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PONGDEMIC: A Virtual Beer Pong Experience

June 24th, 2020. It’s currently 5:00pm in Las Vegas, Nevada – Home of The World Series of Beer Pong, an event that has taken place annually since 2006. Right at this very moment is when the first Side Event for The WSOBP XV was originally scheduled to start.

In an alternate universe, those of you who earned the opportunity to be appointed a Captain for The WSOBP 6v6 Draft had just spent your day in the owner’s poolside cabanas drafting your squads alongside some of your best friends from around the world that you don’t get to see very often. There was endless sunshine, bottomless beer buckets and frozen drinks with the little umbrella.

Unfortunately, we didn’t get to have that day together as planned this year and we are not about to call your squad to its tables for your first 6v6 match-up.

While we are still uncertain as to the new dates when we will be able to host The World Series of Beer Pong, we have put together a first-of-its-kind virtual event to help hold everyone over!

BPONG.COM is proud to announce the largest virtual beer pong tournament to date!

The Quarantined: Virtual Beer Pong Championships will pay out $10,000 in prizes!

Tournament Details: 

  • Dates – July 24th – 26th, 2020

  • Prize Pool – $10,000
  • Paid Prize Spots – 48
  • Registration Fee – $150 per player
  • Registration Cap – 100 Players
  • Registration Deadline – July 17th, 2020 8:00pm CST 
  • Rules – Official WSOBP 
  • Rules Link – https://bpong.com/wsobp/official-rules-of-the-world-series-of-beer-pong/
  • Equipment requirements: BPONG table, BPONG (white) cups and racks. (Approved table of same dimensions is ok.)
  • Organizer Incentives – (See Below)

  • Set up and Connection requirements: (See Below) 
  • Minimum Tournament Games – 8 per player
  • Maximum Tournament Games – 16 per player
  • Format: X-Factor (Doubles)

X-Factor Explained: 


X-Factor is a format that not only balances the playing field but also isolates the player who is making the biggest impact on games. Making the biggest impact does not always equate to who is putting the ball in the cup the most. X-Factor rewards the player who finds a way to win regardless of who they are playing with or against!

For this specific tournament, pods of 5 are formed throughout 4-rounds of competition. All players will participate in Round 1 and Round 2. (8 guaranteed games)

In every round, players will play 4 games. Players will rotate teammates and play one game with each player in their pod. Players will play against each player in their pod twice. Game records (W/L/CD) are kept individually. After all games are completed, the player in each pod with the best overall record and cup differential is considered the “X-Factor” and the winner of the pod. 

Structure & Advancement Explained: 

  • Round 1: (Friday, July 24th – 8:00pm PST)

    The first round will consist of 20 pods. 

    Each pod will consist of 5 players.

    Each player will play 4 games.

    Pod assignments will be randomly generated.

    All players will advance to Round (2) and be seeded based on their Round (1) pod standing.

    All players who take 1st Place within their pod will receive $150. (20 Players)
  • Round 2: (Saturday, July 25th – 8:00pm PST)

    The second round will consist of 20 pods.

    Each pod will consist of 5 players.

    Each player will play 4 games.

    Pods will be seeded based on where each player finished in their Round 1 pod.

    All 1st Place finishers will be in four 5-player pods.

    All 2nd Place finishers will be in four 5-player pods.

    All 3rd Place finishers will be in four 5-player pods.

    All 4th Place finishers will be in four 5-player pods.

    All 5th Place finishers will be in four 5-player pods.

    The winners of each pod advance to Round 3. 

    Round (2) pod 1, 2, 3 and 4 winners receive $250. (4 Players.)

    Round (2) pod 5, 6, 7 and 8 winners receive $200. (4 Players.)

    Round (2) pod 1, 2, 3 and 4 second place finishers receive $50. (4 Players.)
  • Round 3: (Sunday, July 26th – 6:00pm PST)

    The third round will consist of 5 pods.

    Each pod will consist of 5 players.

    Each player will play 4 games.

    4 of the 5 pods will be seeded with one winner from each tier of pods.

    Meaning, a winner from each of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th place pods will compose each pod.

    1 of the 5 pods will be a redemption pod. It will consist of all the four second place finishers from the top tier pods. It will also include ONE second place finisher with the best overall record from the second tier of pods.

    Round (3) pod winners advance and receive $350. (5 players)
    Round (3) second place finishers receive $50 upon their elimination. (5 players)

  • Round 4: (Sunday, July 26th – 9:00pm PST)

    The fourth and final round will consist of 1 pod.

    The pod will consist of 5 players

    Each player will play 4 games.

    Pod winner receives $1,250.

    Pod second place finisher receives $500.

    Pod third place finisher receives $350.

    Pod fourth place finisher receives $250.

    Pod fifth place finisher receives $150.

    Best Cumulative Individual Record/CD – $500.

Set up and Connection Requirements:

  • Must have Official BPONG table, (white) BPONG cups and BPONG racks. (A generic table of the same size and dimensions of a BPONG table is ok upon approval.)
  • Entire table and playing area must be visible at all times. (Table, player and the area behind the table showing it’s clear from all people.)
  • No shared connections unless your partner is playing in the same game.
  • Must show all cups being empty prior to starting.
  • Players must pull their own made shots.
  • Players must show made shots prior to removal.
  • Must join our Facebook Group – (Beer) Pong Players of the World 

Scoring:

  • Each pod will enter into a Facebook Messenger group chat with an organizer.
  • After each game is completed, the winners will report the score in the group chat.
  • If there is a score discrepancy it must be addressed at the time the score is submitted to the group chat.
  • Players will individually accumulate a Win/Loss record with a cup differential that will determine their placement within their pod.

Tiebreakers:

  • The player with the higher head-to-head win/loss/cd receives the higher placement. 

Rule Adjustments:

  • Bouncing is worth 1.
  • Stalling distractions are not permitted.
  • All other rules should be interpreted, played and enforced as they would be during a live event.

Organizer Incentives:

  • 5 spots are available to establish organizers who might be interested in becoming more involved in this event!
  • Apply to receive discounts on tournament entry to host qualifiers.
  • Receive a cash bonus if the tournament sells out!
  • Interested organizers should reach out to [email protected] ASAP, as this opportunity will go fast!

Prizes: ($10,000):

  • Round 1: ($3,000 Total)
    • 1st Place Pod 1 – $150
    • 1st Place Pod 2 – $150
    • 1st Place Pod 3 – $150
    • 1st Place Pod 4 – $150
    • 1st Place Pod 5 – $150
    • 1st Place Pod 6 – $150
    • 1st Place Pod 7 – $150
    • 1st Place Pod 8 – $150
    • 1st Place Pod 9 – $150
    • 1st Place Pod 10 – $150
    • 1st Place Pod 11 – $150
    • 1st Place Pod 12 – $150
    • 1st Place Pod 13 – $150
    • 1st Place Pod 14 – $150
    • 1st Place Pod 15 – $150
    • 1st Place Pod 16 – $150
    • 1st Place Pod 17 – $150
    • 1st Place Pod 18 – $150
    • 1st Place Pod 19 – $150
    • 1st Place Pod 20 – $150
  • Round 2: ($2,000 Total)
    • 1st Place Pod 1 – $250
    • 1st Place Pod 2 – $250
    • 1st Place Pod 3 – $250
    • 1st Place Pod 4 – $250
    • 1st Place Pod 5 – $200
    • 1st Place Pod 6 – $200
    • 1st Place Pod 7 – $200
    • 1st Place Pod 8 – $200
    • 2nd Place Pod 1 – $50
    • 2nd Place Pod 2 – $50
    • 2nd Place Pod 3 – $50
    • 2nd Place Pod 4 – $50
  • Round 3: ($2,000 Total)
    • 1st Place Pod 1 – $350
    • 1st Place Pod 2 – $350
    • 1st Place Pod 3 – $350
    • 1st Place Pod 4 – $350
    • 1st Place Pod 5 – $350
    • 2nd Place Pod 1 – $50
    • 2nd Place Pod 2 – $50
    • 2nd Place Pod 3 – $50
    • 2nd Place Pod 4 – $50
    • 2nd Place Pod 5 – $50
  • Round 4: ($2,500 Total)
    • 1st Place Pod 1 – $1,250
    • 2nd Place Pod 1 – $500
    • 3rd Place Pod 1 – $350
    • 4th Place Pod 1 – $250
    • 5th Place Pod 1 – $150

  • Tournament Bonus: ($500)
    • Best Cumulative Individual Record/CD – $500

Tickets will go on sale on June 26th, 2020 at 11:00AM PST in honor of when Day 1 of The World Series of Beer Pong Main Event would have started!

More details about this tournament can be found on its event pages via BPONG.COM and social media.

Any questions about this event or anything relating to BPONG.COM or The World Series of Beer Pong can be directed to [email protected]!

– The BPONG Team

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The World Series of Beer Pong® XIII Recap & Final Standings

The World Series of Beer Pong® XIII

 

The World Series of Beer Pong® XIII stormed through Las Vegas this past July (2018), and will be coming back for more this summer (July 2019). There were more than enough fireworks on the 4th of July, when BPONG.COM® kicked off the tournament festivities by hosting the first-ever WSOBP® Draft Tournament inside Topgolf Las Vegas!

Throughout the following days, 10s of thousands of dollars were awarded through various tournaments beyond just The WSOBP® Main Event, including: Men’s & Women’s Randoms, Men’s & Women’s East vs. West, Men’s & Women’s Singles, as well as, a Co-ed Tournament, International Tournament, House Rules Tournament, and a Main Event Consolation Tournament.

 

Read on to see how each event played out!
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July 4th, 2018 – 6v6 Draft Tournament


Location: Topgolf Las Vegas


6v6 Draft:

Players from around the world gathered at one of the premier sports venues in sin city. Captains were appointed by BPONG.COM® and the top players on the planet selected their squads, LIVE for the very first time in the history of The World Series of Beer Pong®.

An all-star panel of players and organizers hosted a Live Streaming Draft Show from the VIP level at Topgolf. Each selection was analyzed by some of the games brightest. Guests of the show included Captains, Drafted Players and BPONG/WSOBP Management.

The first overall pick came out of Crowley, Louisiana, in way of Seth Beglis, who was selected by Captain Steven Tremblay of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

Captain TJ Rhone, of Bryans Road, Maryland, had the 8th overall pick in the draft and was able to assemble a team that he led to The WSOBP®’s first-ever 6v6 Draft Championship!

TJ’s team consisted of the following players (in drafted order):

1. Jason Mushinski – Westampton, New Jersey
2. Justin Redfield – Laurel, Maryland
3. Kurt Shores – La Plata, Maryland
4. Carlos Avila – Fishers, Indiana
5. Andressa Wainwright – Alexandria, Virginia

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July 5th, 2018 – Men’s & Women’s Randoms,
Men’s & Women’s East vs. West, International Tournament

Location: Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino – Paradise Event Center

 

Randoms:

A Random Tournament consists of all participants not knowing who their partner will be upon entering the tournament. Player names are all thrown into a hat and partners are generated randomly through the luck of the draw.

On the Men’s side Cody Atherton of Lake Charles, Louisiana, and Cory Eggleston of Las Vegas, Nevada, topped Ethan Wald of Pahrump, Nevada, and David Feichter of Innsbruck, Tirol, Austria, for the Men’s Random Tournament Championship.

Jason Hershfield of San Jose, California, and Ross Hampton of St. Louis, Missouri, rounded out the cash spots in the Men’s bracket with a 3rd place finish.

Candi Squartsoff of Port Lions, Alaska, and Meagan Neary of Mesa, Arizona, defeated Sara Schauman of Livonia, Michigan, and Mo Weckner of St. Petersburg, Florida, to finish with an unblemished record and claim the Women’s Random Tournament Championship.

Priscilla Kusmierz of Phoenix, Arizona, and Heather Giardina of Langhorne, Pennsylvania, scooped up the rest of the cash in the Women’s bracket by securing 3rd place.

 

East vs. West:

 

The Men’s and Women’s East vs. West Tournaments place a restriction on partner pairings by limiting players to their choice of teammate based on which side of the Mississippi River they live on. Players may only team up if they live on the same side of the Mississippi River.

 

Greg Johnson of Federal Heights, Colorado, and Kevin Vaughn of Littleton, Colorado, fell just short of an East vs. West Title.  This year, a West Coast team, consisting of David Diaz of Los Angeles, California, and Casey Costa of San Jose, California, took home the win!

 

Team MAVA locked up the third place finish in the Men’s Bracket.

 

In the Women’s East v. West Tournament the tides rolled in favor of the East Coast as Melissa Perkins of Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Breanna Cordova of Aurora, Colorado, caught the short-end of the stick when they were beat in the Championship game of the Women’s East vs. West Tournament by Valerie Lasko of Bound Brook, New Jersey, and Cristal Lara of Hawthorne, New Jersey.

 

Candi Squartsoff of Port Lions, Alaska and Mariah O’Brien of Renton, Washington took home a 3rd place finish.

 

International:

 

With the game of beer pong booming overseas, The WSOBP® has players from all over the world. Over 20 countries participated this year in The WSOBP® XIII Main Event!

 

The International Tournament allows players to participate only if they live outside of the United States.

This year, Nico Bose and Marcel Hasler of Germany were victorious over defending International Tournament Champions Manual Senfter and David Feichter of Austria.

 

Justin Swain and Mike Frank of Canada finished 3rd.
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July 6th, 2018 – Main Event/Day 1 Prelims,
Co-Ed Tournament


Location: Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino – Paradise Event Center

 

Main Event/Day 1 Prelims:

 

The Main Event provides players with a guaranteed 12-prelim games. The preliminary play advances and seeds the teams into the Day 3 Playoff Brackets. The top 160 teams at The WSOBP® advance to the final day of Main Event competition.

On the first day of preliminary play at The WSOBP® XIII, 4 of each teams 12 prelim games are played. The following day, the remaining 8 prelim games are played for each team.

 

Co-Ed:  

 

The Co-Ed Tournament at The WSOBP® is a crowd favorite. Each team must consist of one male and one female player!

 

Candi Squartsoff of Port Lions, Alaska, once again found herself in the money, and this time it was with Justin Spurrier of Henderson, Nevada. The pair was able to knock off another familiar face, David Diaz of San Jose, California, and his partner Charvel Redd-Shepard of Henderson, Nevada.

Cody Atherton of Lake Charles, Louisiana and Heather Mendez of Bernards, New Jersey, took the rest of the cash with their 3rd place finish.

_

 

July 7th, 2018 – Main Event/Day 2 Prelims,
Men’s & Women’s Singles, House Rules Tournament

Location: Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino – Paradise Event Center

 

Main Event/Day 2 Prelims:

 

Day 2 of The World Series of Beer Pong® is when things really start to heat up! Teams feel the pressure of having to win games or potentially run the risk of not making the cut for the Day 3 Playoff Brackets on the final day of competition.

Here’s a look at the Top 16 squads from the preliminary rounds:

Team Name (Record)(Cup Differential)

1. Bringing the heat (12-0)(+61)

  1. Brewtality – Presented by OGP (12-0)(+52)
  2. Blitzkrieg (12-0)(+41)
  3. On To The Next One (12-0)(+32)
  4. Get Hoff My Dick (11-1)(+56)
  5. mASSHOLES (11-1)(+43)
  6. Seamless Integration – Presented by OGP (11-1)(+42)
  7. Sh!t Happens When You Party Naked (11-1)(+39)
  8. Death Around The Corner (11-1)(+37)
  9. Yaaaas Kween! (11-1)(+36)
  10. Can’t Stop Won’t Stop (11-1)(+35)
  11. White Girl Wasted – Presented by OGP (11-1)(+34)
  12. Southern Heat (11-1)(+33)
  13. Sent From Below (11-1)(+31)
  14. Ultra instinct (11-1)(+31)
  15. Hermes Flew Miles to Deliver (11-1)(+24)

Singles:

 

The Men’s and Women’s Singles Tournaments are the crown jewels of achievement among Side Event titles – It’s just you against the world! 1v1. Man vs. Man. Woman vs. Woman. There’s nobody to blame or carry you to victory besides yourself! This is where new players can really make a name for themself.


Donnie Jones of Warren, Michigan, beat Sven Anderson of Cape Coral, Florida, in the finals of the Men’s Singles Tournament to maintain a perfect 7-0 record and secure one of the toughest titles to win.

Jared Knierman of Odessa, Florida finished 3rd.

 

Heather Giardina of Langhorne, Pennsylvania, makes another appearance in the money by claiming her second WSOBP® Women’s Singles Title over another multi-tournament cash out player, Melissa Perkins of Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Rachel Goldsmith of Stafford Township, New Jersey finished 3rd.

 

House Rules:

 

The House Rules Tournament at The WSOBP® is a tournament with common, party-like set of rules. Many new players may or may not find some of these rules a little more familiar towards how they’ve played at home or a friend’s place.

Bobbi and Jeremy Harrison won an all Washington state House Rules Tournament final, taking down Sean Ashe and Brandon Still.

Team “Just Met” finished 3rd.

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July 8th, 2018 – Main Event/Day 3 Finals,
Main Event Consolation Tournament

Location: Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino – Paradise Event Center

 

Main Event Consolation:

 

Didn’t make the cut for the Day 3 Playoffs? No sweat, we’ve got you covered! The Main Event Consolation Tournament is for all the squads that placed below 160th after the first two days of Preliminary Play!


This year, we allowed Free Entry into The Main Event Consolation Tournament and gave away the very first set of WSOBP® XIV Bids for next year’s Main Event.

Jeffrey Griffiths of Kent, Washington, and Shawn Edge of Marysville, Washington, are the first to stamp their ticket into The World Series of Beer Pong® XIV after defeating Victor Cardenas of Phoenix, Arizona, and Maverick Langdon of Renton, Washington.

Anissa Garcia of Robstown, Texas, and Megan Morris of Jacksboro, Texas, finished 3rd.

Main Event/Day 3 Finals:

 

This is it!! The moment you’ve all been waiting for! It’s do or die, win or go home! All the money is on the table. Legacies are at stake and World Champions are to be made! The top 160 teams from the first two days of competition battle it out to see who will become the next World Series of Beer Pong® Champions!

After grinding through bracket play, Brewtality – Presented by OGP (Ross Hampton of St. Louis and David Talamantez of Austin, Texas), with a sparkling 20-0 record, were set to square off against Troop Unchained (Brandon Clarke of Bridgewater, New Jersey, and Matt Kein of Hillsborough, New Jersey).

Ross Hampton and Brandon Clarke both already had one World Series of Beer Pong® Championship Banner in the rafters at Westgate Las Vegas. David Talamantez fell just short of his first WSOBP® World Title at The World Series of Beer Pong® X, when he was defeated on the Final Table. It was Matt Kein’s first appearance on a WSOBP® Final Table.

After special guest and famed sports announcer Bruce Buffer properly introduced all Final Table participants, the games were under way. Troop Unchained came out swinging and took game 1 of a best-of-3 series. An opportunity to finish the job was not wasted. Troop Unchained swept the final series by claiming game 2 and handed Brewtality their first two losses of The World Series of Beer Pong® XIII.

Brandon Clarke becomes just the 3rd person to win multiple WSOBP® Main Event Championships and only the 2nd player to win it with 2 different partners! Matt Kein secured his first WSOBP® Main Event Championship!

A huge congratulations goes out to Brandon Clarke and Matt Kein of Troop Unchained for taking down the most lucrative beer pong tournament on the planet – The World Series of Beer Pong®!

Here’s how the Top 8 shaped up at this year’s WSOBP®:

1. Troop Unchained (19-2)(+56)
2. Brewtality – Presented by OGP (20-1)(+68)
3. Blitzkrieg (20-2)(+66)
4. Bringing The Heat (19-3)(+70)

T-5. Can’t Stop Won’t Stop (18-3)(+50)
T-5. Tie The Dicks (17- 4)(+49)

T-7. mASSHOLES (17-3)(+48)
T-7. TNT (Tipsy Not Trashed) – Presented by OGP (16-5)(+45)


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If you’d like to participate in next year’s World Series of Beer Pong® XIV Main Event, July 3-7th, 2019, please visit (BPONG.COM/WSOBP) to register now!

Pro Tip: Take advantage of our Early Bird pricing and save BIG.

If you’ve got serious game, make sure you hit up one (or a bunch) of the hundreds of Satellite Tournaments that will take place around the world this season for your shot at winning a qualified entry into The WSOBP® XIV Main Event! Check out our events listing page to find a tournament near you! (bpong.com/tournaments-and-events)

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Bruce Buffer Set to Return to Las Vegas to Crown The World Series of Beer Pong XIII Champions

Bruce Buffer Roars at The World Series of Beer Pong IV

Famed sports announcer and entertainer, Bruce Buffer, will be making his return to the sport of beer pong to crown the next World Series of Beer Pong Champions!  Buffer will be returning to announce the teams of the Championship Match on the Final Table at the 13th Annual Tournament, which boasts the largest payouts in beer pong history with total prizes expected to approach, if not exceed, $100,000 for the Main Event and various side events.  Buffer previously resided over the the beer pong mega event in 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012.

 

“We are honored to welcome Bruce back to beer pong’s biggest stage,” said Billy Gaines, Founder & CEO of BPONG.COM and The World Series of Beer Pong. “It’s a competition unlike any other in the world and deserves an announcer that can do it justice. Thousands of competitors from different walks of life, ranging from doctors to teachers to college students, will come together for four days of thrilling competition and Bruce’s distinctive voice sets the stage for the final match up like no other.”

 

Thousands of beer pong enthusiasts from across the globe will flock to the 13th Annual World Series of Beer Pong tournament in Las Vegas this summer. Held for the third time at the renowned Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino, The World Series of Beer Pong will take place Thursday, July 5, 2018 through Sunday, July 8, 2018.

 

Tournament play at the 13th Annual World Series of Beer Pong follows the official WSOBP rules, but in short, the game is one of skillful hand-eye coordination. During play, two-person teams stand at opposite ends of an eight-foot-long table, where ten 16-ounce cups, filled with water, are placed in bowling pin formation. Each team takes turns tossing beer pong balls (similar to table tennis balls) at their opponent’s cup formation. If the ball goes in a cup, that cup is removed from the game. The first team to eliminate all of its opponent’s cups wins.

 

Players interested in participating in the 13th Annual World Series of Beer Pong can register now at BPONG.COM/WSOBP. Open registration is currently available at an Early Bird price of just $285 per person until May 15th, 2018. (Full Retail Price is $295/person.) Registration includes a minimum of 12 games of play in the tournament. All participants and spectators must be 21 years or older with a valid ID. For more information, please visit BPONG.COM/WSOBP or www.WestgateLasVegas.com.  

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The World Series of Beer Pong® XIII Side Event Schedule

Last year we served the players at The World Series of Beer Pong® their largest helping of side events ever, and this year we plan on filling you up even more! Having exceeded over $20,000 in Side Event prizes at WSOBP® XII, The World Series of Beer Pong® XIII Side Event prizes will look to top $40,000!

With the emergence of The Best Of the MidWest 6v6 Draft Tournament quickly becoming a favorite amongst players, we’ve decided to shuffle the deck a bit and implement the first ever World Series of Beer Pong® 6v6 Draft Tournament to the line-up for WSOBP® XIII.

The WSOBP® Draft Tournament registration will both open and close a bit earlier than the rest of the 2018 side events in order to establish captains. The captains will be appointed by BPONG.COM™ and selected based on the skill levels of each registered player. Recent major tournament placements will be considered, as well as bid wins and overall career achievements.

A Live Draft party will be held poolside and streamed so you can follow all the picks as they happen! If you are interested in participating in The World Series of Beer Pong® 6v6 Draft Tournament, make plans to be in Las Vegas by July 4th, 2018! And to help you out, our hotel discounts at Westgate will have you covered on dates both leading up to and following the Main Event.

Beyond the exciting new addition of the 6v6 Draft Tournament, players will also find some of the new events we implemented last year that compliment the classic events that have been around for years! Head over to BPONG.COM/WSOBP for more information on the side events for The World Series of Beer Pong® XIII.

Make sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat for more on all things related to The World Series of Beer Pong®!!

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The biggest rule revisions in the history of The World Series of Beer Pong® are here!

A Brief History

When we first launched BPONG.COM™ in 2001, we never wanted to define the game of beer pong. Our goal was, and remains, to unite all beer pong players of the world by creating a platform through which the fans and players of the game could associate and help grow the game. As such, we never listed any official rules on our website.

Of course, when we created The World Series of Beer Pong five years later, with bigtime money at stake, we were forced to create official rules governing tournament play. We did seriously entertain the idea of creating several different diverse sets of rules and randomly selecting a different rule set governing every new round of games at The WSOBP®, but we realized that was not the best approach.

We literally spent over 100 hours trying to come up with the perfect set of rules not for all games of beer pong but for our specific tournament. These rules were not influenced by how we personally played the game. Instead, they were influenced by factors such as trying to run an efficient tournament, ensuring the people that traveled from all over the world would actually get a chance to play, and minimizing disputes.

By no means were the rules perfect; perfection will likely never exist. Nonetheless, the Official Rules of The World Series of Beer Pong have become the primary set of beer pong rules governing play for the largest and most serious beer pong tournaments in the world.

Why Make Changes?

As the prize payouts have grown over the years and the level of competition has increased, beer pong teams and players have exploited the official beer pong rules to the max, finding new ways to gain perceived advantages we never contemplated in a rule set that we felt was fairly black and white.

It is now time for some changes, changes that are long past due.

But let’s be clear: these changes are not inspired by any specific beer pong teams or players. Many of these changes were contemplated and almost made over 5 years ago, e.g., after WSOBP V or VI.

What’s changed?

Below is a summary of the more notable official beer pong rule changes, but of course, you should also review the revised Official Beer Pong Tournament Rules for The World Series of Beer Pong.

Leaning (Major Change)

Background on Leaning

The first major change is probably the most significant since it will have the greatest impact on how players will shoot the ball: changes will limit the amount of leaning in the game.

But first, let’s look back at why we even allow leaning at The WSOBP. When we announced the first WSOBP would take place in January of 2006, rules were much different. It was 2005, and leaning was just as common in the game as an elbow rule was at house parties - it just depended on which house party you were at and which rules the house was using on a given night.

The general public primarily played the game in one of two ways: (1) leaning is allowed; or (2) some type of no lean rule, such as an elbow rule, fingertip rule, or wrist rule. If all things were equal, we could have flipped a coin, but all things are not equal between the two options. Namely, option 2 (no-lean) opens up the possibility of more disputes over crossing a somewhat imaginary plane (i.e., the end of the table), while option 1 (leaning) removed this potential dispute.

And remember, there is a huge difference between playing beer pong amongst a group of your friends at your own house compared to playing against hundreds of people you do not know for tens of thousands of dollars. Disputes will happen with any set of rules, but we wanted to attempt to minimize these potential disputes as much as possible.

Why Change Now?

Original WSOBP rules required shooters to shoot with both feet on the ground. We removed this restriction when a player approached us at WSOBP IV or V and demonstrated how his partner shot on one foot. The shooter was perfectly vertical and was not on one foot to gain an advantage; he just felt balancing on one foot helped him focus on lining up his shot.

We never envisioned how skilled players would become at balancing on one foot to gain an exaggerated lean! It never crossed our minds they would even try! Yet some of the players have become so good at this technique, they’d rival a hot yoga girl (or guy) holding a Warrior 3 pose. While we admire this skill beer pong players have acquired, it looks ridiculous, especially as we are trying to grow the game by appealing to the masses, many of which do not generally allow leaning in any form these days.

We will consider holding a yoga contest if we receive enough interest from beer pong players wanting to continue perfecting their yoga skills.

The Changes

The key changes related to leaning include the following:

  1. Players must start their shots with both feet on the ground. Players may lift a foot only as part of a continuous motion once the player has started a forward-throwing motion of his/her shot.
  2. Players may not touch the table at all after a shot is released. This change will not only eliminate players “falling onto the tables,” they may not touch the table at all to regain balance.
  3. Players may not substantially move a table from its original position when shooting (or after a shot as part of a follow-through motion).

Read the full rules related to Leaning / the “Elbow Rule.”

Rollbacks (Major Change)

Background on Rollbacks

At WSOBP I, we allowed no rollbacks! It sucked! The theory was we knew teams would be coming from all over the place, and we wanted to ensure players actually got a chance to play the game. With the more common “endless rollbacks,” we feared a team could run the table without even giving a team a chance to shoot. We did not feel it was fair for a player to lose having barely shot when players paid good money and traveled from afar.

But rollbacks are fun. When rollbacks are in play, the second shooter always feels “that extra feeling” after the first shooter already hit a cup.

The solution was the “Pope’s Rule,” named after Dustin Pope, who suggested the 1-ball-rollback compromise.

When the playing field was more level in earlier years, players on a team more frequently shared the rollback shot. In more recent times, however, it is more and more common for only one player on a team to take all the rollback shots.

Why Change Now?

We always viewed beer pong as a team sport, and as such, we want all players on a team to contribute to that team’s success or failures.

The Changes

This change is short enough, it’s easy enough to just copy the full addition: “Either teammate may take the rollback shot. Neither teammate may take more than 2 consecutive rollback shots. Once two consecutive rollback shots have been taken by one player (makes or misses) the next rollback shot must be taken by the other partner.”

Read the full text of The Pope’s Rule.

Bouncing (Major Change)

Background

The WSOBP has always allowed bounce shots but only counted them as the 1 cup they hit. Defensive players have not been permitted to swat bounce shots.

In contrast, the general population more often plays by allowing bounce shots to count as 2 cups, but defensive players are permitted to swat the shot. This adds an extra element of strategy to the game, e.g., defensive players must always pay attention, and offensive players can try to catch the defense off guard by taking a risk with a bounce shot.

The WSOBP allowed bounce shots without swatting for 2 reasons:

  1. Respect for the Past. We were inspired by our early years at a house party at the “soccer house” at which “some old guys” (i.e., alumni) shot every single shot by bouncing and insisted we not swat. We of course relentlessly made fun of them, but they insisted, “This is how we played 10+ years ago, so we want to play how we used to play.” Who were we to tell them they were wrong, especially when they played a decade or more before us? Allowing bounce shots paid respect to those old guys, whom of course we never saw after that one night.
  2. Balls Everywhere! We were concerned swatting balls would send balls everywhere and interfere with neighboring games at a large scale tournament.

Why Change Now?

Why not? Adding an extra layer of strategy should be fun. Furthermore, having run more than a few WSOBP events (and others), we’re less concerned about the “balls everywhere” problem.

And as for “paying respect to the past,” we did include an exception that allows a player to bounce without swatting by declaring at the beginning of the game s/he will bounce every shot.

The Changes

Bounce shots now generally count as 2 cups, and defensive players can swat bounce shots.

Read the full rules related to Bouncing Shots.

Distractions (Minor Change)

Background

Distractions are fun, but they need to have some limits. Players should be able to fairly shoot the ball.

Why Change Now?

Common sense is not always so common, and again, players continue to push boundaries (and go past them).

The Changes

The rules relating to distractions have simply been clarified.

For example, some have questioned whether props are permitted. Of course they are! Props are fun! One of our favorite distractions of all time came from WSOBP I and involved props, namely a hotdog and hotdog bun, with which the player used a hotdog bun to, uh . . . pleasure a hotdog.

So now it’s clear: props are permitted, although don’t be stupid, respect all rules/laws, and organizers and venues have final say on what may or may not be permitted.

Read the full text related to Distractions.

Time Limit On Shooting (Minor Change)

Background

Running beer pong tournaments requires balancing many factors - time, space, fair competition, staffing, and more. Running The WSOBP requires even more resources, costing hundreds of dollars per hour.

At the same time, shooting should be simple. Obtain a beer pong ball, line up your shot, attempt to shoot the ball into a cup.

Somehow, players began making this simple process a complex one that would often take minutes. This was great for all the staff getting paid overtime to keep the event running; this was not great for other players’ enjoyment of the game or our budgets.

The game has stationary cups that are located in the same place every single time you play. You have no physical obstacles to get through before having a clean look at whatever cup you are shooting at. Players should not be taking minutes to shoot a single shot.

At WSOBP VIII, we instituted the concept of a shot clock, giving players 30 seconds each to shoot each shot.

Why Change Now?

We aren’t changing much, but upon further consideration, 30 seconds is still a ridiculous amount of time for a shot, and furthermore, because of how the shot clocks operated, we usually implemented the shot clock by giving a team a total of 60 seconds to shoot both shots.

Players also sometimes argued that our rules stated a referee, in his/her sole discretion, could implement a shot clock, and it was therefore unfair for a referee to implement a shot clock, in his/her sole discretion, after the opposing team complained to the ref that a player was taking too long to shoot. Stupid? Yes. But we’ll hopefully help fix that.

The Changes

The revised rules clarify that a time limit on shooting may go into play if all players agree, if a referee imposes a time limit on shooting, or if a referee imposes a time limit on shooting after a request from a player.

The revised rules clarify that a time limit on shooting may go into play if all players agree, if a referee imposes a time limit on shooting, or if a referee imposes a time limit on shooting after a request from a player.

We also revised the time limit. If a time limit on shooting is imposed, each team will have 45 seconds to shoot both shots. The team will have 15 seconds to shoot any rollback shots.

Read the full rules relating to Time Limit on Shooting.

Summary

While our goal was never to define the official rules of the game, the competitive beer pong community and associated events we’ve built requires us to do so. As the game evolves and rules get interpreted in new ways, the rules need to be reviewed and updated on a more regular basis. They have not been updated in years, until now.

These updated beer pong rules may still be tweaked over the coming months for clarity, but we expect no additional major changes until after WSOBP XIII.

Whether you choose to utilize our official beer pong tournament rules as your personal “house rules” or not, we encourage you to get out and play! Who knows - you could be the next World Series of Beer Pong Champion!

Oh, and one last little thing - don't be surprised to see an official code of conduct, including penalties, creating itself sometime before WSOBP XIII.

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WSOBP XI Final Standings

After 3 days of intense competition, between ~600 beer pong players from across the globe, one team reigned supreme.  Congratulations to 3-time World Beer Pong champion, Michael Popielarski, and his rookie partner, Brandon Clarke, of team “History in the Making.”  Nicely done, gentlemen!

To all the competitors, Westgate staff, BPONG staff, and vendors/sponsors at this year’s World Series of Beer Pong XI, thank you for making this another great event.

Continue reading WSOBP XI Final Standings

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Take your beer pong game to the next level!

Pro Interview

Many still think “binge drinking party game” when they hear “beer pong.” However, over the past decade we’ve developed an extension to that root, establishing a much greater value to the game. The World Series of Beer Pong has paid out over $500,000 in prizes through its Main Event. The WSOBP side events and affiliated organization’s competitive beer pong tournaments add a significant chunk of change on top of that $500K to total a substantial sum of cash that has been awarded to “professional” beer pong players all around the world.
Continue reading Take your beer pong game to the next level!

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A World Series of Beer Pong Satellite Tournament Weekend Recap

This past weekend showed the prowess of The World Series of Beer Pong™, as more than 20 players qualified themselves for The WSOBP™ Main Event by securing a tournament victory at one of the five World Series of Beer Pong™ Satellite™ Tournaments that took place around the country!

Northwest Beer Pong:

We’ll start our recap tour in Kirkland, Washington, at Rose Hill Hideout where Northwest Beer Pong was slated to qualify a team for The World Series of Beer Pong™ XI! Participants were randomly matched against opponents for 6 preliminary games that would be used to seed teams into a double-elimination playoff bracket.

Former World Series of Beer Pong Champion, Matt White, teamed up with Brad “Moose” Mosdell and paid tribute to Chris Cash, a close friend of Matt’s that had recently passed away, by playing under the team name: “Cash Money’s Final Hand.” It’s to no surprise that a World Champion’s tournament dedication to a fallen friend would end in victory. White and Mosdell pulled through to claim the 1st place prize of qualified entry into The World Series of Beer Pong™ XI, complete with 4-night accommodations at Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino. Thomas Hoistad and Chris Sherwood were beat out on the final table, after fighting their way through nearly 20 teams, but didn’t exactly go home empty handed. Chris and Thomas pocketed a quick $200 for their efforts.

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SoCal’s BidFEST:

Next, we head a bit south and pick up on a ton of action at Johnny V’s in sunny San Diego. Ocean Grown Pong filled up the entire weekend with tournaments and handed out 14 individual bids (bid = qualified entry into The WSOBP™ & Hotel accommodations) via 8 different World Series of Beer Pong™ XI Satellite Tournaments! That’s over $5000 worth of prizes that OGP gave out at The 2nd Annual SoCal WSOBP™ BidFEST!

Friday’s event consisted of a Men’s and Women’s Singles (1v1) tournament, as well as, a 2v2 double-elimination tournament. Former World Series of Beer Pong™ Women’s Singles Champion, Brandi Wrathall of Nevada, took down the ladies tournament, while Nicholas Bland of California cashed in on the Men’s side of the singles tournaments. Former World Series of Beer Pong™ Champion, Byron Findley of California, teamed up with fellow Californian, Zakary Corsi, and claimed the last seat in the winner’s circle on Friday night via a victory in the 2v2 tournament.

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Saturday’s schedule had 3 different tournaments on tap that all varied in format. The first was a multi-partner tournament, meaning each player participated with a different partner in two separate brackets with the winners of each bracket meeting in a best 2-out-of-3 final series. Ryan Smith and Scott Muller, both of California, came out on top of the multi-partner tournament. The 2nd of the trio of Saturday tournaments was a Co-ed tournament. Each team had to consist of 1 male and 1 female player. Ryan Smith collected his 2nd victory of the evening, as Charlie De Hoop, also of California, stamped her ticket into The WSOBP™ Main Event. Finishing off a day full of pong was a change of pace for most, as “House Rules” were implemented into a competitive tournament. David Diaz and Justin Herman, both of California, claimed the bid, elbows and all!

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Sunday kicked-off the final day of BidFEST with another multi-partner tournament and finished with a tourney where an element of surprise was thrown into the mix as players were NOT allowed to pick their own partner! Each team was paired by randomly drawing names from the participant pool to complete teams. David Diaz finished the weekend and collected multiple wins, as he and Ethan Wald finished atop the field in the multi-partner tournament. Ethan Wald also walked away with multiple wins on the weekend as he doubled-up on Sunday and won the Random Tournament alongside Mark Pimentel.

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Texas Beer Pong Tour:

Continuing to the south on our recap tour, we pull into Old School Bar and Grill in Austin, Texas, where The Texas Beer Pong Tour awarded multiple players with WSOBP™ bids and cold hard cash!

3v3 was the name of the game in Texas! During 3v3 play, each team has 3 players per side and sets up an extra 5 cups. (15 cups in total.) 3 balls are shot per-side! Roland Ortiz, Adrian Damasco, and Mando Roman filled out the roster that took home the WSOBP™ XI Bids.

Texas also got a little tricky and mixed in a Random draw tournament of their own, which rewarded Robert Williamson with his qualified entry into The WSOBP™ Main Event. His partner Rob Dix cashed in on a $300 cash prize for his share of the random draw prize, as his ticket to the big show in Vegas was written long ago. Dix also picked up an additional win with his partner James Alanis while playing for qualified entry into The Spring Classic!

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Chicago’s HOME Satellite:

Just a “few” miles to the northeast, The Chicago House of Music & Entertainment was rocking with nearly 100 players from 11 different states, who partook in a Quad-Bracket World Series of Beer Pong™ XI Satellite Tournament.

Each player was allowed 1 entry into 4 individual single elimination brackets. Each player had to play with a different partner in each of those 4 brackets. The winners of each individual bracket met in a best 2-out-of-3 semi-finals series. The winners of the semi-finals squared off in a best 2-out-of-3 final series.

Brendan Dyelle of Rochester, Michigan, picked a couple of doozy partners from St. Louis and came roaring out of 2 different brackets, placing him in both semi-final series. The first semi-finals saw Dyelle and former World Series of Beer Pong™ Champion, Ross Hampton, take down Scott Frew and Andy DeCaluwe of Illinois to advance to the finals.

Dyelle prevailed again in the second semi-final bracket with Brent Saale beating out Johnny Fourdyce of Illinois and his partner Michael “Sunshine” Kloiber of Kentucky, to advance both of his teams to the final series. Wait what? (This means, Brendan Dyelle had already won the entire tournament without even having to play in the final series.) Dyelle kicked back and watched his two partners play 1v1 to decide who’d share his first place prize with him and who’d take a share of 2nd. Ross Hampton trumped Brent Saale 2-0 in the final series to claim his share of 1st place.

Dyelle took home a bid to The WSOBP™ and $375 cash. Hampton banked his 2nd bid of the season and $250 in cash. Saale walked away with $125 for his efforts.

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Michigan Satellite:

Last but not least, we make one more stop and travel even further north to Bay Lanes Bowling and Banquet Center in Bay City, Michigan, where Boozin’ Bob decided 3 days before the big weekend that he wanted to be apart of all the fun!

It’s risky business putting so much up for grabs with such little time for players to secure partners and make plans to play but Boozin’ Bob made it happen! He saw an opportunity with some of the best players in the state making the trip down to Chicago to open up the field for non-bid winners to finally scratch their names into the reservation book at The WSOBP™ for the first time, and he capitalized on that opportunity.

The format varied from all the others over the weekend. It was a double-bracket tournament; however, players were only allowed to pick their partners for one of them. The other side of the bracket was random draw. Brandon Juracek, better known as “Homeless” and his partner Clarence Johnson chalked up the Satellite Tournament win.

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Being Johnson’s first bid win, he provided us with a quote where he unknowingly described a feeling he’ll now get around the same time every year, for the rest of his life…

“I’m hyped about Vegas! Not even gonna lie!”

Me too, Clarence. Me too.

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On behalf of BPONG™ and The World Series of Beer Pong™, we’d like to thank all the organizers who put so much time and effort into making these awesome tournaments happen! We’d also like to thank all the players who came out to play this past weekend!

If you’d like more information about The World Series of Beer Pong™, how YOU could potentially run a Satellite™ Tournament or anything BPONG™ related, please feel free to reach out to [email protected].

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The Top Ten Reasons The World Series of Beer Pong XI is Your Can’t-Miss Event This Year

 

Ah, beer pong. The ubiquitous party game turned competitive sport. Complete with big-time payouts to its biggest stars! (Like $50,000 big!) Just like poker, baseball, or any other American institution, it has its own national event, The World Series of Beer Pong (The WSOBP).  Whether you’ve seen it on The Jay Leno Show, ESPN or read about it in Maxim, The WSOBP is getting bigger, badder, and more exciting each year. This year, The World Series of Beer Pong has ditched the New Year’s party for some fun in the sun and will be held in the summer (July 6th-10th, 2016) for the first time ever!  With July fast approaching, we’re counting down the top ten reasons to head to Vegas this July and get your balls wet at this can’t miss event!

Top-10-Reasons-to-Go-to-The-WSOBP-10-Vegas 10. Vegas

Sin City needs no introduction.  With its limitless menu of strippers, call girls, all-night clubs, celebrity sightings, and general lack of standards; Vegas is not just a city, it’s an alternate reality in which the laws of the everyday world seemingly do not apply.  It’s the reason why it’s completely plausible that “The Hangover” was based on a true story. It couldn’t be truer that you’ve never really partied until you’ve partied in Vegas – and things really heat up in the Summer time. What better way to party in Vegas than to party in Vegas at The World Series of Beer Pong!

Top-10-Reasons-To-Go-WSOBP XI-9 Costumes 9. The Costumes

From barely-dressed women and cross-dressing men to bearded banditos and full-body-spandex, in ten years The WSOBP has seen its share of costumes (as well as improvisation and performance art).  Nothing says, “miss this shot” quite like something obscene lingering in your field of vision, and in the game of beer pong, this fact is well known, and indeed celebrated.  Each year, the bar is raised (lowered?), and the legend continues.

Top-10-Reasons-To-Attend-WSOBP XI-8 The Sponsors 8. The Sponsors

Nothing says “take out your wallet” quite like a scantily-clad, cup-hungry damsel and the businesses that sponsor The WSOBP are well aware of that fact.  Suit ‘em up & send ‘em out!  Or don’t suit em up, whatever works.  Each year, the sponsor babes crank it up a notch and give us some eye candy we’ll never forget.  We love you, ladies. Don’t dismiss all the other awesome sponsors that don’t involve boobs and always make sure to take care of all the players! From free hangover pills and party supplies to innovative new games and products that just hit the market, The World Series of Beer Pong has it all!

Top-10-Reasons-To-Attend-WSOBP XI- 7 Side Events7. The Side Events

Even if you get eliminated from the Main Event, it doesn’t mean you have to pack your bags and go home. You can play in one of the many side events taking place alongside the Main Event and you’ll be right back in the game. Don’t have the cash to pony up for Main Event entry? No worries, there will be thousands in prize money up for grabs, and the damage to your wallet for registration is miniscule. Rumor has it that the Singles tournament is upping the stakes this year…

Top-10-Reasons-To-Attend-WSOBP XI- 6 The Playing Field6. The Playing Field (A REAL World Series of Beer Pong!)

Ever seen Beerfest?  Yeah, it’s kinda like that.  Oh, except it’s in real life, so unless you fly intercontinental on a regular basis, you’re probably never going to play a Japanese team, an Irish team, or an Austrian team. However, at The WSOBP it’s par for the course. The World Series of Beer Pong is VERY LITERALLY A REAL WORLD SERIES! With tournaments like the European, Swiss, Australian and various other “Series of Beer Pong” tournaments sprouting up around the globe (that all have a Grand Prize of qualified entry into The WSOBP Main Event), there’s no telling where your next opponents may hail from, but there’s no doubt that the competition will be tough!

Even better than the number of people you’ll meet from places you might not have even known existed, is the friendships & relationships that are formed and last a lifetime! There’s no better feeling than spinning a globe and having a high likelihood that you’ll have a friend that is more than willing to let you crash on their couch, no matter where your finger lands. As the years pass, you’ll find yourself giddy for The WSOBP just to see all your friends from distant places! Some of our veteran players may argue that this could easily be number 1 on this list!

Top-10-Reasons-To-Attend-WSOBP XI-5 The Pros 5. The Pros

Like the best of the best in any sport, many of beer pong’s greats need no introduction and are known by only one moniker – Ron, Pop, Kessler, Marx…

A wise man once said truth is stranger than fiction, and this has never been truer than in the world of professional beer pong.  Case in point: Ron Hamilton.  A combination of Barry Bonds, Dennis Rodman, and a charging rhinoceros all rolled into one, Ron’s nerve-rattling antics, insane hair, and legendary appetite for Cinnamon Life cereal are second only to his unquenchable thirst for cups and unsettling tendency to spam every last person on his Facebook friend list (we’re serious—don’t friend him).  But with Smashing Time having unprecedented back-to-back WSOBP victories, he and his partner Mike Popielarski stand-alone in the world of beer pong.

However, the line of true characters you’ll see at The World Series of Beer Pong from the planets most accomplished pongers is not one lacking in numbers. Unlike all other professional sports; player trash talking and personalities are not only celebrated within our sport but are strategic components of the game’s top players to secure victories over other elite opponents. If you watch and listen closely, you’ll develop an appreciation for each stars unique craft.

Top-10-Reasons-To-Attend-WSOBP XI-4 The Experience4. The Experience

An estimated five hundred teams will be at The WSOBP this year.  We’ll say that again: 500 TEAMS!  They will come from almost every US State, and many will fly in from other continents.  You may be the best at your local bar or fraternity, but until you’ve been to Vegas, you’re just playing in the sandlot.  The WSOBP is the only place to come see where you really stand in the land of competitive beer pong. The way you look at the game will never be the same!

Top-10-Reasons-To-Attend-WSOBP XI- 3 Money 3. The Money

There’s not much to sell here. We pay you money to be good at beer pong. Not just a couple bucks either. The 1st place prize at The World Series of Beer Pong Main Event is $50,000!! We’ve paid out over $500,000 to our Main Event players, even more if you count our side events and millions if you count all our affiliate & satellite tournaments throughout the years! So next time someone gives you grief for playing and asks you where beer pong is going to get you in life, make sure you check them hard on the spot!

Top-10-Reasons-To-Attend-WSOBP XI-2 The Environment2. The Environment

Let’s face it, you likely won’t get a chance to hit a home run at Wrigley Field or make a game winning basket at Madison Square Garden, but you stand a good chance of sinking a clutch shot at The World Series of Beer Pong! Feeling the adrenaline rush of a professional athlete during performance is so much greater than any buzz a beer could possibly give you. It’s impossible to ignore the endorphins rushing through your veins from the second you step foot in the ballroom. You feel the bass from the music flutter your heartbeat. You hear the chatter of a huge crowd. You see thousands of people and hundreds of tables set up. There is anxiousness, tension and excitement lingering in the air. YOU are in the SAME FIELD as the BEST players in the WORLD and the fact of the matter is that everyone starts square. Even. 0-0. Equal opportunity. YOU are just 12 prelim games away from being considered one of those players. YOU are 3 days away from walking away with $50,000 and a legitimate World Championship to call your own!

Top-10-Reasons-to-Go-to-The-WSOBP-1-The-Infamy1. Potential Immortality

“If you win The World Series of Beer Pong, they can never take that away from you.”

We’re not sure exactly what shadowy, underground cabal The Iceman was referring to when he spoke of “they,” but you get the idea. After three full days of game play and 499+ defeated teams, there can be only one champion. These men’s names and stories will be written on the walls of history that will eventually become tailed legends. Through skill, perseverance, and dedication, the team that is destined to take it all will forever be immortalized as a true World Champion. Will you be the next to make history??

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WSOBP X Final (Day 3) Brackets

For those following along with all The WSOBP X action or just wondering where the upsets occurred, check out the links below to all the completed brackets from the exciting Day 3 finals.

 

WSOBP X Pod 1
WSOBP X Pod 2
WSOBP X Pod 3
WSOBP X Pod 4
WSOBP X Pod 5
WSOBP X Pod 6
WSOBP X Pod 7
WSOBP X Pod 8
WSOBP X Pod 9
WSOBP X Pod 10
WSOBP X Pod 11
WSOBP X Pod 12
WSOBP X Pod 13
WSOBP X Pod 14
WSOBP X Pod 15
WSOBP X Pod 16

WSOBP X Semifinals 1
WSOBP X Semifinals 2
WSOBP X Finals
 

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Why No Late Registrations for The WSOBP X?

We wanted to post definitive answers to a few questions that we kept getting.

1. We heard there are No Late Registrations this year, but there always have been in the past. Can we just register late.

The short answer is no there will not be late registrations, unless you want to pay a lot more in a few weeks.

This year, we are working with a new casino/hotel, and while the new location has many advantages for the players and our event experience, the dates of this event are unique in that they fall on the weekend after New Years Eve.

We therefore do not expect the Riviera to be able to extend our deadline, but on the off chance that they do, the prices will be going WAY UP.

>>> Solution : Click Here To Register Now. Only 6 Days Left to Sign Up! <<<

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2. What’s the Deal with Hotels on this $299 Package?

We were able to get this $299 option approved without hotel, which we can likely extend. However, the floor plans are due to the fire marshal on Dec. 12, so we will only be able to accommodate additional registrations if the floor plan we submit allows us to do so.

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Shit Gets Real: Anticipation Grows for World Series of Beer Pong X

The month before The WSOBP is one the most exciting times for any kind of beer pong player.  For the casual player, the idea of going to Las Vegas for a week of drinking, debauchery, gambling and a little bit of beer pong is exciting enough.  For the serious player, The WSOBP is the culmination of something much more…

In just about a month and a half, hundreds of beer pong players will travel to the Riviera Hotel & Casino in Sin City for The World Series of Beer Pong X, a chance for the $50,000 Grand Prize and ultimate bragging rights.

We are approaching one of the most exciting times for any kind of beer pong player – the month before The WSOBP.  For the casual player, the idea of going to Las Vegas for a week of drinking, debauchery, gambling, and a little bit of beer pong is exciting enough.  For the serious player, The WSOBP is the culmination of something much more.

Starting with that first beer pong tournament we play in late winter or early spring, most of us have our eyes on the $50,000 WSOBP prize.  You start to put feelers out for serious partners and look for the players that will help carry you deep into the tournament.  You start the difficult task of finding and winning a Satellite event to pay for your trip, or if you are one of the top players, amassing a collection of bids to sell to your friends and anyone looking for a discount.  Partnerships are formed and friendships are strained, all for the chance to be the ones holding that novelty check at the end of the day on January 4th.

But things change in the final month leading up to The WSOBP.  Shit gets real.  When that deadline approaches, it becomes time to put up or shut up.  You find out if that dude who has been swearing for months that he will play with you really will, or if you need to scramble at the last minute to find a capable partner.  You put in that vacation time at the last second with your boss and hold your breath that it gets approved.  You start looking for the cheapest flights possible, even if you need to switch planes four times to get to Las Vegas (unless of course you win the entire trip)

One of the best parts of signing up for The WSOBP is simply signing up.  You’re actually going to The World Series of Beer Pong!  You can breathe a sigh of relief and just worry about the holidays and getting ready for Vegas.  You start sending Facebook messages to the guys you haven’t kept in touch with often to find out if they are going, when they are going, and who they are playing with.  Beer pong players are giddy like school girls the month before The WSOBP.  For a lot of us, it’s the only time of the year we can get away with practicing beer pong every night of the week without getting in trouble or landing in the doghouse.

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The greatest thing about the month before The WSOBP is that, for right now, it’s anyone’s game.  Have you ever noticed that almost everyone thinks they are the greatest beer pong player in the world?  Sure, there’s trash talk and altercations in other sports, but I think we see so much of it in beer pong because most players genuinely think they are the best.  We’ll throw down $100 for a cash game without thinking about it because we don’t expect to lose.  We’ll qualify our losses by making excuses or blaming our partners.

We think we’re either the best or capable of being the best.  And unless you’re heading out to The WSOBP just to dress as a woman, wear a costume or just black out, you think you are going to win.  Have you ever seen someone post a Facebook status on January 1st that said, “Heading to Las Vegas to not win $50,000 playing beer pong”?

The month of excitement ends on January 1st.  You’re there.  You’re checked in and you have the list of teams you play.  You start sizing up your competition and asking anyone and everyone for scouting reports on them.  And when you get herded into the ballroom like cattle and they call those first games over the speakers, you know it’s time to work.  The butterflies in your stomach go away, the beer tastes delicious, and all is right with the world.

Of those hundreds of players heading out to The WSOBP X, only two will be able to win that final game of the tournament and hold up that big ass check.  The rest of us get to sulk on our flights home, swear off playing beer pong for good, and suffer through the almost guaranteed chance of being sick with the “Pong Flu.”

But for right now, there’s excitement in the air. It’s anyone’s game.

 

 

 

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Best Distraction Techniques in Beer Pong

Best Distraction Tech.

Most experienced players of Beer Pong know that in order to win, besides skills, you need to come up with creative ways to distract your opponent, especially if they’re in the lead. Here are some creative techniques that both guys and girls alike can utilize to beat their opponent.

GUYS
1) Awkward Stare
Nothing is more awkward and creepy to a female than a guy that seems as if he’s looking into the depths of her soul. By staring at a female opponent with that Friday the 13th look’, she’ll be trying to figure out what you’re thinking rather than making the shot.

2) Taking A Picture Of Your Opponent
Another great technique guys can use is the ‘taking a picture technique’. This is very effective because people are more self-conscious when they drink. They’ll be more concerned about not looking horrible on Facebook than aiming for the cups.

3) Confessions Time
Guys are expected to be very masculine and aggressive, by making a false confession that contradicts this belief you can effectively get into the mind of your opponent. Confessing something like “I still sleep with my teddy bear”, or saying something like “I miss doing ballet, it made me feel pretty inside and special” is a great way to get your opponent cracking up enough for them to lose all accuracy whatsoever. For added effects, ensure that you say it with a mean and aggressive stance.

GIRLS
1) Fake out Session
Who doesn’t like to see two girls making out. In this case you will be doing what’s known as a ‘fake out.’ Simply grab another female from the crowd and hold your hand between you and the other females jaw to hide the fact that you’re not actually making out at all.

2) Time For A Selfie
This technique is based on the law of attraction. Guys are known to lose focus on whatever they’re doing and allocating that focus on a female whenever they take a selfie while within close proximity of them. So strike one of your most flirtatious poses and watch as the drool falls just like the ball will instead of going into the cups.

3) Twerk, Twerk, Twerk
Another creative way girls can distract their opponent is to twerk. Even if you don’t know how, your opponent won’t care, if you’re lucky he might just lose his balance trying to keep up with your moves. Warning! This may lead to your opponent asking you for your number after the game.

 

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Five All-Time Awesome Beer Pong Tricks

Beer Pong Tricks

Many moves in beer pong can be described as “tricks”, such as the twirling 360 and the acrobatic Under the Leg, as well as the lazy blindfold. (“Look, Ma! No Eyes!”) But the finest beer pong tricks take more imagination. The best beer pong performances involve props–other objects other than ball and cup, intermediaries, if you will, in the communion between player and cup. In no particular order, here are the five best beer pong tricks:

Number 5: The Skipping Rock: Place at least two small tables between you and the cup. Gently toss the ball in a soft overhand arc, and watch the happy bouncing and sinking. Drink.

Number 4: The Tiger Woods: This is a variation on the Skipping Rock, except using a golf club. Use irons or wedges for maximum loft. Tee optional. Drink.

Number 3: The William Tell: Place a clipboard or similar object at a 45-degree angle on a chair. Stand ten feet across the room from the chair and place the cup on top of your head. Close your eyes and toss the ball with a zippy overhand arc. Wait for the ball to land in the cup. Drink.

Number 2: The Happy Camper: Find a triple-decker bunk bed. If you don’t have one in your dormitory, dive in the largest dumpsters in your neighborhood. Place the cup at one end of the lowest bunk, making sure that that the end of the bunk is flush with a wall. Stand at the other end of the bunk and energetically bounce the ball on the middle bunk and the bottom of the top bunk until it hits the wall and lands in the cup. Drink.

Number 1: The Traveling Punk: Place the cup on a skateboard. Place the skateboard at one end of a gauntlet of three clipboards or similar flat objects arranged on chairs. Gently push the skateboard so it sails down the middle of the gauntlet. Bounce the ball hard off the nearest clipboard at an angle so it hits the next clipboard and the next, bouncing off all three on its way to meeting the cup at the gauntlet’s end. Drink.

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Anticipation

Can you feel it? Are you ready? In less than seven weeks, hundreds of teams will descend upon Vegas, many with hangovers from the revelry of the night before. Right now, everyone has that tingle. Everyone is undefeated. Everyone can dream of that glorious moment when Billy shakes you and your partner’s hand and presents you with a giant check. Whether it’s your first World Series or your ninth, those butterflies are in your stomach and you can’t wait to find out what the pong gods will bring your way on January 1st.

But hold up. Do you really think you’re going to win WSOBP 9? The answer might very well be a “HELL YEAH!” The answer you’d give could also be “Of course not.” That’s the point. This game is for the so-called “pros” that travel across the country routinely to compete. This game is also for the husband and wife who are at the WSOBP as part of their New Year’s vacation. Or for the friends who haven’t seen each other in a while but used to run the plywood tables together in college. This game is for everyone. The enjoyment that is provided by the game we all love is evident in both victory and defeat. We’re all lucky to be able to experience it, especially on as grand a scale as the World Series of Beer Pong.

It’s true, however, that the only constant is change. This year, while the Center of the Beer Pong Universe will once again have a latitude and longitude that leads you to the familiar Flamingo Hotel, some things will be different. No beer in the cups this year. It’s a logistical nightmare, and takes way too much time and coordination by WSOBP staff. Time better served to make sure that dude mean mugging you doesn’t cross the plane while you’re shooting, or move past his side of the table to get in your face.

We’ve compiled a general list of reasons why we have decided to forego beer in the cups this year.

1. Eventual TV rights.
2. Liability/over consumption of alcohol.
3. Pong Flu/health concerns.
4. Consistency – many major and weekly tournaments use water only.
5. Drink of choice – as opposed to a flat, indistinguishable product.

You may not see all the events you’re used to this year. You may see new ones you’ll come to love just as much, if not more.

All we ask is that you remain patient as we try to create the best experience possible while not over-extending the company’s future growth potential. Television deals, major cross promotion agreements, and bigger and better events are all within reach. We need our foundation to be rock solid as those next great steps are taken.

Organizers throughout the country have seriously stepped up. We have Skype tournaments, local satellite events and a multitude of weekly tournaments that continue to bring new players into the beer pong community. We’re encouraged by the continued growth of pong in new areas, and the veterans who are willing to provide guidance to the others willing to be tournament organizers. New initiatives like BPONG’s tournament software and national program structure will make it much easier for brackets to be run well, and run quickly.

Before you arrive in Vegas this year, take a minute to reflect on the work so many did before you (or with you) that has enabled a record ninth World Series of Beer Pong. It’s a significant achievement that can and should be appreciated by all. It’s up to every one of us to keep the game going. As a community, we want a 10th WSOBP and many more after that.

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Cup Check

Four drinking straws together weigh .28 ounces. One and a half wooden pencils weigh .28 ounces. A plastic spoon and a plastic fork together weigh .28 ounces.

If you were playing an intense game of beer pong, would you be distracted by someone throwing drinking straws at themselves? Would you be distracted by someone hitting themselves in the head with a plastic spoon and fork? Probably not.

So, what’s your point, you ask? Well, a regulation BPONG plastic cup weighs .28 ounces. And for some strange reason, countless beer pong players have convinced themselves that taking a BPONG beer pong cup, smashing it against their own head and throwing the cup onto the ground is an amazing distraction technique. This folks, is why the media portrays beer pong players to be a community of alcoholic douchebags.

We are all adults. We may not act like it from time to time, but by definition we are adults. I would hope that we could get past certain childish thingslike smashing beer pong cups over our heads, but I’m not so confident that we can. Newsflash: We are not impressed.

Have you ever walked into the practice area at the World Series of Beer Pong, hoping to get a few shots in before your next round? You finally find an open table to play on, except all that’s left is a an empty rack and a few overturned cups on the table. You try and gather the cups that you can off the ground, finally find ten and then fill them up with water. Except most of the cups start leaking out because some tough guy thought they would impress someone by smashing the cups.

This is why we can’t have nice things, guys.

Do you ever wonder why some tournaments drag on and on and you can’t figure out why? Because half the tables don’t have enough cups or water left to play a game. You shouldn’t have to hunt and gather enough cups and water to play a game of beer pong in a tournament.

And let’s be honest. BPONG cups aren’t exactly expensive, but they aren’t cheap either. When you play at home do you smash cups and throw water around like a gorilla? No, you don’t. You probably use the same cups you have been using for the last couple of years. We’ve all been there. You wash a few dozen of your BPONG cups and then stack them up like a pyramid on the kitchen counter to dry out. Just because you are in Vegas or in some ballroom of whatever hotel agreed to hold a beer pong tournament, you should have a certain amount of respect.

I know it’s easy to get into the emotion of the moment after hitting or missing a big shot (I have more experience with the latter, personally) but enough is enough. People need to stop smashing cups, literally.

In football, if a player kicks or throws the ball away like a dickhead it’s a penalty. The same in basketball. In baseball, if a player throws his helmet like an asshole onto the field of play he’s likely going to get tossed. If you guys ever want beer pong to be taken seriously, smashing cups isn’t helping.

Save our cups!

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Drunk or Sober?

Contrary to popular belief, the majority of “organized” beer pong tournaments are now played with water in the cups, not beer. In the case of the World Series of Beer Pong, there’s a mixture of both water and beer cups on the table, although no player is required to drink beer. There’s a variety of reasons why organizers have adapted this practice, but mostly it’s because local laws and regulations restrict bars from playing with beer in cups.

Outsiders like to dismiss competitive beer pong because they see us playing with water cups and assume we aren’t drinking. While it’s few and far between when I actually have beer in my cups when I am playing, unless I am driving or it’s a work night I’m usually drinking while I play. And if I have a ride, I’m drinking a lot more. I know it’s childish to compare drinking abilities, but I’d take a Masters of Beer Pong participant over some YouTube troll any day of the week when it comes to drinking.

That said, do you play better buzzed, or sober?

The popular opinion is that the player who can manage to stay sober longer wins, but I disagree. I think it’s much harder to play sober or with minimal drinking. While I have played well and won tournaments without taking even a sip of beer, it’s no coincidence that normally, the deeper I go into a tournament the bigger my hangover will be the next day.

Playing beer pong well, for me, is finding a perfect balance between being too drunk and being sober. It’s the mental aspect of the game that separates the winners from the losers, not shooting percentages. A headcase who can go 10/10 in practice is usually going to miss a rebuttal shot if his mind isn’t right. Maybe it’s a sign of weakness, but I feel like having a few beers in my system allows me to calm down, keep the butterflies away, and shoot well regardless of the situation.

Some people like to get completely trashed before a tournament, and some people drink too much that they can’t hit the table by the end of the day. For me, the days are too long to get completely hammered first thing in the morning and try to make it through the night. But it works for some people, just not me.

For those who don’t drink, I’ve seen several times when players get called out deep into Day 3 for not drinking. It’s easy to talk shit from the railing. I think those guys deserve extra props. I couldn’t imagine playing a best-of-three series for $50,000 dead sober. My arms would be shaking worse than Michael J. Fox. If they can do it, good for them.

What works best for you?










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This Post is Sponsored By…

With its unique characters, soap opera storylines, and high stakes competition, it seems only a matter of time before beer pong becomes a popular televised event. Even the lamest weekly tourney has better storylines than some of the crap that runs on cable television.

So what’s the hold up?

Many players feel that with the focus on beer, it’s a tough sell to advertisers. I can kind of buy that. I know that several major beer companies have steered clear of local beer pong events due to the association with binge drinking. It doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, considering that most television shows use sex and violence to earn better ratings.

An argument can also be made that the heated trash talk may scare potential advertisers or networks. Since trash talk is such a big part of beer pong, it would be a shame to deny that to the viewer. Some of our most beloved players are just that because of their trash talk. Sure, you can bleep out the F word a dozen times, but where’s the fun in that?

In my opinion, beer pong will only become as big as its sponsors. Bottom line, we need more companies involved to help grow the sport and get it on television. Most TV networks would air footage of sleeping cows if it made money. For some reason or another, beer pong organizers around the country have had a difficult time locking in event sponsors.

The real question is, what kind of sponsors make sense for beer pong? You won’t find a more hardcore group of (mostly) 21-34 males that spend money than a major beer pong event. Most players spend upwards of $1,000 just to travel and play in the World Series of Beer Pong, not including the food, beer and money they gamble away. Seems like a pretty solid market if I’m an advertiser looking at that demographic. And buying into an event sponsorship such as the World Series of Beer Pong is far cheaper than a traditional advertising campaign.

I’m also surprised that no major companies have stepped up to sponsor individual players. There are certainly a few that are “household” names in the beer pong world that would be great for a cutting-edge advertiser. I recently watched “Lords of Dogtown” (great flick, by the way) and it reminded me a little of the beer pong scene. In that movie, you could see how several skateboard companies fought over signing the hippest young skaters.

We’ve seen some small-scale sponsorships before, but nothing from a big company. Who will be the first? In the grand scheme of things, giving a top player $10,000 a year for pushing its name/product is a great deal. The player could enter and travel to every major during the year, proudly pimping the product or its name, or both. In return, that sponsor gets all the name recognition that goes along with associating itself with a top player. Tons of social media exposure, interviews, photos, etc. It makes so much sense to me, but maybe I’m just taking crazy pills.

What kind of companies do you think would be great beer pong sponsors? What would you be willing to do as a player to be sponsored?










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Is Beer Pong Becoming Too Easy?

Is beer pong becoming too easy?

I know it’s a silly question, coming from someone as terrible as me. But as the sport continues to evolve, at some point do we need to go back to the drawing board and re-examine things?

I’m not going to make this into an elbow rule debate. That topic alone is enough for its own blog post and then some. We can look at that at a later time.

For anyone who has played in a major tournament like the World Series of Beer Pong over the course of several years, it’s pretty clear how much the average player has improved, and how much the better even the elite players have become. We’ve reached the point where you go into a game against a Kessler or a Ross Hampton expecting them to shoot 100%. And I’m not so sure that’s a good thing.

I’ve been playing using WSOBP rules for the greater part of the last decade. In Maryland, before adapting to the current WSOBP rules, we used to play unlimited bring-backs and each player shoot-until-you-miss rebuttal shots. Even then, a few of the better players were already taking the “next step.” It wasn’t uncommon starting a game down 6 cups before you even shot against a great team.

If we want to take beer pong seriously, as a sport, then it is only fair to compare beer pong to other sports. And you’d be hard-pressed to find another sport that demands near-perfection to win games.

In baseball, you are considered an above-average to great hitter if you hit above .300. In 1941, Ted Williams posted a .406 batting average, considered by most to be the greatest statistical batting season of all time. Yet in that magical season, Williams got out nearly 60% of the time.

In football, the career leader in quarterback completion percentage is Chad Pennington with a 66% over the course of 10 seasons. Ignoring the fact that Pennington is a terrible QB (sorry Jets fans) even his record-breaking noodle arm threw incompletions almost 35% of the time.

Finally, in the NBA, Carmelo Anthony won the scoring title this year averaging 28.7 points per game, notching a .449 field goal percentage. The league leader in field goal percentage, center DeAndre Jordan, had a .643%.

Enough with the Moneyball stats, you say. What’s the point? The point is that in any given major tournament, if you shoot about 60% you’re not guaranteed to win, not even close to it. I’d say the top players average out closer to an 80%, give or take. That may be generous, but I think we can all agree that maybe beer pong has become a little too easy at its current state.

So what’s the answer? Elbow rule? Longer tables? No bring-backs? No rebuttals? Or are things fine the way they are? Every major sport has gone through numerous rule changes to balance things out.

How about beer pong?

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Beer Pong Strategery

You wouldn’t guess there would be much strategy involved in a game of beer pong. It’s just the first team to hit ten cups first, right? How much strategy could you possibly need except to hit more cups?

To answer the question: There is a lot of strategy that goes on into a typical game of beer pong. And there are some big decisions to make even before the first ball is thrown.

When we arrive at a beer pong tournament, we usually find an empty table and start shooting around. Depending on how the venue is set up, you may develop a “comfort level” with a certain side of the table. Maybe there is more space to move around, maybe it’s less congested and there is less of a chance of being bumped into while you shoot, but some sides of the table offer a distinct advantage to a team. A lot of teams will get so used to playing on one side of the table, that when they are put into the position of playing on the other side, it throws them off a bit.

Usually, we use rock, paper, scissors or a coin flip to determine who shoots one ball first or two balls second. A forgotten option is to also choose sides instead of choosing shots. It’s kind of like deferring a kickoff in the NFL. I will almost always choose balls if I win, sometimes when I lose I will ask the team if they want balls or sides. A team that you know doesn’t want to switch sides will sometimes give you the balls and keep the side they are on, which allows you to have balls first even though you lost the toss. Sometimes, getting to the table first and taking the preferred side will help increase your chances of earning balls first.

Another element of strategy is choosing one ball first or two balls second. To me, it’s a no brainer to choose two balls second. You can start the game off 3-1 and can immediately back your opponent into a corner. But especially this past year at the World Series of Beer Pong, I noticed more and more teams choosing the one ball first. I don’t know why someone would choose this except if they know they will be shooting 100% and ending the game first, but to each their own. For those of you who choose to shoot one ball first, why do you prefer that?

Another big decision to think about is who shoots third shots? Some teams like to give these shots to the “hot” player or the one who just shot, but others like to play the percentages and give it to the better player. When I play with a player better than me (almost all the time since I’m terrible) I always let them take the third shot. Even if I am having a better game, the odds still favor him making the cup more than me.

Lastly, a decision needs to be made when shooting rebuttals. Do you organize rebuttals so a certain player will be shooting at final cup? Do you let a specific player shoot at a specific rack? There’s a lot to think about.

What are some of the strategic moves you make on the beer pong table?










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Can’t We All Just Get Along?

One of the best parts of playing beer pong is the trash talk. It’s something that draws us to the game time and time again, keeps it interesting and fun, and provides an extra element of intensity that most of us don’t experience in our daily lives.

When I first started playing, I loved talking trash to people. I think I enjoyed the trash talk more than the beer pong itself. I tried to be as funny and clever as I could, with my main goal trying to get the other team to miss. Sure, I got branded as an asshole by most people, but those who knew me off the table knew it was all in good fun and didn’t take it seriously.

Somewhere along the line, however, the line between acceptable trash talk and getting too personal became blurred. Now, it seems like there is nothing sacred on the beer pong table. You can talk about someone’s wife, child, girlfriend, etc. all in hopes of them getting to miss one shot in a game of beer pong.

I realize that, as a society, we have become desensitized to what is considered right and what is considered wrong. It’s easy to spew a bunch of foul shit off on Twitter and Facebook and act like a complete asshole and troll everyone because there are no repercussions. It’s the reason why horror movies have become more graphic, and movies like “The Hangover II” were terrible, because everyone is trying to “one up” everyone else. So your opponent didn’t miss his shot when you made fun of his haircut, so why not make fun of his girlfriend and see if you can get a reaction?

At what point do we say, “Enough is enough?” I mean, we are mostly all grown men and women. Most of us have careers, families, and lives outside of major beer pong tournaments to think about. Aren’t we all past the point where we have to prove our toughness to each other? I mean, people still do that? I’ve been punched, slapped and spit on, and I have just stood there and laughed because I am not going to jeopardize getting arrested or going to jail over a, in the long run, meaningless game of beer pong. Not to mention, I would probably get my ass kicked.

Someone made a Facebook post this weekend about how the crazy beer pong drama and trash talk doesn’t occur as much on the West Coast. I don’t know for certain, but it makes sense. You see those guys at the World Series of Beer Pong and it really looks like everyone is just having fun and getting along. Sure, there are always exceptions, but why is everyone else so damn mad?

I’ll be the first to admit that I am certainly being a hypocrite. I have crossed the line more times than I’d like to admit. I’ve said some things in the heat of competition I certainly regret and am embarrassed of to this day. I’m sure I’ve lost some friendships and people look at me differently as a result, and I understand those are the consequences of my actions.

At the end of the day, though, it’s just beer pong guys. One of the reasons we are all here is because we like competition, we like drinking, and we enjoy the community we’ve all helped build. Can’t we all just get along?










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Getting Better at Beer Pong

Once upon a time in the competitive beer pong community, you could count the elite players in the country on two hands. Whether you’re located on the West Coast or the East Coast, the same names would come up in every conversation. As the community grew and more and more players were exposed to the competitive levels of the game, something happened: Everyone got good.

The first World Series of Beer Pong I played in was WSOBP III. My partner at the time had made his debut the year prior and he told me we would be a cinch to make Day Three. He told me that players in our region played the best competition throughout the year and we would be so much better than everyone else. Our first opponent on the first day was a guy he had won a lot of money from off of cash games the year before. Those guys that apparently “sucked” beat us by 4 or 5 cups. It was more of the same for the rest of the tournament and we ended up NOT making Day Three, the first and last time I would miss Day Three.

It used to be that you could look at your preliminary schedule and figure out who the “easy wins” would be and what the “touch matchups” would be. You’d ask your friends if they knew any of the teams or players. Not anymore. You can’t underestimate anyone these days. Just because a player isn’t well-known or just because they don’t make a million posts a day in the National Beer Pong Facebook group doesn’t mean anything. Almost everyone who is signing up to play competitively at the WSOBP or Masters of Beer Pong can play and hang with the best.

So how do players become great players? I think there are three ways:

1. Natural Ability

As shitty as it is for the rest of us, some guys are just naturally good. The first organized tournament I ever played in also happened to be the first organized tournament that Sean Foster played in. My friend and I looked at the team Sean ^2 and, given our background in partying, figured it to be an easy win. Well, they smoked us. They finished 2-2 but went on to take second place in their very next tournament a couple of weeks later. Granted, Foster has become a much better player since then, but even from the beginning he was hanging with the best.

2. Practice

Practice anything and you’ll get better at it, right? In the case of Sean Foster, he took beer pong practice to the next level. He invented the “Pong Shot” ball return device. Basically, he’d shoot a ball at cups and it would roll back to him. Rumor has it he would take hundreds of shots a night. We know this because his ex-girlfriend would tell everyone how much he would play with his Pong Shot. While not everyone has a pong shot, we’ve all shot cups by ourselves from one side of the table, retrieve the balls, and shoot from the other side. Some practice with their partners, etc. While practice can’t replace real game experience, it can certainly take a player to the next level.

3. Experience

Neither the highest amounts of natural ability or practice can substitute for true game experience. There’s no preparation for how you’ll feel the first time you make the finals of a tournament. Almost all of us go through the “happy to be here” phase of a beer pong career. You’re in the finals, you’re guaranteed a prize of some kind, and you are just happy to be there. Once you get a taste of victory or defeat you’re left wanting more, but those first couple of times, it’s all good win or lose. But for most of us, it takes a while to get rid of the nerves you’ll experience shooting a big rebuttal shot, or coming back from a deficit with our backs against the wall. It takes a while to learn how to deal with distractions, and on the opposite end, how to get in your opponent’s head as well. In the end, you need to learn from experience how to get better.

There are no easy wins in competitive beer pong anymore. One day soon, if not already, a miss or two will cost you the win. Everyone will keep getting better.

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What’s on your beer pong playlist?

It’s Day Three of the World Series of Beer Pong. The field is narrowing down, every shot is becoming more and more important. The DJ is spinning onstage and the music is shaking the entire ballroom. You’re watching the teams left in it play under the lights in the center of the room. Some of the guys are feeding off the energy, talking shit to the crowd and the other team. But there’s always that one guy, seemingly as calm as can be, standing at the table with his ear buds in.

I still don’t understand it, to be honest. For me, the greatest part about making Day 3 is feeding off the energy of the players or crowd as the field dwindles. Trash talk doesn’t really affect me, so it’s not like I need something to tune it out. I tend to like the music being played, and even if I don’t, anything sounds great with the alcohol in my system and the adrenaline flowing. I’ve never even tried to shoot with headphones on. I would guess that the wires would bother me too much.

So for the guys who are listening to the ear buds, I’m just curious why? Does it help your focus? Does it drown out the trash talk from your opponent or crowd? Is the music calming your nerves or getting you more amped up? Do you feel like you’re missing out on anything?

I’ve always wondered what you guys are listening to. Hip-hop? Rock? Country? At a World Series of Beer Pong a few years ago, I was curious what someone was listening to so I grabbed his iPod. I looked at the screen and Tool’s “Hooker With A Penis” was playing. Yes, apparently that is a real song and apparently that is what this particular player was listening to. This player may have also dressed up for the WSOBP as a female on several occasions. Not naming names. I’m sure there’s a joke in there somewhere.

So what makes a great beer pong playlist? At most of our major events, hip-hop tends to be the music of choice. Every now and again something like Carly Rae Jebsen’s undeniable “Call Me Maybe” will sweep in and captivate the beer pong community. For me, whenever Bubba Sparxx’s “Deliverance” comes on, I feel like I can’t miss. I’ve thought of playing with an iPod just so I can listen to that song on repeat all day.

What are some of your favorite songs to shoot to? Let’s build the greatest beer pong playlist ever.










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Winning with momentum

You just hit last cup and your opponent has four cups to rebuttal. You’re already thinking about how you’re going to spend that prize money. You and your partner are both relaxed. All smiles.

Your opponent makes the first rebuttal shot, leaving three on the table. You quickly re-rack and roll the ball back. No biggie, no way they hit three more, right?

They make the front cup on the three-rack and just like that, there’s two cups left. A feeling of uneasiness sets in, but you guys aren’t completely worried yet. The other team takes their time shooting at the two. Many players consider two side-by-side cups the hardest rack to hit in beer pong. Usually, it separates the pretenders from the contenders. You’ve been quiet for the last half of the game, but desperation is starting to sink in. You talk a little trash and maybe try a distraction to throw them off. No luck, they sink the left cup and there’s only one left.

The trash talking gets ramped up a little bit now. The crowd is into it, hoping they see overtime. If you’re one of those guys that like to throw cups and smash them and pour water over yourself, now’s the time to do it. All you need is one big miss. You take your time centering the cup and your opponent takes their time preparing to shoot. Everyone is yelling and you are a bit nervous. You thought this game was over a few minutes ago and now you’re helpless. They shoot.

Overtime.

A few moments later, your opponents are now spending that prize money you could have sworn was yours. You didn’t shoot terrible, but once they hit those four rebuttal shots, you didn’t stand a chance.

I don’t have any mathematical data to back up my theory, but in most cases, I believe the team that successfully sinks a series of rebuttal shots goes on to win the game. Momentum and confidence is everything in beer pong. Once you sink four, you know in the worst case, you can sink the three in overtime. Overtime becomes an exercise in jockeying for cup position. The team originally shooting the rebuttals becomes the aggressors, and once they sink the final cup first, it’s usually a losing proposition for the other team.

If you’ve been paying any attention to competitive beer pong, you’re most likely familiar with the finals of the World Series of Beer Pong III. Iron Wizard Coalition hit the final cup with four left for Chauffeuring the Fat Kid to rebuttal. The rest is history. Sorry Baker, I know you’re still haunted by this.

Obviously, there are exceptions to this, but I think in most cases the rebuttaling team uses that momentum to earn the victory. They put the other team back in the spot of making a big shot, and in many cases, once they sink the final cup and think victory is theirs, they lose that intensity needed to battle back in overtime. They get shook and it’s a helpless feeling when you see your opponent continually sink multiple rebuttal shots.

The same theory applies for the team that emerges from the loser’s bracket to earn a place in the finals. This team has already experienced adversity in the tournament. They’ve been playing more and are on a roll. The winner’s bracket finalist likely has been waiting a while to play, and if the loser’s bracket team can win the first game of the finals they normally go on to win the second.

Like in any sport, it’s the “hottest” team, not the “best” team, that usually takes home the trophy.