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Welcome to the Coin Drinking Games Guide

Cocktail Mixing Master has traveled around the world to bring you the best in classic and popular coin drinking games

Coin drinking games are most common and popular after card drinking games and dice drinking games

Coins are often bounced or tossed and therefore require some skill. For this reason it may not be popular with some people. Always test the coin before you start play.

Not all coins work equally well and not all surfaces works well where the coin needs to be bounced (see Coinage below for an example).

Here is a selection of popular coin drinking games:

COINAGE (or COINS or QUARTERS in the USA)

Number of players: At least 2 although 3 or more is better. 4 to 6 works best.

Equipment:
A coin, about the size of a quarter
Low ball glass. You can use a taller glass, but the taller the glass the more difficult and less enjoyable the games becomes.
Flat surface on which the coin bounces, like a table or bar counter. Test the surface as not all surfaces are equally suitable.

How to play:
The object is to bounce the coin once on the surface and into the glass (a “hit”). (If you try this for the first time and do not get the coin in after at least 5 attempts, try another surface, coin or glass). Every player gets a turn – for every hit he can nominate another player to have a predetermined amount to drink (e.g. a sip). If he misses, he must drink and it’s the next player’s turn.

If a player hits the brim of the glass, but misses, another player can challenge him by calling out “Challenge”. The player then gets another attempt to through. If he misses, his turn ends he must drink twice. If he hits, the challenger must drink and the player can continue to play. Sequential challenges can be made e.g. the player hits the brim again on the first challenge and gets challenged again. Of course, the amount of drinks accumulates with the number of challenges. More than one player may challenge the player at a time.

A variation is a “camel”. It’s similar to a challenge but gets called if the coin is bounced over the glass without touching it. Some players call this a challenge too.

Three (or four or five – you decide based on the skill of the players) hits in a row results in the opportunity for the player to make a rule. See our Drinking Games Guide for ideas on rules for drinking games.

SPEED COINS

Similar to Coins nut quicker and appropriate when there are many people want ing to play along.

Equipment:
A coin, about the size of a quarter
Low ball glasses, about one for every 4 people.

How to play:
Coins will be bounced into the glasses simultaneously. Everybody sits around the table. Start by spacing the glasses evenly between the players.

Try as many times until you bounce the coin in and pass the glass to the left. Inevitably, 2 glasses will be in one person’s possession as they catch up to one another. This person has to drink (usually finish his drink).

Start again as described above.

SPIDERS

Number of players: At least 4

Equipment:
A coin (or any small object that can easily be hidden in your hand)
Flat surface like a counter or table.

How to play:
The players divide into teams of at least two although 3 works the best. One member of the starting team hides the coin in one hand without the other team seeing who or in which hand the coin is hidden. This can be done underneath the table or counter while all team members holding their hand close together and at the same time trying to confuse the other team as to where the coin is.

The object is to hold to coin for as long as possible.

The team with the coin then puts all their hands on the table in a row with their fingers pointing downwards, standing on the table and thumbs bent inwards. The coin is held behind the hand with the thumb. The opposing team needs to guess in which hand the coin is. To add to their confusion, the team holding the coin can “dance” their hands from side to side in file so that there is 6 hands in front of them, moving left and right with one holding a coin.

The opposing team now guess where coin is. For every wrong guess, each team member needs to drink. If they guess right, the team with the coin’s members need to drink and hand over the coin. Except if they have the coin in last hand remaining on the table. In this case, they retain the coin and play again.

In this game rules can also be made. For example, if a team retains the coin for 3 rounds in a row, they can make a rule. See the Drinking Games Guide for more on rules.

Do you have a favorite drinking game to share with the world? Submit it by completing the form below and we will feature it on the Drinking Games Guide.

Check in regularly as we expand and update the coin drinking games often.

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