Milk caps (game)

were made from clay. They were converted into paper format (menko) during the Meiji period. The game of milk caps possibly originated in Maui, Hawaii, during the 1920s or 1930s; it may also have origins in Menko, a Japanese card game very similar to milk caps, which has been in existence since the 17th century, during the Edo period. The game of milk caps was played on the Hawaiian island of Maui as early as 1927. There are cap collectors that have caps dating back to the 1940s and 1950s. After new packaging made cardboard milk caps obsolete in the 1950s, manufacturers such as Haleakala Dairy and Orchards Hawaii occasionally distributed the caps as promotional items. In 1991, Haleakala expanded to the more populated Oʻahu island, which led to a revival of the game. With this revival, the Pog name began being used generically for the game. Milk caps returned to popularity when the World Pog Federation and the Canada Games Company reintroduced them under the Pog brand name in the 1990s. The Pog fad soared, and peaked in the mid-1990s. Pogs were being handed out for opening bank accounts and in McDonald's Happy Meals. The term Pog was claimed as trademark by the World Pog Federation while other companies claimed it was a generic term as it was selected by the children that played the game. In October 1994, a lawsuit was settled between World Pog and Universal Pogs Association. Pog was recognized as World Pog's exclusive term and Universal Pogs changed its name to Universal Slammers, Inc. Milk caps proved to be major distractions from classes and the source of various playground arguments. These elements eventually led to the banning of milk caps from various schools across North America. Other bannings occurred across Australia and Sweden. == Equipment ==

Milk caps generally involves two types of playing discs: milk caps and slammers. Milk caps are typically flat circular cardboard discs which are decorated with images on one or both sides. Traditional (or traditional-style) milk caps are made of rougher cardboard, are printed with limited colors, and often have a staple in them (as they appeared when used as actual POG bottlecaps), while modern commercial pogs were stiffer, thicker and are often printed with colorful glossy imagery. The other equipment that is used is a slammer: a heavier game piece often made of metal, rubber, or more commonly plastic, which come in various thicknesses and weights. They are typically similar in diameter to milk caps. Metal slammers are not allowed in some games because they are usually heavier than other materials, giving the player with the first turn an unfair advantage, and have a tendency to damage the milk caps. == Gameplay ==

Rules vary among players, but the game variants generally have common gameplay features. Each player has their own collection of milk caps and one or more slammers. Before the game, players decide whether to play "for keeps", i.e. players get to keep the milk caps that they win during the game and must forfeit those that have been won by other players. The game can then begin as follows: • The players each contribute an equal number of milk caps to build a stack, which will be used during the game. • After each throw, the milk caps which have not flipped over are then re-stacked for the next player. • When no milk caps remain in the stack, the player with the most pogs is the winner. • Rules can be changed depending on who is playing, and where they are from. Philippine variation In the Philippines, they use a pog, not a slammer, to slam the Pogs. == World POG Federation ==

The World POG Federation was the licensed POG publisher, which was 14% owned by Haleakala Dairy, the trademark holder of POGs. The company was based in Costa Mesa, California. == Global variants ==

Japan Menko (めんこ, 面子) is a Japanese card game played by two or more players, dating back to the 17th century. Each player uses Menko cards made from thick paper or cardboard, printed on one or both sides with images from anime, manga, and other works. South Korea Ddakji or Ttakji is a South Korean game played by two or more players. China It is known in China as wáah pín (Pinyin: huà piàn, ) (also called yang pian in northern China) and is printed on rectangular or circular cards. Philippines A similar game in the Philippines played by children is known as . It involves small collectible cards, originally of popular actors, and then later on of popular comics and cartoon characters. It dates back to the 1930s and involves flipping cards with a thumb and forefinger. The winner is whichever card lands face up. The loser has to give one of his collectible cards to the winner. Catalonia is a traditional card game played by children in Catalonia in which the are turned upside down, hit with the palm of the hand and, if they turn around, they win. They are made with wasted Spanish playing cards. Pataco1.jpg|1. Spanish card back view Pataco2.jpg|2. Spanish card front view Pataco3.jpg|3. Fold up the middle Pataco4.jpg|4. Cut down the middle obtaining two equal parts Pataco5.jpg|5. The two parts are placed at an angle of 90° Pataco6.jpg|6. The vertical part is folded back and then forward again Pataco7.jpg|7. The horizontal part is folded back and then forward again inserting the tab into the slot to hold it == In popular culture ==

The PogChamp emote originates from a video titled "Pogs Championship" in which Ryan "Gootecks" Gutierrez wins a game of Pogs. In The Simpsons episode "Bart Sells His Soul" (Season 7, Episode 4), Milhouse shows Bart his new collection of Alf pogs, saying, "Remember Alf? He's back, in Pog form!" == See also ==