How to Play Quarters

Step 1: Gather around table Gather around a table with a glass of beer in the middle of it.
TIP: If all of the players are pros, shoot into a shot glass.
Step 2: Shoot quarter The first player holds the quarter between his thumb and index finger, and tries to bounce it on its edge so it lands in the glass. This is called “shooting” the quarter.
Step 3: If the shooter scores If a shooter gets a quarter into the glass, he or she gets to pick a person to down the glass of beer, and then gets another turn. If not, it moves to the next person in the circle.
Step 4: Making rules If the same person shoots the quarter into the glass three times in a row, he or she gets to make a rule that must be followed by everyone for the rest of the game. If someone breaks a rule, he or she must drink the beer.
TIP: Popular rules include banning the words “drink,” “drank,” or “drunk”; forbidding the use of players’ names; and insisting that all players drink before their attempted bounce. You should also never use your finger to “point” at the person you desire to consume the beer. Instead, you point with an elbow in their direction.
Step 5: Determining the winner How do you determine the winner? Don’t worry: you’ll know when you’ve lost.
FACT: Some courts are now ordering repeat DUI offenders to wear an ankle bracelet that measures their blood alcohol level via their perspiration.

Lessons in this Guide