Title: Fingers

The interview for this game could not be uploaded because it exceeded the maximum upload size for this site.

General Information about Item:

• Type of Lore: Drinking Game
• Language: English
• Country of Origin: America
• Informant: Eric Stolt 
• Date Collected: May 15, 2019

Informant Data: Eric Stolt is male from Dartmouth College. He was born and raised in Plymouth, Mn. He moved out to Hanover, NH to continue his education in 2016.

Contextual Data: This drinking game was observed in 2017-present during the informants college years. This game was observed in Dartmouth college dorms during Eric’s time at Dartmouth. 

Item:

Fingers is a very straightforward drinking game that is easy to learn. The game is usually played with four to six people who all put one finger on a beer can or a shot glass. Whomever decides to start, will begin by counting down from three and after the person says one every player can either decide to keep their finger on the car or decide to take it off. If the player guesses the number of fingers left on the can correctly he is now out. The game continues until one only one person remains with their finger on the beer can. The person that lost has to now take a shot of alcohol  that is predetermine before the game started.

So who taught you this game?

The informant learned this game from his roommate Henry Eilen during his sophomore year of college. 

Informant’s Comments:

This game is best played with five or six people, usually friends of yours. With larger groups, greater than 7 players, the game usually takes too long and people lose interest. The informant likes this game because it is very easy to learn and can often be used as an ice breaker. The game also involves some strategy, which is the reason this game can be so fun and engaging.

Collector’s Comments:

I really enjoyed this game. It is incredibly easy to learn and can be very competitive at times. This game is a completive drinking game.

Collector’s Name: Henry Eilen

Tags/Keywords:

• Skill Based Drinking Game
• Competitive Drinking Game

Title: Fireball

Interview Link: Fireball Interview Continued: Fireball Interview 2

General Information about Item:

• Type of Lore: Drinking Game
• Language: English
• Country of Origin: America
• Informant: Craig Glassbrenner  
• Date Collected: May 4, 2019

Informant Data: Craig Glassbrenner is a male student at the University of Lacrosse-Wisconsin. Craig was born and raised in Eau Claire, Wisconsin until he moved to Lacrosse, Wi after he graduated high school.

Contextual Data: This drinking game was observed in 2018-present during the informants college years. This game was observed at a cabin in northern Wisconsin.

Item:

Fireball is a drinking games that uses a deck of cards that are dealt out to players that are often sitting around a table. Depending on how many people play will determine how many decks will be used. Typically, the game is played with five to eight people. The dealer deals out an even number of cards to each player leaving four left over cards to flip over face up and those cards will be considered. “fireball cards”. The player to the left of the dealer starts by flipping over their first card. The player then proceeds to guess whether the next card they flip will be higher or lower than the previous card. Two being the lowest card and aces being the highest. The player continues to guess higher or lower until they guess incorrectly. At any point during their turn the player flips over a card that corresponds to a “fireball card” they have to take a shot of fireball. This is where the game gets its name “fireball”. Once the player get guesses the next card wrong, for example they guess “higher” and the card happened to be lower than the previous card, the player takes a sip of their drink. Now the next player gets to begin to guess higher or lower after they flip over their first card. Also if at any point in the higher/lower portion of the game a player flips up a card that is the same number as their previous card they must take two fireball shots. This continues until a player successfully gets rid of all of their cards. The first person to successfully get rid of their deck of cards gets to give away a shot of fireball to any of the remaining players. The last player with cards still remaining at the end of the round must take a fireball shot.

So who taught you this game?

The informant learned this game when at his cabin in northern Wisconsin from a family friend.

Informant’s Comments:

This game is best played with five or six people, usually friends of yours. With larger groups, greater than 7 players, the game is less fun because each player only gets a certain amount of cards. Also with larger groups people tend to lose focus easily which negatively impacts the game.

Collector’s Comments:

I found this game to be very interesting and fun. It doesn’t, however, require much skill and is mostly based on chance. This game is considered an overconsumption game.  

Collector’s Name: Henry Eilen

Tags/Keywords:

• Card Game
• Overconsumption Game

Title: Presidents and Assholes

Interview link: IMG_1296

General Information about Item:

• Type of Lore: Drinking Game
• Language: English
• Country of Origin: America
• Informant: Dylan Ross
• Date Collected: May 9, 2019

Informant Data:

Dylan Ross grew up in Eau Claire, Wi but is originally from Atlanta, Georgia. Dylan moved to Eau Claire when he was in middle school and has lived there until he graduated high school. After highschool Dylan moved to Minneapolis Minnesota, to attend the University of Minnesota, where he currently a junior.

Contextual Data:

This drinking game was observed between 2014 and 2016 during the informants high school years. This game was observed at a cabin in northern Wisconsin.

Item:

Where did you learn this game?

The informant learned this game during his junior year of high school from a family friend.

TERMINOLOGIES ACCORDING TO RANK:

• President – Player who won the previous round (regardless of the number of players). If scoring, this position can take whatever two cards they want from the asshole. The president can also make on drinking rule for that round of the game. If his reign continues the rules will compile.
• Vice-president (“VP”) – Player who came in second place in the previous round (regardless of the number of players). This position can ask the vice asshole for one card of any kind and in exchange will discard one of their worst card.
• Upper neutral – Player who came in third place, only used in games with 6+ players. Zero points.
• Neutral – Also the player who came in third place, however, this applies only when there are 5 players. If the game has 7 players, this title is used between upper and lower neutral. No advantage
• Lower neutral – Player who came in fourth place, this title is only used with 6+ players. No advantage.
• Vice-Asshole (or other names) – Player who came in next-to-last place. (For example, in a six-person game, vice asshole is whoever came in fifth.) This position must give up one card to the Vice President and must take whatever card he discards.
• Asshole – Player who came in last place in the previous round. This is only used in games with 6 or fewer people. This position must give up two cards to the president and must take whatever two cards that the president discards.

How to Play

• Player that is dealt the three of clubs starts by laying that card in the middle. Once that player lays their card down its the person to the left turn.  Other players may pass or play by beating the previous hand before them. 2s are trump cards and clears the hand. Thus , three are considered the lowest card and aces being the highest. You can beat a single card with another single card of higher rank. Cards don’t have to be laid down in sequential order they just must be higher than the previous card that was laid down. Sets of cards can only be beaten by equal number sets of higher rank. You may pass at any time, you do not have to beat a hand just because you can. This is where the game becomes quiet strategic: a player can save a high card so they can win hands later in the game. Passing does not inhibit you from playing on your next turn or round. The game continues until a play has been made where everyone subsequently passes on a hand. Whomever laid the last card down wins that hand and gets to start the next hand.

END OF GAME

• Play continues until one player has played all their cards. Whoever run out of cards first is the winner and becomes President in the next round. However, the game does not end once there is a new (or first) President; the game continues until there is a single player left with cards in their hand. This player becomes the “asshole”  in the next round. On the next hand players may move around, President at the head and VP to the left (and so on in order) or simply play in the order of rank from original seats. The Asshole and Vice Asshole gives their highest card to the President and the Vice President gives them any card in return which they do not want. Higher status players generally are entitled to abuse lower status players.

*Rules taken from gamerules.com*

Informant’s Comments: The informant likes to play this game wasfun and to get drunk. The informant said he enjoys the game because of the rules that the president can make up. He also said he likes playing this game because it involves an incredible amount of stategitity and can get quite competitive. This game is best player with five to six people that you are close with and comfortable getting drunk around.

Collector’s Comments: I found this game to be very fun and engaging. The rules for the game are difficult to learn at first but once you do the game can get very intense. The game is best played when all of the players are familiar with the rules.  This game fits in the category of competitive drinking game. This game is popular in Wisconsin. 

Collector’s Name: Henry Eilen

Tags/Keywords:

• Competitive Drinking Game
• Card Game