If you’ve ever been tailgating, then chances are you’ve watched the people around you play a game of cornhole. Cornhole, which is also sometimes known as a “tailgate toss,” continues to increase in popularity, both at sports games and backyard barbecues.

The game is really simple: each team has its own cornhole. The objective is to throw your bean bag either on your opponent’s cornhole board or in the hole itself. Once you do, you score some points.

Below is a helpful guide that teaches you how to play cornhole. Read on so you can show everyone your skills at the next summer barbeque or football tailgate.

Cornhole 101

First things first: how do you play cornhole? As briefly mentioned above, cornhole is a very simple game to play, even if you’re just starting out.

The game can be played with either two or four players. If you’re playing with two players, the first player will throw their bean bag on their opponent’s cornhole board. If the bean bag lands in the hole, the player scores three points. If their bean bag only lands on the board, they get one point. This continues with each player alternating cornhole boards until they’ve scored 21 points.

The game is played in exactly the same way for a team of four. The only real difference is that with four players, each person plays from their team’s own cornhole board instead of alternating each round.

Playing a Game of Cornhole

Now that we’ve covered the basics of the game, here’s how to play it in greater detail. Once the boards are all set up, one player from each team (assuming you’re playing with four people) will stand at the opposite end of the board and throw their bean bags on their opposing player’s board. Each member will take turns doing this.

If the bean bag lands on the board, the player will get a point. However, if another member of your team ends up throwing your bean bag in the hole, you’ll get three points. Whichever team gets 21 points first wins. In the event of a tie, each team will keep tossing bean bags until they’ve reached at least 23 points. Once they do, the game is officially over.

Getting Your Cornhole Board Set Up

Getting started is pretty easy. You don’t need much. You just need 8 bean bags and a cornhole board to throw them at. A regulation cornhole board is a 4×2 rectangular piece of plywood that has two holes cut out near the top of the board.

While 4 feet by 2 feet is the regulation size, there are a number of different-sized boards out there you can play with. The bean bags themselves are typically 1-pound bags made of cloth or leather and filled with resin or corn.

All you need to do is find a flat surface to lay your board down on, and you’re ready to start tossing! Something like a driveway or patio works best but if you want to play on the grass, make sure you find a nice level spot to set up to make it easy to play.

Tips for Playing the Best Game of Cornhole Ever

Knowing how to play cornhole isn’t all there is to know. Instead, you need your best advantage when it comes to winning! Here are some tips for playing the best game of cornhole ever:

Practice Makes Perfect

One of the best ways to improve at playing cornhole is to simply practice your aim. The more you practice, the better you’ll end up being. One thing to keep in mind is your wrist snap. If you don’t get your wrist snap just right, your bag will just flop to the ground and you won’t be able to score any points.

Also, don’t throw it too hard! That’s a rookie mistake that is going to ruin your aim. Strike a balance. If you can, do a couple of practice throws before you start so you get the feel of it.

Keep Your Head in the Game

Cornholes can sometimes be harder than they look. Not so much in terms of the level of difficulty for the game itself, but for the level of skill involved. As such, one of the biggest tips to winning your game of cornhole is to stay focused.

You can do this by trying to set your cornhole board away from loud noise or rowdy tailgaters. If that’s not possible, try your best to stay relaxed and keep your head in the game instead of focusing on all the distractions out there.

Spin Moves Are Your Friends

As we mentioned earlier, succeeding at cornhole is all about the wrist. And you may want to add some spin moves to your arsenal.

As you’re throwing your bean bag in the air, try spinning it. This makes it easier to get your bag into the hole. Granted, this technique does require a certain level of skill, so practice spinning your bags to take your cornhole game to the next level.