These days there are many games available for outdoor play. Every game is fun in its own way, but the common thing with every outdoor game is that they are very addictive.
Both cornhole and beer pong is fun to play with your friends. Also, both of these games can help you socialize with your neighbors or acquaintances.
According to Google, cornhole is far more popular than beer pong, especially during hot summer days. Corn hole is mostly played at tailgating parties. However, many tournaments and championships are being held every year nationwide.
On the other hand, as its name suggests, beer pong is closely related to parties where alcohol is the main beverage. That being said, cornhole is mostly played by older people, while beer pong is popular among the younger population.
When it comes to equipment, there really isn’t much stuff that you need.
Equipment
For cornhole, you need 2 standardized boards and 8 bags. The dimension of the bag should be 6 by 6 inches, and the dimension of the board should be 12 inches in width and 24 inches in length; however, if you don’t intend to practice for official cornhole tournaments, then you can get yourself much practical equipment from the manufacturer called Baggo. Their boards are just feet shorter, not according to official standards, but much easier to store and carry. Wooden boards are quite heavy.
For beer pong, you guessed right; you need LOT’s of beer 🙂 , But besides beer, you need a ping pong ball, a table that is 242 cm long, and 22 plastic cups! (20 for beet and 2 for water that you are going to use for cleaning balls after each throw – you want to clean the ball after it has been on the ground)
Let’s briefly cover the basic rules.
Cornhole
It can be played in singles (2 players) or doubles (2 teams with 2 players in each team). The rules are the same for both types of plays.
This is a classic lawn/backyard game, so this game is played outside in most cases. However, during cold winter days, you can play it inside, but you need to make sure that the distance between the roof and the highest point of a cornhole board is at least 12 feet. This will ensure that no one hits the ruff while throwing a bag.
Basically, this is how it works.
2 competing players stand on the left and right sides of the board. They alternately throw bags at the cornhole board on the opposite side. Each player has 4 throws in each round. Hence the reason for having 8 bags (4 for each player).
Whenever a players’ bag goes into the hole, it carries 3 points. If it stays on the board surface, it carries 1 point (this point is also called Penny). If a bag goes off the board, it’s simply worth zero points.
When all 8 bags are tossed, the round ends and score are calculated. Since this is a canceling type of game, points are calculated and canceled against each opponent. The highest-scoring player/team adds the scoring difference to the overall game score.
The team who reaches (or exceeds) 21 points in overall score wins!
If you want to learn more about cornhole rules, then look at this article that covers the topic in great detail.
PROS: This is a very competitive game, and because of the cancellation type of scoring, it’s very dynamic. Also, it can be very addictive, so you might even decide to take your game to the next level and apply for tournaments.
CONS: You need to invest in equipment to play. Although it’s a long-term investment and boards will most likely serve you for years, you will need to spend at least 300$ for decent boards, bags, and some handy accessories such as night light sets. Also, the boards are quite heavy, so you will need to plan when you will play this game. Besides that, you can play it only when the weather conditions are good since it’s mostly played outside.
Beer pong
Beer pong is the most popular drinking game, which means that it involves heavy consumption of alcoholic drinks.
The gameplay is actually very similar to cornhole. At the end of each table, there should be two competing teams or players.
You can also play this game as singles (1 on 1) or as doubles (2 on 2). In our opinion, it’s much more interesting when played as doubles.
As shown on the image, you should prepare cups filled with beer (1/4 filled, so it doesn’t spill when the ball scores).
Players alternately throw balls at opponents’ team cups. Logically, whenever a ball falls into a cup, it’s a score. When scored, the team in whose cup the ball landed must drink 1 cup of beer.
If a ball went directly into the cup from the air, it’s worth 1 point = 1 drink.
If the ball bounced off the table before scoring, then it’s worth two points = 2 drinks
If you want to learn about the whole history and detailed gameplay of beer pong, take a look at this article on Wikipedia.
Did you know that beer pong tournaments are organized across the world every year? 🙂
PROS: You won’t feel bad even if you lose, if you know what I’m sayin’ 🙂 Also, it can be played literally anywhere where you have a table, no matter the weather season. It can be played during backyard parties also.
CONS: It’s an addictive and entertaining game. If played long enough, it can get you really drunk.
Finally, we think that these games are not comparable at all. Each of these games is played on drastically different occasions. For a great cornhole match, you need a relatively quiet atmosphere where you can concentrate on the next shot. Beer pong is played in a much more casual atmosphere.
Related post: Top 7 Backyard Games that are Good for Kids
So it’s a tie!
Both games are fascinating in their own weird way! Said, different populations and ages are playing cornhole compared to beer pong.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the history of cornhole?
Cornhole history has no authentic or written version. It is said that the cornhole was invented in 14th century Germany by a carpenter. He saw some children throwing stones at a groundhog’s hole. Considering children’s safety, he grabbed some scrap wood and made a hole in it. He also filled some sacks with corn kernels because corn was available in abundance at that time. Hence the game got its name, “Cornhole.” It is believed that German travelers started playing cornhole in the US. Some Native Americans also used to play a version of cornhole with pig bladders. The game traveled from city to city and state to state in the US. Today cornhole is one of the most favorite summertime American games.
What is the history of beer pong?
The game is believed to have evolved from the original beer pong played with paddles. Beer pong with peddles has its origins in the fraternities of Dartmouth College in the 1950s. The original version was much similar to an actual ping pong gameplay. It was in the 1980s that the game got its name beer pong and Beirut.
What are the different names of cornhole?
Cornhole is also known as a bean bag, bean bag toss, bags game, tailgate toss, baggo, bags, or bag toss.
What are the different names of beer pong?
Beer pong is also known as Beirut, Six-Cup, and 10-cups.
Which game do you prefer? Share in the comments below…
