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Beer Die
Other namesSnappa
PlayersTwo vs. two
Setup time2 minutes
Playing time30 minutes to 2 hours
Skillsaccuracy, hand–eye coordination, reaction time
Materials requiredPlywood table, pint glasses or solo cups, dice
Alcohol usedBeer

Beer die, or snappa is a table-based drinking game in which opposing players sit or stand 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. The game typically consists of two two-player teams with each of the four players having a designated cup on the table, but can also be played one-vs-one.

There are three distinct attributes which define a beer die thrower: offense, defense, and stamina. A good offensive player throws many legal throws and often will put pressure on the defense by throwing near the opponents' cups and edge of the table. A good defensive player consistently catches routine throws, and often will snare "hot tosses". A player with good stamina is able to drink often over a period of many games without their game diminishing. When constructing a beer die team it is advantageous to bring different facets to the table.

Basic rules

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A Solo cup

The Beer Die League website specified the following rules for the game in February 2014, based on a crowdsourced project and research into the history of the game:[1][unreliable source?]

Drinking

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When played as a drinking game, players are required to take drinks when certain events occur, or fail to occur. The Beer Die League website specifies that the following rules are used:[1]

Snappa

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The game played seated, with a cup at each corner of the table

The standing variant of beer die was originally developed from the drinking game Snappa.[citation needed] The variant known as Snappa is played seated, with a chair at each corner of the table.[2] Players must throw the die the proper height and bounce it off the table through the opposing team’s cups. Should the opposing team drop the die, the throwing team gains one point.[citation needed] All scores in Snappa are worth one point. The winners are the first to seven points.[citation needed].

The location of cups may also vary slightly - while beer die often requires cups to be at the very corners of the table, house snappa rules may ask that they be moved in one palm-length from the sides and base. Additionally, pint glasses may be used for their tendency to deflect any ricocheting dice faster and further than red solo cups.

At the University of Dayton, Members of Sigma Alpha Epsilon created a variant called Bop. It involves 3 players on each side of the table. The middleman is called the anchor. It is the same rules as beer die, except when the die is thrown, it must hit the table 1st, and when it bounces off the table, a member on the team awaiting the shot must hit it up with their hand, also known as a bop, to one of their teammates to cancel out the point. If the die falls onto the ground, it is then considered a point. Sinks in cups are worth three points, and hitting the cup and bouncing off is two points.

House rules

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In addition to the base rules of die, there are many house rules used by players all over the country. Many of these rules are localized to specific colleges or universities, and are shared between players from different schools during events such as tailgate parties.

Scoring variants

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Other variants

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Tournament Rules — Beer Die". 16 March 2016. Archived from the original on 2016-03-16.
  2. ^ Applebaum, Ben; DiSorbo, Dan (2012). The Book of Beer Awesomeness: A Champion's Guide to Party Skills, Amazing Beer Activities, and More Than Forty Drinking Games. Chronicle Books. p. 132. ISBN 9781452113197. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
  3. ^ a b Ryan, Brent; MacLeay, Dave (9 May 1996). "Beer Die: The Official Game of Colby College Rules and Regulations". Colby College. Retrieved 25 May 2023.