ut
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 illustration 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 bee