Competition has been shown to be useful up to a certain point and no further, but cooperation, which is the thing we must strive for today, begins where competition leaves off.” —Franklin D. Roosevelt

My man FDR was on to something here. After all, the very nature of competition typically leads to the protagonists bonding at the conclusion of a contest (think Rocky Balboa and Ivan Drago in Rocky IV). And nowhere is that sentiment more apparent than after a good-natured bar room battle between two individuals or teams striving for the ultimate goal—free beer.

The bar league team is as old as sport itself. The games of the first Olympiad, held in the sultry summer of 776 B.C. in Greece, were famously cooked up by Socrates and Plato after their local watering hole was deemed to small for the javelin toss. [Ed. Note: This may be historically inaccurate, or all together false.] But regardless of their origins, bar games, leagues, and teams have been a longstanding method for owners to create a community around friendly competition.

Today, coin-op contests carry on the tradition, as some bar managers opt for a simpler route to building a cooperative of competitive coeds and cocktail enthusiasts. Rather than creating official teams and leagues, the ‘pop-up’ tournament option is one that allows for spontaneous sport on-premise, given the right equipment and approach. And of course, you’ll want to reward them in the end.

Whether it's Golden Tee golf, electronic darts, video bowling, or some old-school Pac-Man, the main premise behind the best of bar room gaming is that everyone can partake. Granted, some may be better at shooting pool than others, and your foosball skills might trump your buddy's, at the end of the day, a great bar game or league is able to allow for the inclusion of all your customer.

Click here to read the full article on bar room gaming
in the May 2012 Digital issue of Bar Business Magazine