Power Hour
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| Power Hour | |
|---|---|
| Players | Any number |
| Age range | Legal drinking age |
| Setup time | Varies |
| Playing time | 60 minutes |
| Random chance | None |
| Skills required | Endurance |
Power Hour, with its variant Centurion (or Century Club), is a type of drinking game where every player drinks one shot of beer every minute. Each shot contains 1.5 fluid ounces (US) (45ml), for a total of 90 fl. oz. (2.66 litres, 4.68 Imperial pints) of consumption during the power hour. For purposes of blood alcohol content, this amount of beer is equivalent to 7.5 drinks. In the Centurion variant, beer shots are drunk one per minute for 100 minutes, with a shot size of 35ml, totaling 3.5 litres, 6.16 Imperial pints, or 9.9 drinks. All players that successfully complete the total number of shots without retiring are winners. The game is simple and may appear easy, but players often have difficulty completing it. The rate of alcohol consumption necessary to win either form of this game can depend on weight and other factors.
In the Midwest and Great Plains regions of the United States, many people play Power Hour during the first hour, starting at midnight, of their 21st birthday. The birthday celebrant attempts to drink 21 shots within the first hour. Several alcohol poisoning deaths related to this activity have led to legislation in Minnesota, North Dakota and Texas.[1][2]
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[edit] Rules
Music may accompany each minute of the power hour, with songs changed at the 1:00 mark. This way, a dedicated timekeeper is not required. Themed power hours are not uncommon, including songs only from the 70s, 80s, 90s, or even Christmas songs. Another variation deals with songs only from certain genres such as Southern Rock, Techno, or 90's Rap. Another variation includes songs only from certain artists or musical groups, while another includes videos to accompany the music. These are known as music video power hours and are watched on a normal DVD player. Other variations of DVD power hours include DVDs with movie clips (usually scenes with musical background), TV show introductions or other entertaining minute clips. Recent developments to DVD power hours include dubbing over movie scenes with alternative audio, or interleaving video clips' audio with a more entertaining, ironic, or juxtaposing song. A tabletop timer is also available so the participant may listen and watch whatever they want while still performing their Power Hour.
- A timekeeper has the very important role of instructing everyone to take a shot each minute. Any timekeeping device may be used. The Shot Caller is a tabletop timer designed for Power Hour.
- Vomiting or abandonment of the goal usually result in elimination. In some cases the re-drinking of vomited liquid is acceptable behavior to stay in the running.[citation needed]
- Players may be allowed bathroom breaks, but must "catch up" before or after taking the break. Another player or person must verify that the player did in fact use the washroom and did not vomit.
- As a tie-breaker, if more than one person reaches the end, places are decided by either continuing the game until all but one player drops out (at one ounce per minute), or by having all remaining players try to drink a pre-designated amount of beer the fastest.
- Some power hours are played with specially programmed CDs, possibly including introductions and smooth fading, or a computer media player that plays songs for only a minute. When the song changes, everybody knows they must take a shot of beer.
- Video power hours are also beginning to become very popular with people. Instead of a CD with music, a DVD is used with various music videos.
[edit] Variations
- An extended variation of the game is known as the century club, where the game is extended to one ounce of beer per minute for 100 minutes. This is also practiced at the University of Auckland Tamaki Campus, where it is known as the Tamaki Ton. At the University of Otago it is known as the Hundy Club. At The University of Massachusetts Amherst it is known as the Dunny. This practice is also known as a Centurion; an Elite Centurion lasts 150 minutes. Alternately, Century Club can also refer to an extended drinking challenge in which the goal is to drink 100 beers in under 72 hours. For a player to drink over four cases of beer in three days is both difficult and dangerous.
- A common way of augmenting the game is to play a tribute game in honor of some hero relating to a number
- In an atomic century, each tenth shot is augmented by a shot of tequila or another liquor. This level of alcohol consumption is above the LD50 for humans and potentially fatal.
- In an effort to increase the difficulty of the power hour, it can be augmented into a Super-Power Half-Hour, which is a shot every 30 seconds for 30 minutes. Along with increased difficulty, the increased pace also makes it more dangerous. This can then be extended into a Monash University (or a Manchester University) Centurion, which is one shot every 30 seconds for 50 minutes. This logic can be taken to an extreme with an Ultra-Power Quarter-Hour, which is a shot every 15 seconds for 15 minutes (although practically speaking this would almost certainly require a dedicated pourer to aid the drinker).
- One condensed version of a Power Hour is a Blitzkrieg (or Blitzedkrieg). The first song of the game has one second removed, making it 59 total seconds. The next song has 58 seconds, then 57 seconds, and so on until the final song is only 1 second long. The standard Power Hour will be completed in approximately 1/2 hour. There are multiple benefits to this style of play. First, as with all condensed Power Hours, beer is consumed faster. Secondly, the ability to choose songs that may only have a few seconds that are worth listening to can be used in Blitzkrieg. One downside of the Blitzkrieg is the need for either multiple shot glasses, or a dedicated pourer, since the last few "minutes" are quick.
[edit] With liquor
In some circles, power hour refers to taking shots of liquor (vodka, tequila, rum, etc.) every ten minutes for one hour (6-7 shots total depending on how it starts and ends). This game version is a little less focused and doesn't require as much attention to the time and is more comfortable in some settings. As a variation (i.e. where these are not the standard rules) it is sometimes known as Atomic Power Hour.
[edit] Shotgun Centurion
The Shotgun Centurion is similar in that roughly the same quantity of beer is consumed in the same length of time: 100 shots in 100 minutes, or 100 shots in 50 minutes. The difference is that, rather than taking one shot each minute or thirty seconds, competitors do one shotgun every twelve minutes or six minutes, up to eight. With metric 30mL shots and 375mL cans, the volume consumed is identical, and the time is marginally faster.
Shotgun Centurions are rarely recognized as an official Beer Olympics event. Most commonly, they are unofficially run in tandem with a competitive Centurion.
[edit] Strawpedo Centurion
In a similar vein to the Shotgun Centurion, the same quantity of alcohol is consumed in the same length of time, in tandem with a normal centurion. In this variation, a bottle of a pre-mixed spirit beverage, e.g. Vodka Cruiser or Bacardi Breezer, is consumed in the form of a strawpedo every five or ten minutes, up to ten. With metric 30mL shots and 285mL bottles, the volume and time are again equal.
[edit] Ten minute warning
Ten minute warning is a drinking game. Every minute for ten minutes, a specified amount of beer is consumed. The amount to be drunk each minute is equal to the number of minutes passed. Therefore after one minute one shot is drunk, two minutes two shots are drunk and so forth.
[edit] Power Fifteen
The power fifteen is when you take a shot of wine every minute for 15 minutes.
[edit] Drinking Game Concerts
In February 2006, party band White Trashistan played the first ever live Power Hour Show at Brew Ha's in Normal, IL in celebration of their newly recorded "Power Hour CD" (Winter 2005), also believed to be a first. Upon entrance, concert goers received plastic shot glasses and a referee kept time and count. White Trashistan's power hour CD features 60 one minute songs separated by one line jokes and ad-libs recorded by the band and friends instructing listeners to drink. Sample song available on White Trashistans Myspace page. White Trashistan MySpace Page
Ali Spagnola (official website) recorded a Power Hour Album in 2007. It consists of 60 one-minute songs focused on the theme of drinking. All the songs are original compositions and believed to be the first power hour written by a single artist. She performs the album live at her Drinking Game Concerts where listeners play the game. Ali Spagnola's MySpace Page
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Associated Press (March 14, 2005). Binge drinking reaches deep across U.S.. Retrieved on 2007-09-14.
- ^ Rowena Vergara (March 4, 2005). Bill to stop power hour. Retrieved on 2007-09-14.
[edit] External links
- Power Hour Download Free Power Hour software
- Flash Power Hour/Centurion Timer with Alerts
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