OBJECTIVE OF SNIP SNAP SNOREM: The goal of Snip Snap Snorem is to be the first player that manages to get rid of all of their cards.
NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 2+
NUMBER OF CARDS: 52
RANK OF CARDS: K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, A.
TYPE OF GAME: Matching
AUDIENCE: Family
HOW TO DEAL SNIP SNAP SNOREM
The dealer deals the cards to the players one at a time, face down, in a clockwise pattern. They should start dealing with the player on their left and keep dealing the deck of cards until all cards have been dealt. Some players could end up with more cards than others, depending on how many people are playing the game.
HOW TO PLAY
This game is customarily played with chips – each player should bet one chip at the start of a round, and an additional chip if they have less cards than other players.
Beginning with the first player on the dealer’s left, each player plays a card, if they can. The first player may play any card, and all of the cards played should stay face up. Played cards should be arranged into four rows using the four card suits.
Depending on the card that the first player plays, the other three cards of the same rank are to be played next by the other players. For example, if the first card that is played is a 7 of Hearts, the next three cards played need to be the 7s from the other three card suits: the 7 of Clubs, 7 of Diamonds, and 7 of Spades.
The game continues clockwise to the left. The first player that starts a round doesn’t say anything, but the second successful card player should say “Snip”, the third should say “Snap”, and the fourth should say “Snorem”. The player who plays the fourth suit of the cards needed may then choose any card in their hand for the next series of cards to be played.
If a player cannot play a card, they pass their turn and put one of their chips into the pot with the others. The first player that is able to rid of all of their cards wins the pot of chips from the other players.
HOW TO WIN
All players must follow the rules throughout the game to win.
The first player that is able to rid of all of their cards wins the game and the pot of chips from the other players. Once there is a clear winner – someone who doesn’t have any more cards to play – the game ends, and a new round can start.
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OTHER VARIATIONS OF THE GAME
There are several variations for Snip Snap Snorem, including:
Earl of Conventry – where the rules are the same as Snip Snap Snorem, but no chips are bet for players to win. The first card player says “There’s as good as <insert card number here> can be”, the second player says “There’s a <insert card number here> as good as he”, the third player says “There’s the best of all the three”, and the fourth player finishes the rhyme with “And there’s the Earl of Coventry”.
Jig – which is a cross between Snip Snap Snorem and Go Stops, where the aim is to play a higher card of the same suit than the card played by the previous player. In this game, the Ace is low, and the King is high. The first player plays any card and says “Snip”, and the game continues with “Snap”, “Snorum”, “Hiccockalorum”, and “Jig”. The last player turns down the five-card set and starts a new one with their card choice.
When a round cannot be completed because the last card was a King or the next card in the set isn’t available, the player says “Jig” and the next round starts.
Like Snip, Snap, Snorem, Jig is also played with chips.
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