How to Play Stack Cup (Plus House Rules & Variations)

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Get your party popping with this crowd-pleasing drinking game

Co-authored by Hunter Rising

Last Updated: July 2, 2024 Fact Checked

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Setup

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Stack Cup Rules

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Variations

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Video

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Tips

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Warnings

If you’re looking for an exciting drinking game for your next party, Stack Cup (or Rage Cage) is the perfect test of your skills and reflexes. Players race to bounce a ping pong ball inside of an empty cup and pass it to the next person, but go too slow and someone will stack their cup in yours and make you take a drink. If this all sounds like fun, we’ve covered all of the rules and some fun variations to try, so keep reading!

Things You Should Know

To play Stack Cup, gather at least 4 people and arrange 20–30 plastic cups in the middle of a table. Fill them ⅓ full with your favorite beer.
Give 2 starting players an empty cup and a ping pong ball. The players bounce their ping pong ball into their cup and pass it to the left after making it in.
Stack the cup if the player on the left has an empty one in front of them. The person who was stacked on takes a new cup from the middle and drinks it.

Section 1 of 3:

Setting Up Stack Cup

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Finding a group of people who want to play Stack Cup will be easy once the party is hopping. Gather at least 4 people to play, but know you can fit as many people around the table as you want to get everyone involved. Just make sure everyone is the legal drinking age and has a way to get home safely.
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Fill and arrange 20–30 plastic cups around the center of the table. Fill each cup about ⅓ of the way full with the beer of your choice, but fill one cup all the way to the brim to be the “King’s Cup.” Place the King’s Cup in the middle of the table and tightly arrange all the remaining cups around it in a circle.
- Looking for a fun night but want to stay sober? Just fill the cups with your favorite soda or juice instead.
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Give 2 starting players each a ping pong ball and empty cup. Choose 2 players who are directly across the table from one another to give the balls and cups to. The players set the cups on the table in front of them.
- Alternatively, have the 2 starting players take a cup from the middle of the table to drink and use at the start of the game.

Section 2 of 3:

Playing Stack Cup

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Bounce your ping pong ball into your empty cup if you're starting. Have the whole group count down from 3 out loud to start the game. The two starting players that have a ball and an empty cup then try bouncing the ball on the table so it lands inside of the cup. If the ball doesn’t go in the cup, quickly grab the ball and try bouncing it again.^{[1]
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- If your ball bounces into a different cup in the middle of the table, drink what’s in that cup. Then, stack that cup inside your original empty cup and try bouncing the ball in again.
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Pass your cup to the left when your ball lands inside. As soon as you bounce the ball inside of the cup, quickly pass the cup and ball to the next person on your left. Then, that player immediately starts trying to bounce the ball inside the cup.^{[2]
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- If you get your ball in the cup on your first try, you are allowed to pass it to anyone at the table instead. One of the best strategies is giving the cup to the person to the right of the other player trying to bounce their ball.
- Keep a glass or bottle of water nearby to take sips between turns. That way, you stay hydrated while you’re drinking.
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Stack your cup if the player on the left hasn’t gotten their ball in yet. If you bounce the ball in your cup and the person to your left has an empty cup in front of them, stack your cup inside of their empty one. Once their cup gets stacked, they have to pass the stack and ball to their left and take a new cup from the center. They must drink from the cup before trying to bounce the ball in.
- As more cups are added to the stack, it will get taller and more difficult to bounce the ping pong ball into.
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Continue playing until somebody takes the King’s Cup. As the cups make their way around the table, players will continue adding to the stack and taking drinks from the center. When there’s only the King’s Cup left in the middle of the table, the last person who gets their cup stacked must take it and drink it to end the game.
- Stack Cup can be pretty fast-paced, so take breaks between games to rehydrate and rest.
- Keep your eyes on the cups when it's not your turn. If someone makes it in on their first try, they could pass it to you.

Section 3 of 3:

Variations

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Rather than playing individually, split the players into 2 equal teams. Have everyone stand around the table so the player order alternates between players from each team. At the end of the game, the losing team splits the King’s Cup instead of one person having to drink the whole thing.
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Take penalty sips when you miss getting the ball in the cup. Have every player keep another drink of their choice next to them as they play. Any time a player misses the cup when they bounce a ball, they have to take a sip from their drink before trying again.
- This variation can get you tipsy a lot faster, so play with only 10–15 cups in the center instead. Make sure you keep some water nearby, too.
If you want a loud and exciting alternative, try playing Boom Cup instead. If a player gets their ping pong ball in their cup and the person to their left is still trying to shoot the ball, the player slaps their empty cup away instead. After that, the player who slapped the cup gives their empty to anyone at the table, and the other person takes a new cup from the middle.^{[3]
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Tips

Drink responsibly by planning how you’re getting home and knowing your limits. The CDC recommends only 2 drinks (2 cans or bottles of beer) per day for men and 1 drink (1 can or bottle) per day for women.^{[4]
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Main public health institute for the US, run by the Dept. of Health and Human Services

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Have water in between drinks so you stay hydrated throughout the game.

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