. ▁At ▁the ▁time ▁both ▁were ▁working ▁as ▁basket ▁mak ers ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁game ▁design ers ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁City . ▁This ▁game ▁was ▁first ▁published ▁in ▁A ▁Gam ut ▁of ▁Games ▁by ▁Sid ▁S ack son ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 9 . ▁Wald ▁Am ber stone ▁co - f ounded ▁the ▁Tar ot ▁School ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 5 ▁along ▁with ▁his ▁wife ▁Ruth ▁Am ber stone . ▁The ▁game ▁Cu ps ▁is ▁a ▁contemporary ▁two - rank ed ▁single - lap ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁ancient ▁game ▁family ▁of ▁Man cala . ▁ ▁R ules ▁ ▁Equ ip ment ▁▁ ▁The ▁Cu ps ▁board ▁is ▁constructed ▁from ▁ten ▁containers : ▁eight ▁small ▁containers ▁called ▁cu ps ▁and ▁two ▁large ▁containers ▁called ▁p ots . ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁these , ▁ 8 0 ▁be ans ▁are ▁needed . ▁Trad itionally , ▁the ▁game ▁is ▁played ▁with ▁odd s ▁and ▁ends , ▁j ars , ▁drink ing ▁cu ps ▁and ▁ass orted ▁items ▁serving ▁as ▁the ▁be ans . ▁ ▁Set up ▁ ▁Each ▁player ▁has ▁four ▁cu ps ▁in ▁front ▁of ▁him ▁and ▁a ▁pot ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁each ▁row ▁on ▁the ▁far th est ▁right . ▁Each ▁of ▁the ▁player ' s ▁four ▁cu ps ▁is ▁aligned ▁adjacent ▁to ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁other ▁player ’ s ▁four ▁cu ps . ▁Each ▁player ▁receives ▁forty ▁be ans ▁as ▁his ▁stock ▁and ▁s its ▁across ▁from ▁the ▁other ▁player . ▁ ▁Play ▁▁ ▁Example ▁Start ▁of ▁Game ▁▁ ▁Lower ▁player