Caps (drinking game)
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Caps is a drinking game commonly involving two cups of beer, two teams (of two players each), and either bottle caps or quarters to be thrown into the cups. The origins of the game are disputed, but it is believed to have originated somewhere in the USA during the 1980s.
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[edit] Basic rules
The basic rules of game are as follows. Four players split into two teams, and each sit about 10 feet apart, facing each other, with a cup filled with a full beer directly in front of each couple. Both teams take turns throwing caps into the other team's cup. Each time a team makes the cap, the other team gets a chance to "rebuttal" or "cancel", or try to make a shot. If they make that, the team who originally made the shot must make a rebuttal as well. This can go on as long or short as it takes, depending on skill of the players. When a rebuttal shot is missed, that team drinks their full cup of beer, and the other team gets a point. From there, the game goes on regularly, with both teams taking turns shooting.
As with all drinking games, there are countless "house rules" and variations, such as how far apart from each other the teams sit or how rebuttals/cancels take place.
Another variation of the game is played with glass beer bottles.You sit the cap down on the top of your beer upside down. Another cap is made into the "ball" by folding it in half with a little force. There is only 2 players in this variation. If you make the shot and the cap falls off the top of the beer, the other player gets a redemption. A full beer is divided into 3 chugs. 1 for every time someone hits your cap.
[edit] Optional House Rules
Bouncing caps / either allowing or disallowing a cap to be able to bounce off the floor, and land in the cup.
Covering / if bouncing caps are allowed, "covering" is an optional rule. If allowed, once a cap hits the floor, the defending player(s) may cover the top of the cup to prevent the bouncing cap from entering the cup. This rule is almost always allowed when bouncing caps is allowed.
"One-eyed Willie" / Originating in Panama City, the "One-eyed Willie" call is made prior to a player throwing his cap. The call is performed by yelling "One-eyed Willie", placing a spare cap over one eye, and raising one arm with only the index finger extended and spinning the arm in a circular fashion. Once the "One-eyed Willie" call is made, for one round, each contestant must shoot their cap with a spare cap covering one eye. If a player hits a shot while in "One-eyed Willie" mode, and his shot is not answered, the other team must drink double the normal amount that is being used in that game.
[edit] Variations
Created at the University of Rochester by the Alpine Ski Team, this game was inspired by the desire for a competitive drinking game to be played in areas with restricted space, i.e. hotel rooms, college dorm rooms, small apartments etc.
Setup: Two teams of two players each, equipped with a can (or bottle, if you can afford it) of beer and four uniform cups. Teammates sit facing their opponents about 5 - 6 feet apart – the distance is variable, just choose a distance everyone is comfortable throwing. Each team starts with three bottle caps per player. Each player fills their cup with a two ounce pour of beer, henceforth known as a ‘pour.’
Play: Starts with a countdown, and players attempt to throw caps into either opponent’s cup. There are no turns or order, it’s a free-for-all. If a cap is sunk, the thrower should alert the target player with a call of “drink!” or an “in your cup!” or the like; that person must drink, refill their cup with beer, and place the cup back on the floor before he or she is allowed to throw.
The first team to finish both of their beers loses; the losing team must drink the remainder of the winning team’s beer.
Specifics
-Each player gets six pours out of their beer, so keep that in mind when filling your cup. -Once all 6 of a player’s pours have been sunk, that player is out and cannot shoot. - If one teammate has finished their beer, they may share the rest of their teammate’s beer and continue to play, or else they must sit out the rest of the game. -Players can throw at either opponent’s cup. -No intentional blocking -If a cap is inadvertently dropped in one’s own cup, it counts as though it was sunk by the other team. -This game can be played with varying amounts of players but the teams must be equally balanced. From 1 on 1 to more than 10 on 10.
In Canada where bottles are roughly the same price as cans, the game is played slightly differently. Players sit between 5 and 10 feet apart (depending on skill level.) Each player then opens a bottle of beer and places the cap upside-down over the opening. Players then take turns throwing bottlecaps in order to knock the cap off of the opposing players bottles. If a player's cap is knocked off, that player must drink. If the player's cap is knocked off twice in a row, they must finish the beer. This style of play often results in many house rules such as; "Mafia Duels" (Opponents must stare each other in the eyes, using peripheral vison to aim. If a player looks away, they must drink.), Deathmatch (more than 2 players, every man/woman for themselves.), and No Mercy (once sitting down, players cannot stand up for any reason {i.e. bathroom breaks} or they are disqualified.)
[edit] Yale Caps
| Caps | |
|---|---|
| Players | 2 teams of 2 |
| Age range | legal drinking age |
| Skills required | aiming, taunting and alcohol tolerance |
Yale Caps is a derivation of the popular traditional Caps (drinking game). Created at Yale University in 2002 by the 06' Clownies, the game has become increasingly popular over the past several years. Caps tournaments are held on a bi-annual basis in the fall and spring.
[edit] History
Yale style caps was played in a loose format pre-2001. Players would sit on the floor approximately 6-10 feet apart and attempt to throw quarters into the opposing team's Solo cup. These matches often took place at the Eliott apartment buildings on Howe St. Pizza boxes were sometimes placed behind cups to guard against the common occurrence of a lost quarter.
In the spring of 2001, Kelsey and Joe Mack (2005) challenged recruits Brendan Everman and Cameron Hendrick (2006) to a game of caps. They played on an outdoor/standing table, similar to "beer pong," with only one cup per side. The match was competitive, but the standing/outdoor format was less than ideal. This game is the first recorded use of a table in Yale style caps.
[edit] Rule History
In 2002, the "founding fathers" (Kelsey, Mack, Everman, Hendrick, Quinn Fitzgerald (05), Colin O'Brady(06)) attempted to create a more standardized set of rules in order to have the first multiple team tournament. The use of kegs as standardized seating was not universally celebrated-- many players preferred to play leaning back on more comfortable couches. However when players started to realize that the elevated position of the keg gave an advantage over the lower, variable position on a couch, the keg became a universally adopted standard for competitive matches.
Matt Bowman (04) made tables of a standard height and length to be used for tournament play.
[edit] "Put Some Beer In That Cup!"
The height of beer in the cup is a critical part of the Yale caps game, but not for the same reasons as other drinking games. Because the quarter usually enters the cup at a low angle and fast velocity, contact with plastic often results in a bounce out, while contact with beer or foam often results in a made shot.
Much of the game's "trash talk" is based on disagreements over the height of the opposing team's beer. The standard rule is the second line from the top of a blue or red keg cup, but foam often carries it higher. Beer splashed out by missed shots is not replaced until the end of a point.
A "Deek in the Eye" is a phrase coined by Matt Aldrich in 2003 to signify an especially devastating caps shot that manages to splash the opponents face with beer or foam. Other phrases have been coined for this shot, usually of a sexual nature.
[edit] Elbow rule
Another popular topic of trash talk centers on the game's elbow rule. When shooting, a player must release the quarter before his elbow crosses the "plane" of the cup. Certain players (especially chronic offender Pudas) are known to lean over the cup and release the quarter after their elbow has crossed the plane of the cup in order to gain a competitive advantage. This is illegal and unsportsmanlike. These players deserve to be trash talked.
[edit] First Tournament
Kelsey organized the first Yale caps tournament in 2003, using off-hand knowledge of teams and skill levels to determine seedings in a World Cup style, qualifying round, followed by a single elimination tournament. Kelsey did not play in the first tournament. Instead, he created the "commissioner" position which is responsible for objectively seeding teams, releasing pre-tournament scouting reports, and resolving intra-tournament disputes. He also compiled statistics on each match in order to determine each players value.
The championship game was later expanded to a best of 3 games series. Brendan Everman and Cameron Hendrick were the champions of the first caps tournament.
[edit] The Naked Run
When a team loses 5-0 in any Caps game, they are required to do a naked run to "Partners" which is 15 meters from the official venue of the Caps tournament known as "The Lodge." If a team feels valiant, they can opt for a double or nothing, and if they lose again the naked run is to "est est est and back." On a very famous occasion a Founding Father jumped on the trunk of a Metro Taxi cab while performing a double naked run. Once in the Spring on 2006 a freshman girl got hit by a car while performing the standard Partners naked run. Since this tragic occurrence they have been regulated by traffic guards.
