How to Play Pogs: Simple '90s Game Tutorial (2024)

Co-authored byLuke Smith, MFAReviewed byAshton Wu

Last Updated: June 12, 2024Fact Checked

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1. 1

   Gather 2-4 friends to play with. You can play Pogs with as many people as you like, but it’s best to play with just 2-4 close friends.^[1] If you play with too many people, the game might last too long, or there won’t be very many Pogs left by the time the last players take their turns.

   • If you or your friends don’t have any Pogs, play with old bottle caps or cut-out cardboard discs, which was how the game was first played in the 1930s.^[2]
2. 2

   Play for keeps, or play for fun. Before the game starts, decide with your friends if you’ll be playing to keep any Pogs you manage to flip during the game. This ups the stakes and adds some juicy tension to each turn. Otherwise, just play for fun, and return the Pogs to each player afterward.^[3]

   • If you play for keeps and lose some of your favorite Pogs, challenge your friend to a rematch to win them back.

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3. 3

   Select which Pogs you’ll play with. Make a circle with your friends and take turns placing a Pog into the center. Each player must add the same number of Pogs to the game.^[4] There’s no set number of how many Pogs to use, but about 5-10 Pogs per player is a good number.

   • Once your Pogs are gathered, shuffle them around with your hands to evenly and fairly distribute them in the collection.
   • If you're playing for keeps, remember that any Pogs you put into the stack might not come back to you when you're done. Choose your Pogs carefully!
4. 4

   Stack the Pogs face-up on a flat surface. Gather everyone’s Pogs and arrange them into a single column, stacking each Pog so that the design faces upward.^[5] Stack the Pogs on a flat, sturdy surface, like a table, carpet, or a hard floor.

5. 5

   Flip a Pog to see who goes first. Toss an unused Pog like a coin, and have your friend call it in the air—face-up or face-down. The winner of the toss takes the first turn.^[6] If you’re playing with more than 2 people, repeat the coin toss with the winner of the last toss and the next player, repeating until each person has participated. The last toss winner goes first.

   • Alternatively, play Rock, Paper, Scissors to decide who goes first.
   • The first player typically gets the most Pogs out of the slam. It's a lot harder to flip over a very small stack of Pogs.
6. 6

   Grip your slammer between your fingers. Slammers are heavier, sturdier Pogs that you throw at the stack. In American Pog tournaments, players hold the slammer between their index and middle fingers, and flick it downward over the back of their wrists.^[7] But there are lots of ways to hold the slammer, so experiment with these common techniques to see which is best for you:

   • Hold the slammer flat against the inside of your fingers, and keep it in place with your thumb. Throw it down toward the stack.
   • Curl the slammer into your index finger and hold it with your thumb, like you’re going to skip a stone.
   • Hold the slammer like you would a dart, sideways between your index finger and thumb. Or turn it so the flat side is between your finger and thumb.
7. 7

   Take turns throwing your slammers at the stack to flip Pogs. Hold your slammer in whatever grip you've chosen, and forcefully throw it down onto the top of the stack of Pogs. Let the slammer go before it makes contact with the stack. Then, collect any Pogs that landed face-down.

   • After your turn, restack the Pogs and let the next player slam.
   • If you’re playing for keeps, the Pogs you flipped become yours. Add them to your collection!
8. 8

   Win the game by collecting the most Pogs. Play until all the Pogs have been flipped and removed from the game. Once there are no more Pogs, the player with the most Pogs is the winner.^[8]

   • If you're not playing for keeps, return all the Pogs to their original owners at the end of the game.
   • To even the odds, have every player use the same slammer. Some players outlaw metal slammers, which can dent the Pogs.
9. 9

   Play with different rules to mix things up. The basic game of Pogs is pretty simple, so try some different rules if the original game becomes a bit less exciting over time. Make up your own, or try some of these common classics:^[9]

   • Play best of 15. If someone has a Pog you really want, offer to play more Pogs than them in order to get it. Make a stack of 15, and negotiate how many Pogs you’ll play in order for them to use the Pog you want. You might even play 14 Pogs for a chance to get their 1.
   • Play the Pogs where they fall. After the Pogs scatter, pick up the ones you flipped, but don't restack the others. Instead, aim to slam them where they landed for a bigger challenge.
   • Play long-range Pogs. Instead of throwing the slammer from just above the stack, make a line about 3ft (0.91m) away and make each player slam from behind the line to test your aim.

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1. 1

   Search for Pogs in stores or online. Back in the day, almost every toy store had Pogs in stock, but they’ve recently become harder to find. While you may not be able to find them in stores, browse sites like Craigslist for used or new Pogs to collect and play with.^[10]

2. 2

   Make your own Pogs with cardboard. Draw a circle 4cm (1.6in) in diameter onto a piece of paper and cut it out to make a template. Then use the template to trace circles onto a flat piece of cardboard. Cut out the cardboard circles and draw designs on the top, or glue a printed design to one side. To make the slammer, glue 2 pieces of cardboard together.^[11]

   • Alternatively, collect bottle caps from glass bottles to use as Pogs.
3. 3

   Play your friends for keeps to collect other people’s Pogs. The most exciting way to collect a bigger stack of Pogs is to play for them regularly. Challenge your friends to play for keeps and try to win as many games as possible to grow your collection.^[12]

   • Play with lots of people to make a bigger stack and win more Pogs at once. If you play in a big group and everyone only puts in a few Pogs, you don't stand to lose many, but you can gain a bunch pretty quickly.
4. 4

   Keep your favorite Pogs for yourself. Got a Pog you really love? Don't play with it if you don’t want to lose it. Instead, just show it off to your friends for bragging rights. The only sure way to keep the Pogs you like is to keep them in your possession.^[13]

   • On the other hand, putting Pogs you really like into the stack helps to keep the game exciting. If you might lose your favorite, there are big stakes!
5. 5

   Trade your friends to get cooler Pogs. Some people prefer trading Pogs for other Pogs, instead of playing for them. Comparing your collection to your friends’ and making deals to swap for your favorites is just as fun as playing the game itself. Like baseball cards, Pokémon cards, or any other collectible, a juicy trade is part of the excitement.^[14]

6. 6

   Store your Pogs in plastic containers to keep them safe. Specialized Pog storage tubes were a popular way to keep your collection safe back in the day. If you don’t have one or can’t find one, use a cardboard tube, Tupperware, or a card binder instead.^[15]

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