Tou Hu (Pitch Pot)
Ancient Chinese court game: throw sticks into a jar, miss and drink.
Easy
Players
2-8
Length
10-30 min
Intensity
Easy going
You need
Bottle
How to play
Origin: Tou Hu (投壺) is one of the oldest recorded drinking games. It was played at the court of the Zhou dynasty and has its own chapter in the Liji, the Book of Rites. It spread through Korea and Japan as a courtly pastime.
Setup: An empty wide mouthed bottle or a jar stands three to four paces away. Three throwing objects per player, classically arrows, today chopsticks or straws.
How to play:
- Going around, each player throws their three sticks towards the jar
- The throw comes from the hip, not over the head
- Only what stays inside the jar counts
Drinking:
- No hit: two sips
- One hit: no sip
- All three: the thrower hands out three sips
Ceremony: At court every hit was answered with a bow. Forget the bow and you drink anyway.