Devil's Triangle Drinking Game: Complete Rules & Strategy Guide

• 🎮  How to Play Devil’s Triangle
• 📏  Devil’s Triangle Drinking Game Rules
• 🔥  Devil’s Triangle Game Variations
• 💡  Pro Tips for Winning at Devil’s Triangle
• 📜  The History of the Devil’s Triangle Drinking Game

The Devil’s Triangle drinking game is a quarters-based drinking game where players bounce quarters into cups arranged in a triangle formation. This classic party game combines skill, strategy, and just enough alcohol to ensure everyone has a great time.

Perfect for college parties, pre-games, or any social gathering, Devil’s Triangle offers a competitive edge that basic drinking games lack. Unlike Beer Pong where you throw directly, this game requires the precision of bouncing quarters off the table surface and into the cups.

Why is it called “Devil’s Triangle”? The name comes from the distinctive triangular arrangement of the three cups, creating three points that players must navigate with their quarters.

Looking for more drinking game ideas? Check out our complete guide to drinking games for even more party fun!

How to Play Devil’s Triangle

Ready to learn how to play the Devil’s Triangle drinking game? Follow this simple setup and rules guide:

What You’ll Need:

• Three cups (red Solo cups work perfectly)
• Beer or your preferred alcoholic beverage
• A quarter
• A flat, smooth playing surface
• At least 2 players (optimal with 3-6 players)

Setting Up the Game:

1. Arrange the triangle formation: Place three cups in a triangle pattern on the table, with one cup at the point and two cups forming the base.

2. Fill the cups: Pour beer or your chosen drink to fill each cup approximately halfway.

3. Position players: Have all players gather around the table at their chosen positions.

4. Determine the first player: Use rock-paper-scissors or a coin flip to decide who starts the game.

Basic Gameplay:

1. Bounce the quarter: The first player attempts to bounce the quarter off the table and into one of the three cups. The quarter MUST bounce at least once on the table before landing in a cup.

2. Drinking rules: If successful, that player chooses someone to drink the contents of the cup. After drinking, the cup is refilled and placed back in the triangle formation.

3. Turn progression: Whether successful or not, play continues clockwise to the next player.

Pro Tip: The perfect bounce requires about 6-8 inches of height. Practice your wrist action to get the right amount of force—not too hard, not too soft!

Devil’s Triangle Drinking Game Rules

Follow these official Devil’s Triangle rules to ensure a fair and fun game for everyone involved:

Core Rules:

• Bouncing requirement: The quarter must bounce at least once on the table before landing in a cup.
• Cup refill: After someone drinks from a cup, it must be refilled to the halfway point and returned to the triangle formation.
• Missed shots: If a player misses all cups, their turn ends and play passes to the next person.
• Turn order: Play proceeds in a clockwise direction around the table.

Advanced Rules:

• Triangle reformation: After each successful shot, rearrange the cups to maintain the triangle formation.
• Rim shots: If a quarter circles around the rim before falling in, the chosen drinker must finish their entire personal drink in addition to the cup.
• Splash-out rule: If the quarter lands in a cup but bounces out, it does not count as a successful shot.
• Table boundaries: The quarter must remain on the playing surface. If it falls off the table, the turn is forfeited.

Devil’s Triangle Game Variations

Keep your Devil’s Triangle drinking game nights fresh with these popular variations:

Death Cup Variation

Designate one cup as the “death cup.” When someone gets assigned to drink from this cup, they must also finish their personal drink. This adds an element of risk and excitement.

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Play

Double Trouble

If a player makes two consecutive successful shots, they earn the right to either:

• Force one person to drink both cups
• Select two different people to drink one cup each

Call Your Shot

For experienced players, announce which specific cup you’re aiming for before taking your shot. If successful in hitting that exact cup, the chosen drinker must take two drinks instead of one.

Team Play

Split into teams of two. Teams take turns shooting, and points are awarded for successful shots. The first team to reach 21 points wins, while the losing team must finish their drinks.

Progressive Triangle

Start with three cups, then add one cup to the formation after every three rounds. This creates increasingly complex patterns and greater difficulty as the game continues.

Pro Tips for Winning at Devil’s Triangle

Master these strategies to dominate your next Devil’s Triangle drinking game:

1. Perfect your bounce technique: Aim for a medium-strength bounce about 6-8 inches from the cups. Too much force sends the quarter flying over the cups, while too little won’t reach them.

2. Study the table surface: Different surfaces affect bounce dynamics. Wooden tables provide consistent bounces, while plastic tables might be more unpredictable.

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3. Target the front cup: The front cup (the point of the triangle) is typically the easiest to hit, especially for beginners.

4. Use your non-dominant hand: Challenge yourself by shooting with your non-dominant hand when playing against less experienced players.

5. Maintain consistent form: Find a comfortable stance and quarter-holding position that works for you and stick with it.

Remember: The key to Devil’s Triangle mastery is practice! The more you play, the better your quarter-bouncing skills will become.

The History of the Devil’s Triangle Drinking Game

The Devil’s Triangle drinking game gained unexpected national attention in 2018 during Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court confirmation hearings. When questioned about a yearbook reference to “Devil’s Triangle,” Kavanaugh described it as a drinking game similar to quarters.

The game became something of a cultural phenomenon afterward, with many college students either claiming to have played it for years or suddenly becoming interested in learning the rules. Whether the game existed in its current form before 2018 or evolved afterward, it’s now firmly established in the drinking game pantheon alongside classics like Beer Pong and Kings.

The distinctive triangular arrangement of cups likely inspired the name, as traditional quarters games typically use just one cup. The three-point structure creates more strategic options and difficulty levels, making it appealing for those looking for a drinking game with a bit more skill involved.

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Today, Devil’s Triangle has evolved into various regional versions, with each college campus and social circle adding their own unique rules and traditions to the base game.

Now that you know exactly how to play the Devil’s Triangle drinking game, it’s time to put your quarter-bouncing skills to the test! Gather your friends, set up those cups in the perfect triangle formation, and enjoy one of the most skill-based drinking games around. Whether you’re hosting a house party or looking for the perfect pre-game activity, Devil’s Triangle delivers the perfect blend of competition and fun.