What you need
A quarter (any coin of a similar size works), a small cup or shot glass for the middle of the table, a drink for each player and a hard table that lets a coin bounce. Two or more players. It is also played in South America, where it is called monedita, “little coin”.
Quarters is an adult drinking game. Play it only with people of legal drinking age (21 in the United States), never pressure anyone to drink, keep every “drink” to a small sip, have water on the table between rounds, and never drive afterwards. In the version below the centre cup stays empty, so the game works just as well with soft drinks, or with a point each time someone would drink.
Setup
Put the empty centre cup in the middle of the table, at least 10 inches from every player. Everyone has their own drink. Agree before starting how much a “drink” is: one small sip.
Some versions fill the centre cup with a drink; keeping it empty is cleaner and avoids anyone having to drink a cup that coins have been in.
How to play
- The shooter bounces the quarter face down off the table, aiming for the centre cup. The coin must hit the table at least once; a coin thrown straight in counts as a miss.
- If it goes in, the shooter picks any player to take a sip and shoots again. A good shooter can keep going until they miss.
- If it misses, the quarter passes to the next player clockwise.
Chance
When you miss, you may call “Chance” to shoot once more. Make it and you carry on as normal; miss your chance shot and you take a sip yourself before passing the quarter.
Make a rule
Sink the quarter three times in a row and you may make a rule that lasts for the rest of the game. Classic examples: no pointing, or nobody may say “drink”, “drank” or “drunk”. Anyone who breaks a rule takes a sip. Only one rule at a time in some groups.
Challenge
If your coin hits the rim of the cup, other players may challenge you to shoot again. You can decline and pass. If you accept and make it, each challenger sips; if you miss, you sip once for each challenger.
Scoring and winning
The game has no official end; you stop when the group wants to. Some groups play elimination: a player who no longer wants to drink drops out, and the last one in wins. In a points game, the player with the fewest points when you stop wins.
Common variants
- Speed Quarters. For six or more players. Two empty glasses start in front of players on opposite sides of the table. Both shoot as fast as they can; when you sink the coin, pass your glass to the left (or to anyone, if you made it first try). When one glass catches up with the other, the player caught has a forfeit. The classic forfeit is a long drink; play it with a sip of water or a point instead.
- Ponderosa. Each player’s cup sits in a ring around a shared centre cup. Landing in someone’s cup makes them drink theirs; landing in the centre makes everyone drink. This version adds up fast, so keep every pour to a sip or play with water.
- Alcohol-free. Sips become points on a sheet of paper. The bouncing is the game.
Tips for first games
- Practise a few bounces before you start: every table and coin behaves differently.
- A tall, narrow glass is harder than a wide, short one. Start with a wide cup.
- Keep track of rules on paper. Once two or three rules are in force, people forget.
Frequently asked questions
Does the quarter have to bounce? Yes. A shot that does not bounce off the table at least once counts as a miss.
What happens when you make the shot? You choose someone to take a sip and you shoot again.
What is “Chance” in Quarters? After a miss, you can call it to try one more time. Miss again and you drink.
Can you play Quarters without alcohol? Yes. The centre cup is empty anyway; count points instead of sips.
