Beer Pong – Now playing in a basement near you!

Not many drinking games can earn you $50,000, but at least one can. Beer Pong.

Beer pong is a drinking game played mostly at college parties and tailgaters. It has become increasingly popular over the last few years. It's a fairly simple game with fun rules.

The game requires two teams of two. Each team has 10 cups at the end of a decent-sized table filled with some beer. The object of the game is to sink a ping-pong ball into one of the opponent's cups.

Each team takes turns shooting. Both players shoot in one turn and attempt to score. When a ball lands in a cup the other team must drink the beer in that cup. When no more cups remain on one side the game is won by the team with any remaining cups.

Every house has their own set of rules. Nick McCallum, an avid beer pong player and college student, says the rules are usually decided on by the owner of the house, or the person who set up the location. Some examples of the house rules are:

-If both players of one team score into the same cup the opposing team must drink two cups of beer instead of one. After the two beers are consumed the team who had shot gets to go again. McCallum has seen some pretty amazing shutout games because of this rule.

-If a player chooses to bounce the ball before landing it in a cup the opposing team must drink a cup for every bounce before the score. So if the ball bounced three times then landed in a cup the team would consume three cups. If a team chooses to play the bounce the opposing team may defend their cups by swiping and knocking the ball away.

-Redemption rules: If one team has only one cup and the shot is made on their cup they have the chance to shoot to save themselves. If they make the shot the game continues and they do not have to consume the last beer.

For a more complete list of rules check out Bpong.com.

Beer pong has become wildly successful over the last few years. McCallum thinks this is for a few reasons.

"First and foremost, people just like to get inebriated," McCallum says.

He feels it gives people a fun way to drink. It's kind of like sports but less serious. "By the end of the night everyone is inebriated and happy, so no one loses."

McCallum also attributes some of its success to the ease of getting a game together. All you need is a rectangular table, 12 cups, two ping pong balls, and some beer.

The game has become so popular that Bpong.com has hosted four World Series of Beer Pong tournaments. The last of which took place in Las Vegas between Jan. 1-5, and the grand prize was $50,000. Four hundred fourteen teams competed from across the U.S. and Canada. The winning team, from New York, was named "Smashing Time."

Bpong.com offers official rules, a beer pong store, beer pong forums and blogs, online games, and a frequently asked questions section.

One problem that is associated with beer pong is binge drinking. This is an issue that affects many college campuses. The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) say that 44% of students attending a four year college drink at a binge level or greater. According to CSPI one of the major factors of binge drinking is low price and easy access.

For more information on binge drinking visit http://www.cspinet.org/booze/collfact1.htm