Beer Pong: Two Balls In One Cup (AKA The Death Cup)

In beer pong, two balls in one cup is a marker for death.

It’s a beer pong rule most pros don’t allow. And many casual players don’t want to use it either.

But if the rule is in place and you’re a two-man team that is good at aiming, you can end any game quickly.

If you both sink your balls in the same cup, you win the game on the spot.

You can see why many people do not like this rule.

Let’s take a closer look at the death cup, i.e. two balls in one cup, and see what exactly it entails and why many people hate it.

 

Beer Pong Death Cup

It is important to know about the death cup. It could mean one of two things. We’ll get into the obscure one first.

The death cup is any cup that you are supposed to drink all the way down. If you do not finish it all and there is beer left in the cup, it is a death cup.

Your opponent only has to sink their ball into that cup and it’s over. Like, game over. You’ve lost.

However, the main death cup that people are referring to is the one that occurs when you and your partner team up together to take out the opposing team.

You sink your ball in one specific cup, and then your teammate sinks their ball on top of yours in the same cup. It’s a cheap, quick way to win the game.

Because it is kind of a cheap way to win, this version of the death cup rule is usually only played in casual matches, and it’s a for-fun type rule.

If you know the opposing team has excellent aim, you may want to strike this rule and go with the alternate death cup rule (just make sure you finish your drinks).

 

Tips To Win With Two Balls In One Cup

Do you want to win with the death cup rule on the table?

I commemorate you. No, I applaud you, because it’s not an easy feat by any means.

 

Train Accuracy

If you’re not accurate, you’re not going to land in the cup. Plain and simple. The trick here is to actually maintain any level of accuracy as you begin to drink, because inevitably you’re going to have to drink throughout this.

 

Alcohol Tolerance

Like I said before, you’re going to end up drinking (it wouldn’t be very much fun if you didn’t). How well can you hold your alcohol? Do you have any say in what beer is being used?

Some people will only play beer pong if they get to choose the beer. Obviously, nobody is going to play with a bunch of O’Doul’s on the table, but you could choose a slightly lower alcohol beer to help you out.

 

Practice With Your Teammate Of Choice

If you’re going into this, I imagine that you have a teammate in mind that you know fairly well. This is good, because you need that chemistry to work off of.

You’ll need someone who can also land their shots, and you need to practice the death cup strategy together to ensure that you can actually pull it off.

 

Try Right Away

The further back in the pyramid you get, the harder it can be to win with two balls in one cup. Work on getting it right on the tip of the pyramid so you can shut out the enemy team right from the get-go. It’s not as much fun to watch, but you’ll win fast, stay sober, and be able to play again in no time.

 

How To Train Accuracy

Get familiar with regulation ping pong balls. They have a certain weight and feel (but not those cheap, see-through balls they try to sell you in the beer aisle of the liquor store).

There’s a certain way that they bounce. Be sure that if you’re taking this seriously, you also have a regulation size beer pong table. Any of these portable beer pong tables are perfect.

You need to get familiar with the way the ball bounces off the table before you can really line up your accuracy.

• Work from the front of the pyramid to the back
• Practice throwing wet beer pong balls so the resistance difference doesn’t ruin your shots
• Practice tuning out everything around you when you take your shot (even your teammate)
• Before your move, do a round of box breathing for 16 seconds (one set); it helps you focus
• Engage your elbow, but let your wrist hang loose

 

Troll – Best Defense Against Death Cup Loss

Trolling in beer pong is a powerful thing. You’re basically turning a beer pong player into a meme.

Trolling means that if you can sink the death cup quickly or win in some way, and one member of the opposing duo didn’t land a single point for their team, they have to stay underneath the table for the entire next match.

It becomes a 1 versus 2 scenario, making it easier for you to win. And it completely eliminates that team’s possibility of landing a death cup (two balls in one cup).

If you can effectively turn someone on the enemy team into a troll, you can easily win the match as a result. Time to land the death cup on their side.

 

Two Balls In One Cup: Final Thoughts

If you can do this, and your buddy can do this, you’re basically beer pong gods.

And if that’s the case, try your best to incorporate this rule at the beginning of a match. Many people will assume that this rule is off the table, so you have to schmooze a bit.

The tricky part is this: when you suggest that the rule stays in play, people will think you’re up to something. In that way, it is similar to calling island.

You have to slip it in there like it’s a casual thing, and if the other duo agrees, then it’s time to mark the center cup for death.