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 The standard deck of cards used in two-card-ago snap. | |
| Type | Matching |
|---|---|
| Players | 2+ |
| Cards | 52 |
| Deck | French |
| Rank (high→low) | A K Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 |
| Play | Clockwise |
| Playing time | ∞ |
| Chance | Low-Moderate |
Two-card-ago snap is a simple standard-deck card game[1][2]. It is a niche card game, with origins in North East Wales. The game is related to Slapjack and is also related to the simpler 'slap' card game often called snap.
Origins
The game is said to have had its official origins in 2018, when two people from Wales decided to give the game a full test run during a meal at a branch of Chiquito's. This first playthrough was witnessed by a handful of bemused onlookers, curious as to why each call in the seemingly simpler game of Snap had suddenly doubled in length. Other historical sources suggest the idea's conception dates to earlier than 2018, with some believing it was actually devised in a local pub in Lloc[3]. It has been tested on groups larger than two players; however, it is generally considered more difficult for people to mentally juggle the previous card selection in a competition of this size.
Gameplay
A 52-card deck is divided into face-down stacks as equally as possible between all players. One player removes the top card of their stack and places it face-up on the playing surface within reach of all players. The players take turns doing this in a clockwise manner until the number of the card face up matches that of the card placed two cards ago. At this point, any and all players may attempt to slap the pile with the hand they used to place the card; whoever covers the stack with his or her hand first takes the pile, shuffles it, and adds it to the bottom of their stack. If another player puts their card over the target card before it is slapped, that and the cards underneath can't be taken by a player until the next eligible card is revealed. When a player has run out of cards, they continue to play the game but cannot contribute cards themselves. Gameplay continues with hands of this sort until one player has acquired all of the cards.
In a popular variation with a regular deck, the person covering the cards must simultaneously say "Snap!" If the person fails to say this, they do not get the pile. Additionally, if the player covers the pile and says "Snap", and the card is not a match to that of two cards ago, then the other players get to divide the pile evenly among themselves.
To make the game particularly challenging, the players can opt to place their card onto the main pile in the centre as fast as possible. This can result in very few successful calls, but increases the effective win-rate if called correctly.
Game variations
Three-card-ago Snap
Three-card-ago snap is a popular, albeit more difficult, variation in which the object is similar to that of the main game. However, the eligible card to be 'snapped' has to match the value of the card three cards ago. The game is often the next progression up once two-card-ago snap has been relatively mastered. Note that this increase in distance between cards can go as far as the players wish; i.e. they can play four-card-ago snap, five-card-ago snap, and so on.
See also
References
- Ostrow, Albert A (1945). The Complete Card Player. New York: McGraw-Hill. p. 71.