Sam Yuk Gu (3, 6, 9) Drinking Game

Sam Yuk Gu (삼육구, literally “three six nine”) is the Korean counting game where you clap instead of saying any number that contains a 3, a 6, or a 9. Of all the drinking games without cards, it is the one that needs the least: no props, no app, no setup, and the rules fit in one sentence. It is also the one that gets people most reliably, because the count reaches 30 and suddenly nobody is allowed to talk. If you have watched Running Man or Weekly Idol, you have seen a room of professionals lose it on 33.

What you need

• Nothing to play with. No cards, no dice, no phone.
• A drink for every player. In Korea this is usually soju in shot glasses; beer works and lasts longer.
• At least 2 players. It is best with 4 to 8, where the count gets around the circle often enough to stay hard.
• Enough quiet to hear a clap, because a clap nobody heard is a clap that did not happen.

Setup

1. Sit in a circle so the turn order is obvious. Play goes clockwise. The whole game is rhythm, so people need to know when they are up without thinking about it.
2. Agree on the penalty before the first number. The standard is one drink per mistake: a sip of beer, or a shot of soju if you are playing it the Korean way.
3. Agree on what happens after a mistake. Most tables restart at 1, with the player who slipped starting the new count. Some carry on from the number that was fumbled. Either is fine, but pick one now.
4. Do the chant. Everyone claps a beat and chants “sam yuk gu, sam yuk gu” together, then the first player says “one” on the next beat. It is optional, but it sets the tempo, and the tempo is what catches people.

How to play Sam Yuk Gu (3, 6, 9)

1. The first player says “1” and the count moves around the circle. One number per person, in rhythm. You say your number and the next person says theirs straight away.
2. Clap once instead of saying any number with a 3, 6, or 9. The count sounds like 1, 2, clap, 4, 5, clap, 7, 8, clap, 10. It is the digit that matters, not multiples: 12 is said out loud even though it divides by 3, and 13 is a clap.
3. If the number has two of those digits, clap twice. 33, 36, 39, 63, 66, 69, 93, 96, and 99 are double claps. The thirties are the trap: from 30 to 39 every number has a 3 in the tens place, so the whole decade is claps and nobody says a word until 40.
4. Keep the beat. A clap that comes late, a number said after a pause, or a clap on the wrong beat all count as mistakes. Hesitating is the same as saying “three”.
5. Anyone who slips drinks. Saying a forbidden number, forgetting to clap, clapping on a normal number, clapping once where it should be twice, or losing count are all mistakes. Some tables also penalise talking out of turn or taking too long. You are expected to chat while you play, and the chat is what makes you forget where you are.
6. Restart after a mistake. The player who slipped takes their drink and starts the new count from 1, or play carries on from the fumbled number if that is what you agreed.
7. Play until the count reaches 100, or until the table has had enough. Very few groups get to 100 on the first run. Getting through the thirties once is a real achievement.

369 clap table

What to do for the numbers people ask about most.

Number	What you do	Why
1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10	Say it	No 3, 6, or 9 in it
3, 6, 9	Clap once	The obvious ones
12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27	Say it	Multiples of 3 do not count, only the digits
13, 16, 19, 23, 26, 29	Clap once	One qualifying digit
30, 31, 32, 34, 35, 37, 38	Clap once	The 3 in the tens place
33, 36, 39	Clap twice	Two qualifying digits
40	Say it	The first spoken number since 29
43, 46, 49, 53, 56, 59	Clap once	Back to one clap
60 to 69	Clap once, with 63, 66, and 69 twice	Same pattern as the thirties
90 to 99	Clap once, with 93, 96, and 99 twice	Same again
369	Clap three times	Every digit qualifies, if you ever get there

Variations and house rules

• Count to 100. Set 100 as the finish line before you start. If the group makes it, the last player to say a number picks who drinks, and the game resets. Most rounds end in the thirties or sixties, so a real finish is worth celebrating.
• Ones digit only. An easier version many Korean groups use with first-timers: only the last digit counts, so 30, 31, and 32 are said out loud and in the thirties only 33, 36, and 39 are claps. Good for learning the rhythm. Switch to the full rules once nobody is failing.
• Single clap only. 33 and 36 get one clap, not two. It removes the double-clap trap and is how some families play it with kids, minus the drinks.
• Speed round. Each time the count makes it around the circle, the tempo goes up. By the third lap it is a blur and the thirties are hopeless.
• Elimination. The variety show version. A mistake puts you out instead of costing a drink, the count restarts, and the last person in wins. Everyone who went out drinks together at the end.
• Reverse on a double clap. Our house rule: when someone claps twice, the direction of play flips. The person who just went has to go again on a number they were not ready for.
• Different numbers. Swap 3, 6, and 9 for 7 and its multiples and you have Seven, the Western cousin. Playing both in one night is a good way to find out who is actually still counting.
• Forfeits instead of drinks. The K-pop version: a mistake means a penalty of the group’s choice, like a spicy noodle, a song, or an idol impression.

Tips

• Tap the beat on the table. A shared tempo makes claps easy to judge and settles every “I was about to” argument.
• Count on your fingers through the thirties. Everyone is clapping, nobody is saying numbers, and the only way to know that you are on 37 is to have tracked it yourself.
• If you are drinking soju shots, switch to sips after the second restart. The thirties produce a mistake almost every lap, and a shot per mistake gets heavy fast in a game that lasts 15 minutes.
• Watch the handover at 40 and at 70. After a run of claps, the first person who has to say a number out loud usually claps anyway.