this place only charges 10RMB per beer too.
I think you should use white gloves and not let the ball bounce or just use empty cups and a special cup for drinking beer from. Or just drink beer!
JC did you notice that the glasses of rinsing water were never replaced though, by the time we turned up I reckon there must have been at least 20 greasy student hands swilling around in there.
They were lightweights anyway, there was only a gulp of beer in each glass.
Is it just my computer or is that middle picture not loading?
Woai, I think we were beyond worrying about hygiene at that point in the night, although that might explain my headache and the nausea I experienced the next day.
Perhaps you could have made it more interesting by making the loser drink the rinsing water.
What middle picture???
yeah I don’t really want to think about how much of that rinsing cup was just other people’s urine and sweat. But you’re right about the gulp of beer- I reckon there was one full cup in the whole lot of em.
Remember how people kept trying to make us bet too? They must have thought we were drunk or stupid or both.
It was good though, let’s go down the club house this week and practise- then took those suckers to school.
yeah, 500rmb as well, I think we did actually have to bet to play in the end didn’t we, didn’t I have to give them 100rmb or something?
We should force them to play with an assortment of cups of double JD and cokes and cups of wee next time.
And use buckets instead of cups ….
You look pretty…
too pretty….
I can’t believe Beer Pong has reached China! I was the undefeated champion in my local pub in England about 8 years ago. You will have to setup a re-match when I get back in January so we can win your money back! I think they call it hustling, just think of me as Tom Cruise and you (JC) can be Paul Newman.
Oh right, like that is it, fine, I’ll just stay at home or something then.
WEIRD. I first heard of beer ping-pong 24 hours ago when my brother arrived home from a visit to The Other Side (Richmond, to be precise) and told me about it.
wow, I didn’t know the game was so unknown…
Dingle they’re all alcoholics in Richmond. Ealing is where the cultured civilised people live, Ealing and Doncaster!
Oops, are Craig and Dingle different people? This is confusing. Wiggy - undefeated champion? Isn’t it mainly luck depending on where the ball lands? Of course it’s reached China - it’s what’s known as globalisation, which is also how we end up with Grey’s Anatomy and Prison Break!
wiggy- you’ll like this place, it’s like Harley’s but in the middle of town, and a bit more of a dive. Are you back in the new year? I’ll get your name down on the board now!
I reckon you’re misguided on how it works here WoAi- how could it be mainly luck when you’re trying to throw a ping pong ball into a cup?! Not sure if it’s allowed to bounce, but when we played, no-one did bounce it.
Even if you hit the cup though, half the time it rattles the edge and bounces out again- it’s an adrenaline soaked thrill ride I can tell you that.
Yes, well I’m sure you’ll both have a lot of fun in your new beer pong team, I get the message, I’ll be there standing at the window.. in the rain.. in my rags… sniff..
dingle- would you stop being such a buzz kill? Me and wiggy are trying to enjoy ourselves here
Dingle it’s the winning that matters, not the taking part, so either learn how to play the game better or move over and let the champ take your place!
yeah dingle
Sounds like different rules in China. In England you are allowed one bounce which, of course, makes it more skillful. Swiss, will be back in January so get our names on the board and keep up the practice at home by using your dining table, as it gets used for nothing else! Let’s take Dingle as our substitute or maybe he might want to team up with Woai, but it does not sound like the kind of place Woai would be seen dead in!!
Are you allowed one bounce, or do you have to bounce it once? Cos if it’s the former, it can’t be more skilful to bounce it, otherwise no-one would bother.
WoAi would be terrified in there, there were students and everything!
You have to bounce it once, that way you can apply spin. I can see you have alot to learn….I am now thinking I should have asked Dingle to be my team mate.
i would like to confirm wiggy’s rule and comment about spin/skill. one bounce (preferably midway on the table top so as to apply spin or aim for a specific cup . . . )
you can apply spin, why would you want to make it more difficult than it is already?
forget it wiggy, you’ve burnt your bridges now.
There’s absolutely no advantage to be gained from applying spin - it’s not as though the opponent needs to catch the ball between his teeth or anything. Wiggy has to apply spin because he can’t shoot in a straight line.
James - I have no problem with students, it’s teachers I can’t bear, haven’t you been reading Shopgirl lately!!!
Thanks Angie for concurring with my comment on spin. By using spin you can aim for a specific cup, but obviously I am dealing with amateurs here!
Woai - If anyone can shoot in a straight line, it’s me….you do remember how many children I have, so no problem there!
Dingle - It’s OK I don’t want you on my side anyway, I was only trying to make you feel better and include you in the game, but you can just stand outside in the rain as you previously stated.
you can aim for a specific cup by just….throwing it at a specific cup. I don’t believe you’ve played this game at all, I think you’re getting mixed up with 10 pin bowling or something
I am thankful to be the only one who seems to understand the significance of the title. Blech.
james: in some games, where the players are more experienced, teams will play rounds where the ball must enter cups in a certain order or the cup must be called before the ball is tossed. (all depends on who’s playing, skill levels and of course, house rules . . . )
wiggy: obviously we’re dealing with amateurs . . .
kermo: a little help . . .
Angie - Yes you are right we are dealing with amateurs! How do you fancy popping across to Shanghai in January so we can show them how to play the game properly?
Swiss - No confusion, get me to the table and i will show you how this game is played by a professional!
Wiggy: sure(!), i think i can do early january, but have to get back to uni (and the kids) come mid-january . . .
OK, will be there on the 5th January….see you there!!
Technically speaking the game you describe is known as Beirut. Beer Pong is not a game but rather a sport or an art.
Woai: can i stay at your place? . . . wiggy says i’m invited to shanghai and i don’t think emma would appreciate me staying with james. (i cook . . .)
Sure Angie, but bring pots and pans!
god lord man! how can you not own any pots and pans?!
i meant “good lord”