Top 10 pub games to play with pals
Who’s up for a game of pool? Darts? Cribbage? Winner buys the next round!
For centuries, pubs have been community hubs where people eat, drink, bond and engage in friendly competition. Before the days of Wi-Fi and 75-inch screens, the primary source of entertainment for pub-goers was a good game of cards or even the odd round of table football. And we’re pleased to report that many of these traditional pub games are still going strong.
If you want to liven up your next pub trip, why not try your hand at one of the following pub games?
Darts
Starting off strong with a classic. Darts and pubs go together like Fish & Chips or Sausage & Mash (both of which you’ll find on our menu, what a coincidence). Games that involve throwing small projectiles at targets have been around since the Medieval period, and by the 15th century, dart-throwing games were popular in taverns across the country. These days, a perfectly poured pint paired with a good game of darts still goes down a storm.
Your local Hungry Horse pub might not be Alexandra Palace, but it’s a close second!
Pool
Another timeless pub favourite, pool started life as bar billiards, a game of French/Belgian origin. It became a pub staple during the late 1960s, when American-style coin-operated tables began cropping up in pubs all over the UK. Luckily, you no longer have to dig around in your pockets for change, as most of the pool tables in Hungry Horse pubs are cashless, so all you have to do is find a pub with a pool table near you, tap your card and give it your best shot.
Shuffleboard
You might associate Shuffleboard with shiny, modern arcades and American-style sports bars, but it actually has origins in Tudor England! This pub game involves sliding weighted pucks down a long table, scoring points depending on where they end up. It sounds simple, and it is – but strategy plays a big part in Shuffleboard. It takes a few minutes to learn and a lifetime to perfect, so head to the pub and get some practice in!
Beer pong
Ah, beer pong, the go-to game for university students, played in bars, pubs and dormitories all over the world. It might look easy, but it involves more skill than you might think! So, how’s your aim?
The average beer pong set-up involves a long table and ten cups on each side arranged in a triangle, tenpin bowling-style. Two players then take alternate turns throwing a ping-pong ball into their opponent’s cups. If your opponent’s ball lands in one of your cups, you have to drink the contents. It might be beer, it might be water, it might even be something you really don’t want to drink, like lemon juice or pickle brine. Your best bet is to learn some jaw-dropping trick shots and give your spectators a show.
Dominoes
Onto a slightly less raucous game now. Dominoes is one of the oldest traditional pub games in the world. It’s tricky to pinpoint the exact date when this game was introduced to our shores, but its origins can be traced back to 12th-century China. What we do know is that by the 1800s, it was a popular form of entertainment in UK pubs.
Dominoes is the perfect calm, strategic pub game to play on cosy evenings with your close pals and a few rounds. ‘Fives and Threes’ works particularly well as a team game, making it a fun social activity for the whole crew. You could even join a local league!
Card games
You can’t beat a good old-fashioned game of cards down the pub! And the beauty of cards is that the options are endless. A classic deck of cards is a staple in most homes, and you’re almost guaranteed to find one behind the bar of every pub in the country (hopefully with all cards present). From simple one-on-one games like Gin Rummy and Spades to games for larger groups like Bridge and Poker, there are thousands of variations to keep you busy.
Agreeing on the rules? We’ll leave that one up to you and your pals.
Cribbage
We’ve talked about card games, but this one deserves its own special shout-out. If you don’t know what cribbage or crib is, ask your grandparents. Just kidding, it’s a traditional card game that combines skill and strategy with luck and although it’s typically favoured by the older generations, we think it’s about time it made a comeback!
Cribbage involves a deck of cards and a cribbage board for scoring. Players take turns, scoring points with 15s, pairs, runs and flushes. They then peg their points on the cribbage board, and the first one to reach 121 points wins. Cribbage is synonymous with community and friendly rivalry between teams, so why not give it a go?
Table football
While you’re catching some live sports at your local Hungry Horse pub with Sky Sports and TNT Sports, why not have a little match of your own? And when we say “little”, we mean all the players are three inches tall. Yep, table football has been around for decades, becoming a pub staple during the 60s. Perfect for a spot of friendly competition or even as an ice-breaker between strangers, this simple pub game can get surprisingly energetic. You might end up wishing you had four pairs of arms but whatever you do, don’t spin the rods!
Beer mat flipping
Stay with us here! We know you’re probably thinking, “Beer mat flipping? That’s a fidget, not a pub game!” But you’ll be surprised how competitive it can get. Place a beer mat on the edge of your table and use the back of your hand to flick it upwards, causing it to rotate 180 degrees. The aim is to catch it cleanly but be warned; it’s harder than it sounds. There’s a knack to it! Once you’ve done one, then stack the beer mats up and see how many you can flip at once.
Skittles
Another oldie but a goodie. Skittles is yet another traditional pub game dating back to Medieval Europe that became popular in pubs during the 18th and 19th centuries. There are several different types of pub skittles, including alley skittles (similar to bowling) and swinging ball or table skittles, which involves a ball suspended on a rope that players swing to knock over pins.
There aren’t as many skittles leagues as there once were, but we think it’s about time this simple yet fun pub game made a comeback too!