The Art of Flip Cup

“Cheers, table, cheers, drink!” A mantra many college students have come to know and love, these simple commands are what gets your heart racing before a round of Beer Pong’s closest cousin, Flip Cup. It may seem unrealistic, but have you ever thought there could be an art form to the game?

Combining a race against time, one’s ability to chug a heavily carbonated beverage, and hand-eye coordination is asking a lot of one  possibly inebriated  person. Therefore, we’ve called in the experts to let us in on the secrets behind achieving victory in college’s new favorite drinking game.

“The reason why Flip Cup is so popular is because lots of people can play at once; it creates a competitive spirit,” explained a George Washington University junior.

And competition is only the beginning. Picture this: you are standing next to and across from a line of friends. You see the first pair cheer and pound their cups on the table and begin to drink. You and your team are cheering on your teammate, yelling over the voices of the opposing team. You keep your eyes fixated on each player as he or she lifts a red solo cup up to their face, chugging beer as fast as they can and attempting any and every method to land the perfect flip on the now wet, slippery table. But how do you keep your mind on the game and not on your loud, laughing, intoxicated opponents?

“Your first priority should be to finish your drink before your opponent,” advised Ohio State junior Danny Helfand. “Just know yourself and have confidence in your abilities. At the end of the day, no one loses in Flip Cup because everyone’s drinking anyway.”

Spoken like a true competitive drinker.

In the end, it really isn’t about whether you win or lose, but how you play. While combining proper hand motion with dedication to concentration can’t hurt, maybe the best advice anyone can give is summed up by one University of Arizona sophomore:

“Practice, all the time. It’s the best piece of advice I can give.”