Objective
Collect every card in the game. You win cards by spotting a match first: when the top cards of any two face-up piles share a rank, such as two kings or two 7s, the first player to call “Snap!” takes both of those piles. Suits do not matter, only the rank.
Setup
Deal the whole deck face down, one card at a time, starting on the dealer’s left. It does not matter if some players get an extra card. Each player squares their cards into a face-down pile in front of them without looking at them.
Leave room beside each pile for a face-up pile, and clear a space in the middle of the table for a Snap Pot.
How to play
The player to the dealer’s left turns the top card of their face-down pile and places it face up beside it, starting their own face-up pile. The next player to the left does the same, and so on around the table.
Watch every pile. When a newly turned card matches the top card of another player’s face-up pile, the first person to call “Snap!” wins both face-up piles and puts them face down under their own face-down pile. Anyone can call, not only the two players whose cards match.
If two players call “Snap!” at the same moment, the two matching piles are combined face up in the middle as a Snap Pot. Play carries on, and when someone turns a card that matches the top of the Snap Pot, the first to call “Snap Pot!” takes it.
When your face-down pile runs out, turn your face-up pile over and keep playing. A player with no cards left in either pile is out.
- 1Turn your top card onto your face-up pile
- 2Watch every face-up pile for a match in rank
- 3Call “Snap!” first to win both piles
- 4Tie on the call? The piles go to the Snap Pot
- 5Run out of cards and you are out of the game
Winning
The game ends when one player holds every card, and that player wins. Snap can run long with a big group, so many families set a time limit instead. When time is up, the player with the most cards wins.
Variations
Center-pile Snap: everyone turns cards onto one shared pile, and you call “Snap!” when a card matches the one just beneath it. The first to call takes the whole pile.
Picture decks: store-bought Snap decks use illustrated cards instead of numbers, which suits very young players. The rules are the same.
Slapping games: Slapjack and Egyptian Rat Screw are relatives where you slap the pile instead of shouting.
Tips from the table
Turn your card away from you, so you see it at the same moment as everyone else. Turning it toward yourself gives you a head start, and most tables don’t allow it.
Keep your eyes on the whole table, not just your own pile. A match between two other players counts just as much.
Do not call on color or suit. Only rank matters, and a false call costs you cards.
Keep an eye on the Snap Pot. Players forget about it, and it can hold a big pile of cards.
Video Guides Are on the Way
We’re filming Game Guides that walk through full hands at the table, from the deal to the score.
Frequently asked
Do the cards have to match in suit?
No. They match in rank only, such as the 9 of clubs and the 9 of hearts.
Can I call Snap on two other players’ cards?
Yes. Anyone can call any match, and the caller wins both piles.
What if two players call at the same time?
The two piles go face up into the middle as a Snap Pot. The next player to call a match against its top card wins it.
How long does Snap take?
Ten to fifteen minutes with a few players. With a big group, set a time limit and count cards at the end.
New rules every month
Get the next game before it hits the site.
