Bet, Sip, Repeat: How Online Gambling Is Inspiring a New Wave of Drinking Games

Considering the vast range of games found at casinos, it’s hardly surprising that online casino games can also easily be converted into games to get the party atmosphere started.

Online Gambling Games

The popularity of online gambling has exploded in recent years, especially since the advent and increased use of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies (source: https://www.instantcasino.com/bitcoin ).^[a]

The fact that online casinos are optimized for play on cell phones and mobile devices also makes them more convenient, and, for those looking to turn casino games into drinking games, mobile casinos are even more convenient. So, too, is the vast range of games available for players to choose from. Those games range from classic casino games like roulette and baccarat to more modern variants of games like crash games.

Drunk Poker

Most people have some idea of the basic rules of poker, especially common variants like Texas Hold ‘Em. Drunk Poker uses the same hand ranking and the same game mechanics as traditional poker. You can even bet for chips, but drunk poker differs from the original game because shots or other drinks are added as forfeits for certain actions.

For example, players might have to drink shots when they fold, which will encourage some players to stay in hands they know they won’t win. Or you might have to drink when you lose a hand. If somebody wins with a flush or better, everybody else has to drink. It’s worth starting with minimal drinking forfeits and then increasing them to make sure you aren’t drinking too much too quickly.

Shot Roulette

While most people have a deck of cards at home, not too many people have their own roulette wheel. You can make your own, or you can use an online casino’s play account to spin the roulette wheel. In any case, there are different ways you can adapt roulette. Red or black is a very simple variant. Assign either red or black to mean that everybody has to take a shot, or that the person who span the wheel has to do so.

Alternatively, you can have different drinks set up for different numbers, using long and short drinks, water and soda, and empty numbers where the player doesn’t have to drink. A slightly different variant of the game sees you loading 16 shot classes, 8 with water and 8 with vodka or another clear spirit. On a player’s turn, they take a shot glass, at random, and drink.  

Barfly Blackjack

Barfly blackjack is another game that is easy to learn, even for the few people who don’t know the rules of blackjack already. It is also quick, so you may need to spread the games out. Take it in turns to play as the dealer and, rather than betting money on each hand, anybody who loses to the banker must take a drink.

The dealer only has to drink if they go bust. The added feature of this game is that the dealer always wins with a blackjack, which means there will be hands where everybody but the dealer has to down a shot. You don’t need to employ any particular blackjack strategy  to play, either.

Craps Cups

Also known as Sevens, Elevens, and Doubles, craps cups is a dice-based drinking game loosely based on the popular casino game of craps. An alcoholic drink is placed in the middle of the table, ideally a long drink such as a spirit and mixer. The first player rolls two dice. If they roll 7, 11, or a double, they pick somebody who has to take the glass.

They must drink the contents of the glass before the roller hits another 7, 11, or double. If the roller successfully hits the desired outcome, the drinker has to refill the glass and try again. If the drinker succeeds in emptying the glass, they become the roller and start the process again.

Slot Shots

In slot shots, players use a slot machine emulator or play account and spin the reels. A certain type of drink is assigned to each symbol, and if the slot machine lands three in a row of that symbol, that dictates the drink. At this point, the person who span the winning reels could be forced to drink.

Alternatively, you could keep taking turns to spin until somebody else rolls a winner, and then they drink the chosen beverage. Alternatively, you can add other rules so rolling a single lucky 7 on the first reel means that the player can choose somebody to drink. A jackpot means everybody has to take a drink.

Crash Shots

Crash games are a relatively new addition to some online casinos. These games are push-your-luck games. Players stake an amount of money, and the game begins. Players can cash out at any time, but as the game progresses, the multiplier increases. If the game crashes, the player loses everything.

Crash games could be used in different ways. You could play a standard crash game, including real money bets, and if you crash, you have to take a drink as well. Alternatively, you could all just sit back and watch the games unfold. If the multiplier ever makes it to a chosen level, such as 10x, then everybody has to drink.

Conclusion

Tons of online casino games can be turned into drinking games, either by using online casino software or by adapting the games to be played at home. Even a single coin or multiple coins  are enough to create a convincing drinking game, or you can turn guessing games and spoken word games to create the same experience.