OBJECTIVE OF JIG: Be the first player to play all of your cards in a round.
NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 2 – 5
NUMBER OF CARDS: 52
RANK OF CARDS: High K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, Low A.
THE DEAL: The dealer (or one of the players) gives each player a face-down card. They deal clockwise from their left to their right, until they are out of cards.
TYPE OF GAME: Matching
AUDIENCE: Family
HOW TO PLAY JIG
Start with the player that is on the dealer’s left. The first player may play any card from their hand, and the card must be played face up. Depending on the card that the first player plays, the next card should be of the same suit, but higher than their card. For instance, if a player were to select the 2 of Hearts, the next card played would be the 3 of Hearts.
The game always flows to the left, following the clockwise pattern.
The first player, who decides the suit of the set of cards being played, should say “Snip” when they play their card. The second player, if they can play a card, should say “Snap” when they play their card. The card has to be of the same suit, and a higher rank, than the previous card played. The third player (or the first player again, if you’re only playing with two people), should say “Snorum” once they’ve played their card. The fourth says “Hicockalorum” when they play their card. The next person announces “Jig!” It’s their job to turn down the sequence of five cards so that the next round can begin.
If a player cannot play a card in the suit set, they must pass their turn.
If a king is played, the next player says “Jig!” because there is not another card in a suit sequence for this game.
Every player must play a card if they have one to play.
HOW TO WIN
This game should, ideally, be played with counters. When a player is out of cards, they should receive counters from each other player, equal to the number of cards that player still has. It’s not meant to be a short game, because it would need to be played multiple times for there to be a clear winner.
However, if players did want a shorter game, they could play without counters and announce the first person out of cards to be the winner.
All players must announce the appropriate word during their turn throughout the game to win. A reminder of these words: “Snip”, “Snap”, “Snorum”, “Hicockalorum”, “Jig!”
HISTORY OF JIG
Jig is a variation of Snip, Snap, Snorum and Stops. The aim was to create a slightly longer and more complex round because the chances of having a specific card in a given suit are lower than having a card that is a different suit but the same rank. The game offers more chances for other rounds and makes it difficult for a clear winner to come out on top in a short amount of time.
There are other variations of Snip Snap Snorum that are like Jig, such as Schnipp-Schnapp-Schnurr-Burr-Basilorum which is played in Germany. In this variation, Kings do not end a round. Players continue by following with the low Ace, then the suit’s 2, then the 3 etc. Until a player cannot continue the lineup.
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