Object: The object of Snafooey is to be the last player to have any chips left. This player is considered the winner.
Equipment:
A deck of Snafooey cards consists of:
To Begin: Each player is given 6 chips. Each player rolls the dice and the highest roller is the first dealer. In the case of a tie on high rollers, those players roll again.
The Deal: The dealer begins by dealing four cards, face down, one at a time, to each player (including himself). The rest of the cards are put face down in the middle of the playing area; this is the draw pile.
The Play: With the count beginning at zero, the player to the left of the dealer begins by playing the first card, face up, on the discard pile (next to the draw pile) and announcing the total. Example: the first player plays a THREE; that player says "three" (0 + 3 = 3) and the play continues.
As each player plays a card, the amount of that card is added to the previous player's total. Note: when a player plays a card, she must draw a new card. If the next player plays before the previous player has drawn, that player must play with her remaining cards. Players are not to tell a player when she has forgotten to pick up a card. Once a card has been played, it cannot be picked back up unless it was played out of turn or wrongly.
While the count progresses from the starting point of zero and up, each player tries to avoid going over the counts of thirty, sixty and ninety. When a player goes over thirty, she loses one chip, over sixty she loses two chips and over ninety she loses three chips. Action cards will normally come into play when the count is on or near thirty, sixty or ninety. Action cards will be explained later.
When a player goes over ninety, this is considered the end of a sub-game. At the end of a sub-game, the cards are gathered, reshuffled by the player to the left of the previous dealer and dealt out again. This begins the next sub-game. Snafooey consists of as many sub-games as it takes until only one player has any chips left.
If at any time during the game a player loses her last chip, she is immediately ut of the game and the rest of the players contine. Her hand is widowed on the table until the next deal.
If a player repeatedly forgets to draw, and finds herself without any cards in her hand she must forfeit her remaining chips and is immediately out of the game.
When a sub-game is being played and the draw pile becomes depleted, the last player to draw a card must pick up the discard pile, shuffle it and place it back down as the new draw pile.
Action Cards:
PASSE cards: The PASSE card simply passes the count (any count) on to the next player. Example: the count is thirty and a player plays a PASSE card; the count stays at thirty and the next player has to play.
BACK-AT-CHA cards: The BACK-AT-CHA card reverses the order of play until such time as another player plays a BACK-AT-CHA card. Example: the count is at 89 and a player plays a BACK-AT-CHA card; the count of 89 is passed back to the player to the player who just announced "89" and continues in that way unless someone else plays another BACK-AT-CHA before the count exceeds ninety and the sub-game is ended.
GOTCHA cards: When a GOTCHA card is played, it automatically brings the count directly up to thrity, sixty or ninety. When the count is right on thirty, sixty or ninety, the count remains the same (except immediately after a SNAFOOEY card has been played- see below). Example #1: the count is 11 and a player plays a GOTCHA card; the count automatically goes up to thirty and the next player has to play. Example #2: the count is 67 and a player plays the GOTCHA card; the count automatically goes up to ninety and the next player has to play.
CHAOS cards: When a CHAOS card is played, the player that plays the CHAOS card mus roll the dice. If the roll totals seven or more, that amount is added to the count. If the roll of the dice totals six or less, that amount is subtracted from the count. Example: the count is thirty, and a player plays a CHAOS card; she rolls nine on the dice, the count goes up to 39 (30 + 9 = 39), that player loses one chip for going over thirty and the play continues from 39. Let's say this same player rolled a five on the dice: the count would then go down to 25 (30 - 5 =25) and the play continues with the count on 25.
SNAFOOEY card: This card can only be played when the count is on thirty, sixty or ninety. When the SNAFOOEY card is played, every player has to roll the dice, with the exception of the player that played the SNAFOOEY card. Only the player who rolls the lowest total on the dice escapes losing any chips. In the case of a tie on low rolls, those players involved roll again until the conflict is resolved. The high rollers (i.e. those without the low roll) lose the appropriate number of chips according to which of thirty, sixty and ninety the count is currently on. Play continues normally from this total, with no further penalty (except from ninety, as the sub-game ends). Example: five people are playing, the count is on sixty, and a player plays the SNAFOOEY card; the other players roll the dice, and the lowest roll is a three; the three players who rolled more than three must forfeit two chips apiece and the play continues up from sixty with no further penalty.
Note: when two players play, there is no low roller. The opponent of the player playing the SNAFOOEY card has to roll the dice as if they had played a CHAOS card. If their total is seven or more, this is added to the total and they lose the appropriate number of chips. If their total is six or less, this amount is subtracted from the count and play continues. If the count exceeds ninety, the sub-game is over.
Last updated: Friday 5th March 1999
Game devised by Crown & Andrews. Snafooey is a trademark of Crown & Andrews.
This text is based on the official C&A Snafooey Rules.