The Hidden Psychology Behind Your Favorite Bar Games

Why do people enjoy playing games when they go out to a bar? The short answer is that games are fun. The full answer has a bit more nuance to it. That's because bar games are fun and enjoyable in several different ways and for many different reasons.

The psychology of bar games is fascinating. By looking at how games affect people, we get a picture of reward pathways in our brains getting stimulated as well as a view of social bonds being created and strengthened. People playing well also get a feeling of competence and the thrill of a little playful risk.

And because casual bar games offer these feelings via low-stakes competition, they offer a safe venue for playful smack talk between friends. There is no better pathway to shared laughter and indelible memories.

Why Human Beings Love a Little Friendly Competition

In order to dig deep into why we love bar games, we can take the general benefits of social gaming — reward pathways, social bonding, shared laughter, feelings of competence and accomplishment, and a safe venue to compete and rib friends — and examine them to find why games bring them out.

The Dopamine Loop

Small wins like nailing the bullseye with a dart or sinking a great bank shot on the pool table trigger little spikes of dopamine (often called the pleasure chemical) in the brain. So when we get one of those "dopamine and games" moments, it encourages us to keep playing and get another and another and so on.

Belonging > Beating

Bar games offer opportunities for social bonding. The bonds that form when playing team games like trivia tend to provide sustained positivity and last longer for players than any single victory or loss.

Mastery in Minutes

Aside from the group dynamics that make playing games pleasurable, most games at bars have clear, simple rules. That means that new players can pick up on how games work fast and get a sense of competence and accomplishment as they quickly get acclimated to the rules and improve their in-game performance.

Risk Without Real Consequence

Some great friendly competition benefits come in the form of making little wagers with friends. These usually take the form of buying the next round of drinks or getting bragging rights. But being able to risk something without being on the hook for potentially disastrous consequences feels great.

The Secret to Winning at Bar Games

Despite the fact that victory isn't necessary to get some of the best benefits from playing social games at the bar, winning feels great. With that in mind, here are a few tips regarding how to win at bar games:

Darts

Find a comfortable, repeatable stance and throwing motion. Pay attention to your shoulder alignment and practice a consistent release point Aim small. Darts psychology boils down to aiming for specific spots instead of trying to hit a large, general wedge of the board. When you aim small, you miss small — meaning your misses will still garner you needed points instead of completely missing the dartboard. Take a breath before you throw to allow yourself to relax away any jitters and establish a "quiet focus" on your target.

Pool (8-Ball)

• The best pool strategy for beginners is to develop a consistent shot routine. Visualize the path you want your shot to take, set your bridge, breathe easy, and take your shot.
• Control your pace. You don't want to take forever, but you don't need to rush when planning your shot. When you've found your shot, don't use too much force. Keep it soft and controlled to avoid scratching.
• Don't just focus on the ball you want to sink. Think about where the cue ball will end up so that you don't put yourself in a bad position for your following shot.

Bar Trivia

Build a balanced team. Include people who know music, geography, history, sports, and so on. Don't overthink your answers. It's easy to fall into the trap of constantly changing an answer you aren't sure of. Often, your first instinct is the correct one. One of the most underrated bar trivia team tips is to choose a teammate to be the "final answer captain." This way, you have an established plan to stop your team from overthinking answers.

Shuffleboard and Curling-Style Game

Use the early frames to get a feel for the playing surface. The amount of force you need to play in one location may not give you the results you want in the next place. Pretty much all shuffleboard tips boil down to thinking strategically. Often, setting up blocks that prevent your opponent from scoring is more effective than just throwing all your energy into blasting your shot down the floor.

How Drinking Games Affect Decision Making

A major variable that gets added to the games you play at your favorite bar is alcohol. Let's be clear: alcohol can reduce anxiety around social interactions and tip the scales toward less risk-averse actions, but it can also result in altered time perception and poor memory.

You may find that less nervousness results in better performance in some games while the reduced recall and precision makes for worse results in others. Motor skills and accuracy certainly aren't helped when you have a little too much to drink — and they are especially bad when you've had too much.

So let's take a quick look at how drinking games and decision-making can go together positively or negatively.

• Confidence and Competence: A drink or two can help improve confidence, but too many can result in an inflated sense of certainty — which is not always a good thing.
• Memory and Attention: Quick breakdowns of rules are harder to follow and performance of multi-step tasks suffer as more alcohol is consumed.
• Motor Control: Your fine motor skills degrade faster than you may realize when drinking.
• Social Risk and Group Dynamics: In moderation, alcohol can serve as a wonderful social lubricant, but alcohol and risk taking can be a bad combination when a person is drinking too much.

The Most Popular Bar Games

Different games are popular in different parts of the country. Some games are pretty universal, and some are very region-specific. For example, games that need to be played outdoors aren't as popular in places with heavy winters because they simply aren't available year round.

• Darts and Pool: These are classics across the nation. They are endlessly replayable, and there's something that just feels right about seeing a pool table and a dartboard when you walk into a bar.
• Shuffleboard and Skeeball: These are nostalgic favorites. You can find them at retro arcades all over the place. Quick turns and easy to understand gameplay make for great fun.
• Cornhole: Perfect for a patio. This game requires plenty of space for people to throw their bags without hitting anyone. You see it wherever the weather is warm and some casual competition is encouraged.
• Bar Trivia: A staple of college towns and city centers. It helps friends learn more about each other (you'll hear people say "how did you know that?" a lot) and pulls in a crowd of regulars that build friendly rivalries with each other.
• Pull Tabs: This is very common in Minnesota. The quick tear-away nature of the game creates a fast cycle from anticipation to reveal to resolution.

It's Game On at The Rabbit Hole

Whether you want a friendly two-person game to help break the ice on a first date or to roll out with your whole trivia night team of friends, The Rabbit Hole can scratch your gaming itch. With some of the best ambience in The North Loop, you can't go wrong playing at our house.

Whether you have game night ideas or want to see what fun the night promises, you can get what you want with games at the bar. Those games will give you that dopamine spike when you make a good shot, hit a great throw, or pull out an answer you didn't think you knew. Games are great for your psyche, so come play them!

Hit up Trivia Tuesdays. Roll in on a Sunday Funday for a great brunch menu and some pull tabs. While playing your bar games, you can also watch the pros play on one of our dozens of big screen TVs. There is so much fun to be had any and every time you stop by.