Buffalo (game)

Buffalo is a game of remembering to drink with the correct hand

Buffalo (or Buffalo Club) is a drinking game where participants agree to only drink from their glass with their non-dominant hand. If they are caught using the other hand, they must 'chug' or 'skull' (rapidly finish) their drink.

People who play the game refer to themselves as "Buffalos", and groups of players may refer to themselves as a "Buffalo Club" or a “Buffalo Herd”.

History

The history and origin of the Buffalo Club are obscure and many versions are in existence. A folk origin of the game states that Buffalo Club stems from the gunslinging days of the Wild West where the use of one's right hand (the shooting hand) was at times a matter of life or death. ^[1] Thus, recreational activities such as playing cards or drinking were done with the left hand only to avoid severe consequences. ^[2] The game is now popular around the world.^{[ citation needed ]}

Basic game

The basic rule of the game is that a player can only drink with their non-dominant hand. ^[3] If any other Buffalo players spot them drinking with their dominant hand, they call Buffalo on the player and that player must finish their drink as quickly as possible. ^{[4] [5]} If the player hesitates to finish their drink, the other players will usually proceed to make a ruckus chanting "Buffalo!" and banging on the table until the player finishes. ^{[3] [6] [7]}

The game is often presented as a "lifetime commitment", where agreeing to play it means that others who know this may call a player out for drinking with the wrong hand at any point in the future. ^[2]

Variants

• In one version of the game, players may only ever hold their drink in their left hand, even when they are not drinking it. ^[8] Having everyone use the same hand removes the need for players to ask each others' dominant hand.
• The Left Hand brewery promotes its milk stout as being an "immunity beer", which may be drunk with either hand by Buffalo players. ^[9]

See also

• The Game (mind game), another game in which the players are perpetually playing.

References

1. Balkissoon, Denise (July 25–31, 2013). "Road Trip A: Buffalo". The Grid . Archived from the original on 2013-10-29. Retrieved 2013-10-25.
2. "The American Buffalo Club Association". American Buffalo Club Association.
3. Kevin Pease (Nov 26, 2007). "Let The Games Begin!". New University . Retrieved Jan 18, 2010.
4. "Beer Game: Buffalo Club". Real Beer. 2008. Retrieved August 7, 2009.
5. Melissa Ludwig (March 26, 2009). "UTSA frat kicked out for hazing". San Antonio Express-News. Archived from the original on April 1, 2009. Retrieved January 18, 2010.
6. "The 5 Lamest Drinking Games". Coed Magazine. March 19, 2009. Retrieved August 7, 2009.
7. "Buffalo". Student Drinking Games. Retrieved August 7, 2009.
8. Banks, Rob (16 May 2023). "Josh Allen's Fun Drinking Game is Called "Buffaloed"". 104.5 The Team ESPN Radio. Retrieved 22 October 2025.
9. "The Buffalo Exception". Medium. 2019. Retrieved March 8, 2019.