​​The Beer Dice Drinking Game: Every Rule, Tip, and Trick For True Champions

 

“Beer Dice”, also known as “Snappa”, is a dice drinking game that involves tossing dice on a plywood table. It originated on the West Coast and over the past decade has spread across the U.S.

 

Though often compared to “Beer Pong”, beer dice requires a lot more hand-eye coordination, ‘alcohol endurance’, and faster reactions. Anyone can make a few shots in beer pong, but a new beer dice player will get whooped if they ain’t athletic. 

 

What follows is everything you need to know to win your local frat’s beer dice tourney.

 

Table of Contents

The Tools for Playing Beer Dice

Basic Beer Dice Game Rules (with variations)

How You Score in Beer Dice

When You Drink in Beer Dice

Winning in Beer Dice

Just Chillin’ Vs Competitive Tournaments

Tips for Champions

The Tools for Playing Beer Dice

 

1. Table

 

While any table works , officially you need a  4’x8’ plywood table. When standing the table should be between 3-3.5 ft off the ground. If you play sitting in chairs, a lower table is fine.

 

1. 2-4 Players

 

Usually it is played with two people on a team, but one on one is also common. 

 

1. Liquid to Drink

 

The unparalleled choice for beer dice is a smooth, yellow hued lager… but any low alcohol drink will do. Alternatively, you can just fill with water and be the most hydrated mofo in the county. 

 

1. 4 Pint glasses

 

16oz-20oz  pint glasses both hold the perfect amount of alcohol and are the perfect sized “hoops” to try to land the dice in. 

 

Red solo cups are iconic and work great, but the dice deflections are underwhelming. Ideally you want a material that gets a good dice bounce, like metal or glass. But since glass can shatter, investing in metal pint glasses is the best way to go. 

1. 2, 6-sided dice. 

 

If you don’t have any lying around, you can find a wide assortment of crazy dice here. 

 

1. Your favorite tank top or hoodie and backwards cap (or you can get Snappa specific merch here). 

Basic Beer Dice Game Rules (with variations)

 

Step 1: Players place two pint glasses at each corner of the table, divide into teams of 2 and stand on opposite long ends of a table (like this). 

 

Step 2: Crack open a cold one and fill your glass. For each round, one team throws, the other defends.

 

Step 3: Once everyone’s attention is on the game, one player on the “throwing team” tosses a die underhanded up into the air. 

 

Step 4: The die must go a certain number of feet into the air and land on the table.

 

Variations: The official rules dictate that the die is cast 9 feet into the air. However, depending on where you play, that is not feasible: a lot of indoor spaces are less than 9 ft! Alternate rules include “5 feet above the tallest players head”. But the most common method is to choose some landmark, like a deck or tree branch, and judge the die height on that. 

 

Step 5: If the die bounces on the table, the defending team tries to catch the die.

 

Variation: You draw a line across the middle of the table. The throwing team has to land the beer die on the opponent's end of the table. 

 

Step 6: The defending team can only catch with one, isolated hand. You cannot catch the beer dice with two hands, or smother the die against your body with your hand. You can kick the beer dice into the air with your feet.

 

Variation: a) You can only kick the beer dice a max of 3 times. b) You are allowed to kick the beer die into the air with your knee. 

 

Step 7: The defending team now throws, and the former throwing team defends. 

 

Step 8: Repeat until one team reaches the final number of points. 

How You Score in Beer Dice

 

• If the defending team catches the beer die, no points are scored.
• If the beer die hits the table and bounces onto the ground, the throwing team gets 1 point
• If the die lands on the table, and then the opposing team bobbles it and it lands on the ground, the throwing team gets 1 point. 
• If you hit the defending team’s cup, thats 1 point
• If the die lands in the defending teams cup, thats 2 points. 

 

Variation: If the throwing team hits the opponents beer cup, it’s 2 points. If they land the die in the beer cup, it’s 3 points

When You Drink in Beer Dice

 

For a lot of people, the point of the game is not to win but to drink… A LOT… like, multiple beer-steins worth. 

 

Players agree ahead of time how much you drink … sip, quarter cup, etc. Keep the field of play clear by tossing the cans under the table. 

 

So if your goal is to get sloshed, here is every time you get to say: “cheers!”: 

 

A defender chug’s when: 

• The dice lands in their glass. 

 

Defenders both drink when: 

• A point is scored
• Their cup is hit

 

Throwers drink when: 

• If the dice misses the table completely (both drink) 
• If their dice hits the ceiling (if playing in doors)

 

Other drinking opportunities: 

• Players cannot say the number 5 or number 7. Instead of 5 they are to say “bizz” and instead of 7 they are to say “buzz”. If they say either of the numbers, they drink. 
• After chugging their beer, the opponent can roll the beer dice out of the cup onto the table. If it is a 5, then the throwing team’s players both have to chug their beers. 
• When a team scores 3 points, each player chugs a beer. 

Beer Dice Slang

 

“Snappa”: Another name for the beer dice drinking game. 

 

“Tink” : When the die hits the cup and falls off the table. 

 

“Plunk”: when you land your die, via an arc or bounce, in the opponent's beer.

 

“Sink”: another name for plunk.

 

“Fifa”:  when the defending team kicks the die with their feet to provide another attempt to catch it.

https://brobible.com/sports/article/beer-die-crazy-play-fifa-save/

 

“Dead Dice”: When the beer dice it hits the line, or if it hits the table and hits another cup.

 

“Bobbles”: A variant rule where the players can bobble the die in the air with their hands in attempts to catch it. If you are playing this rule, the throwing team is allowed to run and tackle/shove the defenders to prevent them from catching it.

 

“Dradle”: When the dice hits a cup and begins spinning on the table (defender whose cup was hit starts chugging until dice stops spinning).

 

Winning in Beer Dice

 

• First team to 5, 7, 10, or 12 points wins
• You have to win by 2
• You cannot win on a Fifa

Chill Beer Dice Vs Competitive Tournaments

 

The rules of beer dice vary widely from region to region, frat to frat, or even bro to bro.  The game also adjusts based on the mood of the players.

 

Do you wanna go balls to the wall and put on an absolute performance? Then you probably should enter a bracketed tourney that goes all morning. Expect to leave covered in dirt and sweat from diving after the die and thoroughly hammered.

 

But if you just wanna play a casual dice drinking game on a lazy week night… then you’re gonna want to put away that competitive attitude. This is a time just to crack open a cold one and chill with the boys. Find a table, get some chairs, and don’t be upset if the game goes at a slow pace with repeated communal cheers. 

Tips for Champions

 

Beer Dice winners prep and train like all true winners. Here are six tips to ensure you always make the shot/save: 

 

1. Get a Good Partner: Get the best, most seasoned snappa veteran you can find. After all, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. 

 

1. Play on a Soft Surface: A split second of hesitation can be the difference between a catch and a drop. And a lot of people hesitate to throw their body on hard, unforgiving asphalt… grass or dirt is best.

 

1. Focus On Catching: The rules make tossing inherently difficult and luck-based… so focus on catching. Practice to improve your hand-eye coordination: tape one hand behind your back for a day, throw tennis balls against a wall, etc. Remember: offense wins games, defense wins CHAMPIONSHIPS. 

 

1. Stretch/Warm-up: Yes, the fellas may laugh, but warm up; stiff bodies make for sluggish reflexes. You’ll be laughing when you kick their asson the table. 

 

1. Wear Flat Shoes: Any shoes that makes it easier to Fifa. It’s seems niche, but at higher levels it goes from a niche skill to fundamental ability. 

 

1. Drink Water and Eat Bread Before Hand: It’s no secret that alcohol impairs, so if you are competing in a Snappa tourney, your alcohol tolerance is going to determine how far you do. Hydrating and filling your stomach will help you last longer than your opponents across the table. 

Alright boys, that’s as much as you can learn without playing. If you need some dice, check out these beer stein and red solo cup sets, currently at a discount. 

 

Now go out there and win like the absolute unit you are. 

Need more beer dice gear? Check out these offsite listings:

 

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