The Main Event Final Table Drinking Game

If you're anything like us you're going to be enjoying a few adult beverages as you watch this year's ESPN broadcast of the WSOP Main Event final table.

To help you make the drinking part a bit more entertaining we've developed a drinking game based around televised poker.

The game will work with any televised poker but for best results use it for final tables, since they show all full hands.

The rules are simple and, if followed to the letter, will guarantee a drunkening to remember (or not remember).

The Rules

Each participant in the game must draw a card from a standard 52-card deck. This card will determine each player's suit and rank. For example, if I draw the ten of clubs my rank is ten and my suit is clubs.

The drinking revolves around three main parts of the poker being played on the TV and your suit and rank determine when you must drink.

The Board Cards

Each time a card appears on the board those with matching ranks and suits must drink, one drink for each matching rank or suit.

For example, if the flop comes down A T 2 (and I still have the T) I will have to drink twice, once for the club and once for the ten. If the ten had been the T it would mean a total of three drinks, two for the two clubs and one for the ten.

This applies to the flop, turn and river.

The Hole Cards

Matching your rank to the hole cards allows you to give out drinks to anyone you choose.

When a player has your card in the hole you can give away one drink.

For hole cards to play in the drinking game they must be involved in a hand. That means the player holding them must make any action except a fold before the flop.

So, using my T as an example, if someone raises or calls with A T I get to give out one drink to any of the other participants.

As a special bonus if a player has a pocket pair that matches your rank everyone must drink!

Suits have no bearing on this part of the game.

Made Hands

The third component of the game has to do with the five-card hands players on the television are making.

Whenever a player makes a flush in your suit, or a straight with your rank in it, you get to make a traditional drinking game rule.

So, just to be clear, if I have the T and some makes a club flush or a straight with a ten in it I get to make a rule.

The best rules are those that penalize participants for doing common things. Our favorites are:

• No swearing
• No saying the word "drink"

After coming up with the idea for this game we thought it only prudent to test it out with the last episode of the 2009 WSOP broadcast.

Here's a few quick clips with both of the above rules in effect.

We urge you to enjoy this game responsibly and in moderation!