What is Edward 40 Hands? Plus, Rules for the Drinking Game

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Learn how to stay safe and drink responsibly when you play

Co-authored by Karim McLaren and Marcus Pruitt, BS

Last Updated: September 10, 2025 Fact Checked

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• What is Edward 40 Hands?
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• Rules
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• Is Edward 40 Hands safe?
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• Safety Tips
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• Video

|Show more |Show less

If you’re heading back to college and hear someone talking about playing a game of Edward 40 Hands, prepare yourself for a night of drinking. Edward 40 Hands is a drinking game that involves taping two 40-oz bottles of malt liquor to your hands and quickly drinking them, so it’s no wonder that it’s a game you have to prepare for. No worries, though. In this article, we explain what Edward 40 Hands is, how to play it, how to be safe when playing it, and more. Read on to get ready for your night out, just remember to drink responsibly!

Edward 40 Hands Drinking Game Explained

Edward 40 Hands is a drinking game where you tape two 40-oz bottles of malt liquor to your hands. The goal of the game is to drink the bottles quickly enough to free your hands and use them when you need to go to the bathroom. When playing, pace yourself and drink responsibly to avoid alcohol poisoning.

Steps

Section 1 of 4:

What is Edward 40 Hands?

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1. 
   Edward 40 Hands is a game where you must drink two 40-oz beers taped to your hands. Also known as Edward Cinderhands or Amy Winehands, this social drinking game involves taping two 40-oz beers to your hands, after which you must completely drink them before being able to use your hands again. It’s a challenging drinking game, especially once you have to pee, since you can’t use your hands to take off your pants and use the bathroom.

   • Edward 40 Hands is popular among college campuses, and it isn’t a particularly safe drinking game, as it encourages quick binge drinking of high alcohol amounts, which can be dangerous.
   • The game is named after Edward Scissorhands, the popular Tim Burton character with scissors for hands.
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Section 2 of 4:

Edward 40 Hands Rules

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1. 
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   Use duct tape to attach two 40-oz malt liquors to your hands. Tape one 40-oz bottle of malt liquor to your left hand and one to your right. Make sure they’re already open as well. You wouldn’t want to tape the bottles to your hands without even being able to drink them!

   • Tip: Tape the bottles at the neck so your hands don’t warm up the beer.
   • You only need two or more people to play Edward 40 Hands. One person will have to help you tape the 40s to your hands (and remove them when you're done).
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   Finish the bottles as quickly and safely as you can. Safety is key here. The goal of Edward 40 Hands is to finish your 2 40-oz drinks as fast as you can so you can safely use your hands and go to the bathroom, but doing so too quickly can be dangerous. So, you’ll want to be a little quick while still remembering to pace yourself. Consider having a sip of water between your sips of beer to make sure you stay hydrated, and stay close to the bathroom just in case the seal breaks before you do.

   • Tip: Aim to finish at least one drink so you have a free hand to go to the bathroom.
   • While the goal is to finish the drinks as soon as possible, don’t just chug your drinks to get them out of your hands. That could lead to stomachaches and alcohol-related complications.
   • Ask someone you trust to be your buddy for when you need to go to the bathroom. That way, they can help you get your pants off if needed.
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   Remove the bottles once you finish them. Have a sober friend use a pair of scissors or a sharp edge to cut through the duct tape after you’ve finished a bottle to free your hand. Once you’re done with the second, have your friend cut the tape away so you can get rid of that one, too. Now that you’re nice and drunk, enjoy yourself and have fun (and be safe)!
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Section 3 of 4:

Is Edward 40 Hands safe?

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1. 
   The standard rules for Edward 40 Hands pose safety risks, but there are ways to be safe. On the surface, Edward 40 Hands may not seem like the safest game, since it encourages binge drinking large amounts of alcohol. But you can play it safe if you pace yourself, drink water between alcoholic beverages, and have a plan for when you have to pee. It’s not against the rules to get help for peeing, so don’t be afraid to ask someone you trust to assist!

   • If you notice yourself getting too drunk or not handling the alcohol well, stop drinking and let your friends know you’re done for the night.

Section 4 of 4:

Safety Tips for Edward 40 Hands

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1. 
   1
   Know your limits when it comes to alcohol. Everyone’s body is different when it comes to alcohol. The same amount of alcohol isn’t going to get everyone to the same level of drunk. Body weight, gender, and various other traits factor into how your body processes alcohol, so keep your limits in mind to determine how much you can handle. For example, if you’re 6’4” 280 lbs, you won’t get as drunk from a 40-oz as someone who’s 5’6 130 lbs.

   • Want to figure out your limits? Check out our article on How Many Shots It Takes To Get Drunk.
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   Drink at a moderate pace and have water throughout the game. Mixologist Karim McLaren says to keep an eye on how fast you’re drinking and whether or not you’re drinking water. If you drink too fast without having enough water, your body may not be able to process the alcohol, which can lead to alcohol poisoning. So be safe, drink at a moderate pace, and have lots of water.

   • Your hands won’t be free during the game, so you may want to put a straw in a water bottle before you begin. That way, you can sip on it during the game. Fair warning, though–the water will make you need to pee more!
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   Wear shorts so it’s easier to pee. Since you can’t use your hands to remove your pants when you need to pee, wear shorts so you can easily kick them off if your bottles aren’t empty. Not only does this keep you from wetting your pants, but it also keeps you from holding in your pee, helping lower the risks of urinary tract infections, kidney stones, and a wet, embarrassing night.

   • This is especially useful if you can’t find a partner to help.
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   If you’re too drunk or can’t play the game, don’t be afraid to tap out. It’s okay to stop playing if you don’t feel comfortable. Whether you’re feeling woozy from the booze or simply can’t hang, it’s completely fine to tap out and say you can’t do it. Just let a trusted friend or peer know that you’d like their help taking the drinks off your hands.

   • If they try to peer-pressure you when you ask them to take the bottles off, stand your ground and firmly let them know that you’re done playing.
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