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Beer pong is the classic cup-and-ball party game. Two teams take turns throwing ping-pong balls into the other side's triangle of cups. Make a cup, and the other team drinks it and takes it off the table. The first team to clear all of the other side's cups wins. This 2026 guide covers the setup, the standard rules, re-racks, popular house rules, hygiene, and a water pong version.
Want more standing games? See how to play Flip Cup, Rage Cage, and Quarters. For a sit-down game afterward, browse our best drunk card games.
Card games for after the tournament
Beer pong needs cups, balls, and a table. These decks keep the party going once the racks are done.
- Structured sips: King's Cup Extreme — sit-down prompts after a standing game
- Dares: Do or Drink — dares or sips with no more bouncing balls
- Cool-down: Never Have I Ever Card Game — story prompts for the couch
- Sober reset: Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza — a fast slap game with no drinking
What you need
- A long table. Official tables are 8 feet, but any folding table works.
- 20 plastic cups (16 oz is standard), plus one extra cup of water per side for rinsing balls.
- 2 to 4 ping-pong balls. Extras save time when one rolls under the couch.
- Beer or water, a pitcher for filling, and towels for spills.
Setup
Set 10 cups at each end of the table in a tight triangle of 4-3-2-1, with the point facing the other team. Pour a small amount into each cup. A couple of ounces is plenty. For a cleaner game, fill the rack cups with water and have players drink from their own cup whenever one of theirs is made. Agree on house rules before the first throw, because arguments start at the last cup.
How to play
- Teams: usually 2 vs 2. For 1 vs 1, use a 6-cup rack.
- Turns: each player on a team throws one ball, then the other team goes.
- Making a cup: the defending team drinks that cup and removes it from the table.
- Elbows: your elbow can't cross the edge of the table when you release the ball.
- Balls back: if both teammates make a cup on the same turn, they get both balls back and throw again.
- Bounce shots: a ball that bounces on the table and lands in a cup usually counts as two cups. The defending team is allowed to swat a bounce shot away once it hits the table.
- Re-racks: each team can ask the other side to rearrange its remaining cups, usually once or twice per game, called at the start of their turn.
- Rebuttal: when a team makes the last cup, the losing team gets one last turn to shoot until they miss. If they clear all their remaining targets, the game goes to overtime with a 3-cup rack each.
Popular house rules
- Island: once per game, call island on a cup that isn't touching any other cup. Make it and you remove an extra cup. Miss and nothing happens.
- Death cup: if you sink a ball into a cup the other team is holding or hasn't put back, they lose instantly.
- Heating up and on fire: make two in a row and call heating up. Make the third and you're on fire, and you keep shooting until you miss.
- Same cup: if both teammates make the same cup on one turn, the defending team removes that cup plus two more of the shooters' choice.
Re-rack patterns
Common calls: at 6 cups, a triangle (3-2-1) or a 2 x 3 rectangle. At 4 cups, a diamond. At 3 cups, a small triangle. At 2 cups, side by side in a line. Lock the number of re-racks before tip-off, and keep cups tight when you rearrange them.
Water pong and hygiene
Water pong is the same aiming contest: fill the cups with water, keep score, and let anyone drink what they want from their own cup on the side. Rinse balls in the water cup after every throw, since they spend a lot of time on floors and shoes. Keep towels nearby and play away from glass tables and stairs. After a couple of games, sit everyone down with King's Cup Extreme or a non-drinking deck.
Running a mini-tournament
For six or more players, use 6-cup racks and a quick bracket so nobody stands around for forty minutes. Celebrate the winners with music and bragging rights, not extra drinks. Keep a water pong table open for anyone sitting out, and clear stray balls off the floor before someone slips.
FAQ
How full should the cups be?
Less than you think. A couple of ounces per cup is plenty. Overfilled cups splash and turn a casual game into a lot of drinking.
How many cups do you use in beer pong?
Ten per side in a 4-3-2-1 triangle is standard. Six per side works for 1 vs 1 or tournaments.
Can we play without alcohol?
Yes. Water pong with score tracking is the same game, and it's what many groups play anyway for hygiene.
Rack the cups tight, announce bounce and re-rack rules once, rinse the balls, and let beer pong be one part of a longer night.
