How to Play

Snip Snap Snorum is a classic 18th-century English parlour shedding game for any number of players from 3 up. The whole deck is dealt out; players match the rank of the leading card in turn while chanting 'Snip!' (2nd), 'Snap!' (3rd), and 'Snorum!' (4th). First to empty their hand wins.

Snip Snap Snorum (also Snip-Snap-Snorem) is a classic 18th-century English parlour shedding game for any number of players from 3 up. The whole deck is dealt out; in every round, the lead plays any card and the other players in turn lay a rank-matching card while chanting 'Snip!' (second match), 'Snap!' (third), and 'Snorum!' (fourth and last). The fourth matcher leads the next rank. First to empty their hand wins the round; in counter play, the round winner collects one counter from each opponent per card still in their hand. Rounds are brief and boisterous; a children-or-adults session runs 10 to 30 minutes.

Players

Any number from 3 upward, practically 3 to 8. Every player plays for themselves; there are no partnerships. The first dealer is chosen by any agreed method (cutting for low card is traditional); deal rotates one seat clockwise each hand.

Card Deck

One standard 52-card deck, no jokers. All four suits and all thirteen ranks are used; only the rank of a card matters during play (suit is irrelevant). Ranks have no ordering; a card is either of the currently-led rank or it is not.

Objective

Be the first player to play every card from your hand onto the table. The game ends instantly when one player empties their hand; the remaining players can then be scored by counter-penalty if counters are in use (see Scoring).

Setup and Deal

1. Shuffle the 52-card deck thoroughly and deal the entire deck clockwise, one card at a time, starting with eldest hand (the player to the dealer's left). With 3, 5, 6, 7, or 8 players some hands will have one extra card; this is normal and does not affect play.3♠5♠6♠7♠
2. Optional counters: if playing for light stakes, give each player an equal pile of counters (chips, coins, matchsticks) beside them. Counters are only used to track round-by-round scoring over a longer session; otherwise the game is a straight shedding race.
3. Eldest hand (the player to the dealer's left) leads the first card of the round.

Gameplay

1. Opening play (silent): The starting player places any card from their hand face-up on the table to begin the round. No chant accompanies the first card.
2. Second match ('Snip!'): The next player in clockwise order who holds a card of the same rank plays it on top of the first and chants 'Snip!'. If the next player in seat has no matching card, they pass (simply say 'pass' or tap the table); the turn continues clockwise until someone can play a match.
3. Third match ('Snap!'): The next matcher chants 'Snap!' as they play the third card of the rank.
4. Fourth match ('Snorum!'): The next (and final) matcher chants 'Snorum!' (sometimes 'Snorem!') while playing the fourth card of the rank, completing the quartet. That player then leads the next rank with any fresh card from their hand.
5. Passing: A player unable to match the current rank passes without penalty. Play does not halt while searching for a match; it simply continues clockwise to the next player.
6. Completing a rank: Once all four cards of a rank are on the table, the rank is 'complete' and the player of the fourth card picks up the lead for the next rank. The pile of four completed-rank cards is usually pushed aside out of play so the table stays readable.
7. Forgotten chant (optional penalty): A player who plays a matching card but forgets the correct call may be forced to take the card back (losing the play) or to draw a penalty card from their last discard. Some groups ignore the chant rule for very young players.
8. Illegal play: Playing an off-rank card, or jumping the turn order, is illegal; the offender takes the card back and the correct next player resumes.
9. End of the round: The round ends the instant one player has no cards left in their hand after a legal play.

Scoring

• Simple win (default): The first player to empty their hand wins the round; no further scoring is tracked and a new round starts with the next dealer.
• Counter-based scoring (optional): The round winner collects one counter from each opponent for every card that opponent still holds. A player with four cards left pays the winner four counters. Counter totals persist across many rounds; the match winner is the player with the most counters when the group decides to stop, or the last player with any counters in an elimination format.
• Pass penalty variant: Some houses add a small chip penalty (one chip to a central pot) for each pass; the round winner takes the pot. Encourages faster pace.
• Forgotten-chant penalty: A small chip penalty (one chip) for each missed or mangled chant; again feeds the central pot for the round winner.

Winning

• Round winner: First player to play all their cards.
• Match winner (counter play): Highest counter total when the session ends, or the last player with counters in elimination play.
• Tie-breakers: Only one player can empty their hand on a given play, so in-round ties are impossible. In a counter-based session, if two players tie on counters at session end, play one additional round between them to break it.

Common Variations

• Earl of Coventry: Same mechanic with rhyming couplets instead of single-word chants (see the Earl of Coventry entry).
• Silent Snip Snap: Drop chants entirely; play a straight rank-matching shedder. Good for introductions and children under 5.
• Jig: Instead of matching rank, play the next card up in the same suit (Sevens-like sequencing). A distant variant.
• With counters: The historical form; every player antes a chip at the start of the round and the winner collects both the ante and per-card counter payments.
• Small-deck Snip Snap: For very young children, use a 24- or 32-card subset (remove pips 2-6 or 2-8) for shorter rounds.

Tips and Strategy

• Strategy is limited; the main decision is which rank to lead after you claim the Snorum lead. Lead the rank you hold the most of, since you can then immediately play additional matches.
• If you hold all four cards of a rank, leading it is a free win for that rank: you play the first card, chant nothing, and immediately take the Snorum on your own fourth card to keep the lead.
• Watch how many of each rank are already played. If three of a rank are out, the fourth is a 'dead' lead because it cannot be matched by anyone else; lead it only if you are forced to.
• In counter-based play, the per-card penalty creates tension: an opponent holding eight cards is paying eight counters per round. Burn through dead ranks quickly if you are behind.

Glossary

• Rank: The number or face identity of a card (Ace, 2, 3, ..., Jack, Queen, King), ignoring suit.A♠K♠Q♠J♠
• Lead / leader: The player who plays the first card of a new rank; the player of the fourth card (Snorum) becomes the next leader.
• Chant: The spoken word accompanying each matching card: 'Snip!' for the second, 'Snap!' for the third, 'Snorum!' for the fourth.
• Pass: To skip your turn because you hold no card of the currently-led rank; no penalty in the basic game, a chip penalty in counter play.
• Snorum: The fourth and final card of a rank; the player who plays it claims the next lead.
• Counter: A chip, coin, or matchstick used as a scoring token in the counter variant.
• Shedding game: A family of card games whose goal is to empty one's hand before opponents.