The World’s Most Unusual Bar Games

Walk into any bar in the world over and you’re likely to see a group of guys, beer in one hand, pool cue in the other. There’s likely to be someone in the corner flipping away on pinball, or a group of friends chatting away, phones open, cheerfully gambling to offset the bar tab. You won’t see any turtles, though… unless you’re in Chicago of course.

You see, across the world right from the Windy City to the far quarters of China, there are some unusual customs and traditions when it comes to bar games. From racing turtles to swinging string attached to a ceiling, you can walk into bars and be in for a surprise. If you’re a little older, people gambling on their phones may seem a little strange, but trust me… you haven’t seen anything yet.

So let’s take a look at some of the weirdest and most wonderful bar games across the planet. In no particular order…

Turtle Racing

Of course we’ll start in Chicago and the exciting game of turtle racing. First recorded in 1902, the race was dubbed The Strangest Race Ever Run, and to this day, that description is still very apt.

With a pitcher of beer securing entry – you don’t need to bring your own turtle – turtles must race from the centre of a ring to the outer perimeter, first to do so, wins. And don’t worry, it’s not a case of blink and you’ll miss it. You can pop to the bar and back and only have missed a centimetres length of action.

Black Pudding Throwing

You’d be forgiven for not knowing what black pudding is, never mind how to throw one, but in the hills of Northern England it’s somewhat of an art form, and held every year is the World Black Pudding Throwing Championship in Ramsbottom.

Held outside The Oaks pub, competitors must hurl a black pudding (a blood sausage, fried up out of pork blood and oatmeal) at a pile of Yorkshire puddings (an English dish made from batter and served up with a roast dinner) in an attempt to knock as many down as possible.

Hammerschlagen

Hitting the nail on the head might be an idiom, but it’s also a German bar game that dates back to as early as 1810. First played during Oktoberfest, Hammerschlagen’s sole aim is for a player to drive a nail protruding out from a large piece of wood, into the wood in the fastest possible time.

As happens even when doing the DIY, the nail will often bend, in some cases making it almost impossible to win the race. Winners are then rewarded with a shot of Apfelkorn, a sweet apple-flavored liquor.

Bimini Ring Game

Rumour has it that Ernest Hemingway invented the Bimini Ring Game. According to the Full Tilt Bar Games Map, the Caribbean played game came after the American author caught a prize tuna off the coast of Bimini and upon return to the Big Game Club celebrated not only that but the advent of one of the region’s best loved games.

Played using a long piece of string hanging from a ceiling with a ring attached, players must throw the ring in an attempt to catch it on a hook on the way. The first to get five ‘ringers’ wins.

Milwaukee Bar Dice

Hear the slam of a cup and the scuttle of dice in any bar in the northern states of Wisconsin and Minnesota, and it’s likely you’ll be sampling the sounds of Milwaukee Bar Dice.

Ask for dice and a cup in any southern city and you’ll be greeted with a funny look. Not in Milwaukee. Involving a cup and five dice, the game is actually very similar to poker, with the numbers on each die representing a value that makes up a hand. For example rolling 2,3,4,2,2 would be the equivalent of a three of a kind. Although of course, in this game it’s a little harder to bluff.