The hints and fuller explanation given in Pope Joan and Spin should be studied in connection with this game.

[90]

SNIP-SNAP-SNORUM.

There are two distinct methods of playing this game, so unlike as to lead to the conclusion that at some time or other two separate games must have been confused by being called under the same name, and have since been so a.s.sociated with each other. There is hardly one point in common between the two methods in vogue; and while one is entirely different from anything yet described in the present volume, the other is, to a great extent, played on the lines of Pope Joan, Spin, and Newmarket, and may be regarded as an offshoot of those games--rather than as an independent one--which has got mixed with the one known under the t.i.tle of Snip-Snap-Snorum, and has come to be recognised under that name. As preference in such a case should be given to the independent game, we shall first describe that, and afterwards devote attention to the other system. In doing so we must excuse ourselves for the manifest inconsistency of a.s.sociating two distinct games under the one t.i.tle, on the ground of custom and practice among different individuals, and in order to avoid confusion as far as possible, we have re-named the game we shall describe last, as Jig, that being one of the terms used in the game, and sufficiently distinctive for every purpose.

Snip-Snap-Snorum is a round game, available for any number, of players from two to ten, when the full pack of fifty-two cards is played with, or for any number up to six [91] when the smaller pack of thirty-two is used.

Probably the best number of players is five or six in the former case, and three or four in the latter; the greatest objection to a large number of players being that those first out have to wait until the others have exhausted their stakes, which may not occur until several more rounds have been completed.

At the commencement of the game each player has to be provided with five coins or counters, of equal value, and the game is decided when all but one of the players has exhausted those five stakes. The player who holds out the longest becomes the winner, and secures the whole of the pool, which is contributed to during the progress of the game as described later on.

The deal is decided in the ordinary way, the player to whom the first knave is turned up having the first right to deal the cards. He shuffles the pack, has it cut, and then distributes five cards to each player, one at a time, and commencing with the one on his left-hand side. There is no turn-up card needed; when all have received their five cards the hands are looked at, and the game begins. The object of the players is to play cards of equal value to those of their right-hand adversaries, and if they do so the player has to pay a penalty into the pool; one stake for Snip, which is the first pairing of a card; two stakes for Snap, the second pairing of the same card; and three stakes for Snorum, the third pairing. For instance, suppose there are five players, _A_, _B_, _C_, _D_, and _E_. _A_ is the dealer, and, the cards having been dealt, _B_ has to lead; he plays a nine, and calls it when he places it on the table face upwards in front of him; _C_ likewise has a nine, which he must play by also placing it face upwards on the table in front of him, and says "Snip," upon which _B_ has to pay a stake into the pool, his card having been paired _D_ also has [92] a nine, which he plays in similar manner, and says "Snap," upon which _C_ has to pay two stakes into the pool, his card having been also paired; _E_ then has to follow on, and also having a nine in hand, he must play it, and says "Snorum," which imposes a penalty of three stakes upon _D_. This having disposed of the four nines in the pack, _A_, whose turn it now is to play, has to start upon a new card, and he has the option of playing whichever of the five in his hand he chooses.

The penalties of Snip-Snap-Snorum do not remain in force if any other card intervenes between the pairs, so that it is only the player next in order of play who has the opportunity of securing a stack& for the pool from any of the others. Taking the ill.u.s.tration given above, we will suppose that _D_ had no nine, and was accordingly compelled to play, say, a ten. _B_ would have had to pay the penalty for Snip, as before; but _C_ could have nothing to pay, his card not having been paired. Then suppose _E_, in his turn, played a nine, and A also played one, that would only "snip" _E's_ nine, although the other two nines had just been played; _E_ would have to pay one stake to the pool.

As soon as the five cards dealt to each player are exhausted, the next in order becomes the dealer, and distributes five cards to each player, as before, and the game is conducted round and round on exactly similar lines until one of the party has lost the last of his five stakes.

He is then out of the game, and if he has any cards left he must add them, face downwards and unexposed, to the top of the undealt portion of the pack. The other players proceed with the game, and as each loses his last stake he is left out, and no fresh cards are dealt him. This goes on until all but one have lost their stakes, when, as already described, the game is finished, and the last in takes the pool.

[93]

If a new game is started on, the first out in the previous game becomes the new dealer.

The lead is a disadvantage in this game, as, after a few cards have been played, it is often possible to know that certain cards remaining in hand are absolutely safe, or nearly so. For instance, suppose two knaves have been played during the first round or two, and that a third knave is in a player's hand, that card may be played as an almost safe one, as there is only one other that can pair with it, and the odds of the fourth knave being in the next player's hand are very remote. For the same reason a player having two of a kind in his own hand should always play one of them when his turn comes round, provided, of course, he is not able to pair with the player immediately preceding him.

If a player has a card similar to that played immediately before him, he must play it. In the event of his failing to do so, he has to pay a double penalty to the pool, while the player who would have been penalized has to contribute just as though the right card had been played.

These penalties must be enforced before the cards are cut for the next deal.

VARIATIONS.

This method of playing the game is sometimes varied as follows: Instead of dealing five cards to each player, the whole of the pack is distributed, equally; or as nearly equal as possible, among the players, each of whom starts with five coins or counters, as in the other game. The player on the dealer's left-hand side, whom we will call _B_, as above, has to lead, and he keeps on playing one card after another until the opponent on his left (_C_) can pair one of them. When _C_ succeeds in doing this, he says "Snip," and _B_ has to pay a stake into the pool, while he remains in [94]

active until the game has proceeded right round the table. Play now rests between _C_ and _D_. If _D_ can pair _C's_ card with which he snipped _B_ he does so, and calls "Snap," when _C_ has to pay two stakes to the pool; if then _E_ can also pair the card, he cries "Snorum," and _D_ has to pay three stakes to the pool. If, however, the players cannot pair, then _C_ has to keep on playing out his cards until _D_ can pair one, in which case _C_ is snipped, and the game proceeds as just described. The game goes round until all have played their cards, when the pack is again shuffled, and a new deal started upon, the game being won and the stakes secured by the player who holds out the longest with his five stakes, as in the other game.

This variation may be altered again by agreeing that an unlimited number of coins or counters may be used, and that the player who first succeeds in getting rid of his cards shall be the winner of the pool. By this system each deal becomes complete in itself, but it will not be found a very desirable innovation if many players are engaged, as in that case the cards are so divided that it becomes an easy matter to clear a hand.

_TURN-UP SNIP_.

It is sometimes agreed that the dealer shall turn up the top card of the undealt portion of the pack, and if then the first player can match it, the dealer has to pay the penalty for Snip. A much better way of playing this variation, however, is for the pool to pay the penalty for this first Snip.

In that case the player takes one counter out of the pool and adds it to his own stock.

[95]

JIG.

We have already mentioned that our reason for adopting the above t.i.tle is to distinguish this method of playing the game of Snip-Snap-Snorum from the one just described, and it will be evident to those who study the two systems that we are quite justified in introducing a distinctive name for the one we are now about to deal with, which, as we have said, has little or nothing--beyond former t.i.tle and use of similar terms--in common with the other.

The first dealer having been settled, and the pack shuffled, the cards are dealt out one at a time until the pack is exhausted. The object of the players is to get rid of their cards as speedily as possible, the one first out winning a coin or counter from each of the other players for every card remaining in their hands. The player on the dealer's left-hand side has to play first, and he leads whichever card he chooses, placing it face upwards on the table in front of him, and saying "Snip"; the holder of the next highest card of the same suit (ace counting as lowest and king as highest) has to follow on, and says "Snap"; then the three next highest cards are played, the holders of them saying "Snorum," "Hic.o.c.kalorum" and "Jig"

respectively, when playing them. The one who plays Jig has the next lead, and may follow on with whichever card he chooses. If either of the cards played is a stop,--that is to say, the succeeding card has been played out, or it is a king,--then the player says "Jig" after announcing what card he plays, as, for [96] instance, "Snip-Jig," "Snap-Jig," and so on.

The player of the stop has to lead the next card.

It will thus be seen that the object of the players should be to lead such cards as will bring the Jig into their own hand again whenever possible, as then another card has to be led, and a greater chance exists of clearing the hand. To do this successfully, it is necessary to remember what cards are played during the progress of the game, so as to know which are stops, and then, if the stops are in hand, such cards should be played as would lead up to them. It will be well to bear in mind the following, which gives a list of the "Jigs" to the several cards of the pack:--

The five is "Jig" to the ace.

The ten is "Jig" to six.

" six " two.

" knave " seven.

" seven " three.

" queen " eight.

" eight " four.

" king " nine, ten, " nine " five.

knave or queen.

Similarly, if the two, three, or four is a stop, the ace, two or three may be played so as to lead up to them and thus secure the Jig.

When one of the party has exhausted his cards, he says "Out," and then receives a coin or counter from each player for every card they have left, and he also wins the amount in the pool if one has been formed. This is possible in many ways: either by each player contributing to it equally, by calling upon the dealer to pay in, or by the infliction of fines or penalties for incorrect calls, etc.

It is hardly necessary to give further details of the method of playing the hands, the game being so similar to Pope Joan, Spin, and Newmarket, which are fully described elsewhere. Players will do well to refer to those games for further information in regard to this variation of Snip-Snap-Snorum.

[97]

Ca.s.sINO.

This game, which is of considerable antiquity, is available for two, three, four, or more persons, but is usually played by four, when two of the players act as partners against the other two. It is, however, equally available for four players acting independently, in which case each scores his individual points, whereas in the partnership game, as with only two players, the lesser number of points is taken from the greater, and the difference only is scored by the winner. With three players it is also necessary to score independently, although in all these independent scorings it is sometimes decided that the lowest scorer shall not reckon anything, while the number of his points is deducted from those of each of the others; as, for instance: suppose _A_ made 1 point, _B_ 2, _C_ 3 and _D_ 5; _A_ would not score anything, while _B_ would score 1, _C_ 2, and _D_ 4. Similarly, if _A_ made 2 points, _B_ 2, _C_ 2 and _D_ 5; _D_ would be the only one to score, and he would count 3.

It is usual to play with the full pack of fifty-two cards; there is however no reason why the smaller pack of thirty-two should not be used, but in that case the hands would be of shorter duration.

a.s.suming that four persons intend to take part in the game, and that they decide to play in pairs, the first question to settle will be as to who shall be partners, and who the first dealer. This is arranged by each of the four [98] players taking a card from the top or other part of the pack, when those who draw the two lowest cards have to play against the drawers of the two highest. The lowest of the four (ace counting as lowest) becomes the first dealer. In the event of a tie, which prevents the decision being thus made, only those whose cards are alike draw a second time. The partners sit opposite to each other, and the cards of each player are kept distinct until the hands are completed by the entire pack having been played through.

The cards having been shuffled and cut, the dealer distributes four cards to each of the players, dealing them one at a time. He also places four other cards face upwards in the middle of the table. It is usual to deal these latter one at a time when going round with the regular hands, but they may be taken all at one time from the top of the pack, after the players have received their cards. The player on the left-hand side of the dealer then plays a card from his own hand, and takes with it every card of the same denomination among those exposed on the table, as well as all that will combine and make the same number. For instance, a ten not only takes every other ten, but also nine and ace, eight and two, seven and three, six and four, or two fives, two threes and a four, and other combinations.

If the player is able to pair or combine any of the cards, he places them with his own card face downwards on the table in front of him; but if he is not able to pair or combine, he must add a card, face upwards, to those already exposed on the table. The next player does the same, and so on round the table until the four cards in hand have either been paired, combined, or added to the exposed stock on the table. The original dealer then distributes four fresh cards to each of the players, but does not expose any on the table as in the first round. The same proceeding [99]

is repeated until the whole pack has been exhausted, the player who is last able to pair or combine any of the exposed cards taking all the remaining cards off the table, and scoring one point for thus "sweeping the board,"

as it is termed. If a player is able to sweep the board at any other time during the progress of the game, he also scores a point, and the following player has to commence a new board by laying out a card.

The whole of the cards having thus been played, the partners combine their winnings, and the counting of the cards commences, the various points of the game being as follow:

The winner of Great Ca.s.sino (the ten of diamonds) reckons ... ... ... ... 2 points.

The winner of Little Ca.s.sino (the two of spades) reckons ... ... ... ... ... 1 point.