Beer & Pretzels
Beer & Pretzels Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Quick Start
- Give everyone a set of coasters and a napkin, then place the string on a table in a loose circle.
- Aiming for the circle, each player in order tosses a coaster until the coasters are gone, then they each toss their napkin.
- Each player gets money equal to the total of entirely-visible pretzels and doubles that money if their beer mug is entirely visible. Coasters outside the string do not count.
- Each player gets to start a round, and then the game is over, and the player with the most money wins.
Components
1 Boundary Line string, 25 coasters, 5 napkins, 40 silver $5 coins & 40 copper $1 coins.
Setup
Place the pile of coins off to the side, near the player least likely to borrow a few when no one else is looking. Place the Boundary Line string in the middle of the table in any shape to define the size of the boundary; the bigger and more circular the shape the better for new players and those who are dexterity-challenged. Give each player one colored set of 5 coasters and a napkin. Each player should be the same distance from the Boundary Line. For 5 players, remove the Soft Pretzel ($4) coasters.
Gameplay
The game is played over a series of rounds, with a different player starting each round. Each player will start a round once.
The starting player tosses any one of his coasters towards the inside of the boundary.
Note: If you happen to be consuming pretzels and/or beer while playing this game, be careful not to toss your real pretzels or (heaven forbid) your real beer onto the table.
In clockwise order, each player tosses a coaster until all players are out of coasters. Then the starting player tosses his Beer & Pretzels napkin, and each of the other players toss theirs in turn. This helps to clean up the mess that you just made and to cover up your opponents' coasters.
If a coaster lands upside-down, it is immediately and carefully removed by the player who threw it while the other players make fun of the coaster-tossing-impaired player. That coaster is put aside for the round.
The string may move if a coaster or napkin hits it. It may also move as the result of hurricane-force winds, a cat jumping onto the table or by the unscrupulous use of telekinesis.
After scoring, each player takes their coasters and napkin back and the next player clockwise starts the next round. Play as many rounds as there are people in the game.
Scoring
At the end of a round (when all coasters and napkins have been tossed onto the table), each player adds the money for all individual pretzels of his color that are entirely visible (i.e. the black line around each pretzel -- including its value -- is not obscured in any way). If a player's beer mug is entirely visible, he multiplies his total by two. For a pretzel or beer to count, it must be within or touching the Boundary Line string, or linked to the string by other coasters or napkins or a combination of both. Each player takes the money due them in the form of coins equal to the amount on his coasters.
Coasters that are not within or touching the Boundary Line or not somehow linked to the Boundary Line do not count.
Scoring Example
In the 3 player example below, the score is:
- Blue: $7 ($3+$2+$1+$1)
- Red: $10 ($3+$2)x2
- Yellow: $6 ($2+$1)x2
The red $3 coaster counts because it is linked to coasters/napkins that are touching the Boundary Line. The yellow $4 coaster is outside of the Boundary Line and is not touching any coasters or napkins linked to the Boundary Line, so it doesn't add to Yellow's money total.
Game End
After the last round (when each player has started one round), the player with the most money wins, just like in real life. In case of a tie for any position, all tied players say "this is lame."