Buffalo (or Buffalo Club) is a drinking game where participants agree to only drink from their glass with their non-dominant hand. If they are caught using the other hand, they must 'chug' or 'skull' (rapidly finish) their drink.
People who play the game refer to themselves as "Buffalos", and groups of players may refer to themselves as a "Buffalo club".
The history and origin of the Buffalo Club are obscure and many versions are in existence. A folk origin of the game states that Buffalo Club stems from the gunslinging days of the Wild West where the use of one's right hand (the shooting hand) was at times a matter of life or death. [1] Thus, recreational activities such as playing cards or drinking were done with the left hand only to avoid severe consequences. [2] The game is now popular around the world.
The rules are fairly simple, though widely varying, [3] and involve which hand a player may use to drink.
The basic rule of the game is that a player can only drink with their non-dominant hand. [4] If any other Buffalo players spot them drinking with their dominant hand, they call Buffalo on the player and that player must finish their drink as quickly as possible. [5] [6] If the player hesitates to finish their drink, the other players will usually proceed to make a ruckus chanting "Buffalo!" and banging on the table until the player finishes. [4] [7] [8]
The game is often presented as a "lifetime commitment", where agreeing to play it means that others who know this may call a player out for drinking with the wrong hand at any point in the future. [2]
A card game is any game that uses playing cards as the primary device with which the game is played, whether the cards are of a traditional design or specifically created for the game (proprietary). Countless card games exist, including families of related games. A small number of card games played with traditional decks have formally standardized rules with international tournaments being held, but most are folk games whose rules may vary by region, culture, location or from circle to circle.
Drinking games are games which involve the consumption of alcoholic beverages and often enduring the subsequent intoxication resulting from them. Evidence of the existence of drinking games dates back to antiquity. Drinking games have been banned at some institutions, particularly colleges and universities.
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Kings is a drinking game using playing cards. Players must drink and dispense drinks based on cards drawn. The cards have predetermined drink rules prior to the game's beginning. Often groups establish house rules with their own game variations.
Beer die, or snappa is a table-based drinking game in which opposing players sit or stand at opposite ends and throw a die over a certain height with the goal of either landing the die in their opponent's cup or having the die hit the table and bounce over the scoring area to the floor. The defending team attempts to catch the die one-handed after it hits the table, but before it touches a non-table surface. The game typically consists of two two-player teams with each of the four players having a designated cup on the table, but can also be played one-vs-one.
Flip cup is a team-based drinking game where players must, in turn, drain a plastic cup of beer and then "flip" the cup so that it lands face-down on the table. If the cup falls off the table, any player can return said cup to the playing field. Several flip cup tournaments have been held in the United States.
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