Have you ever wished for a game that combines the tension of Snap! with the senseless violence of musical chairs? If so, this is the answer to your prayers.

What You Need

To play the game you need some people sat in a circle (on the floor is better than round a table, for reasons that will become apparent); between five and ten is recommended. Also you need some spoons - one less than the number of players, to be specific¹. These are placed in the centre of the circle. Finally, a pack of cards (the standard 52-card deck), preferably not a shiny new pack, because they won't be shiny and new by the time you've finished with them.

Having a first-aid kit (or at least some sticking plasters) to hand may come in useful if you want to avoid getting blood everywhere. For similar reasons it's a good idea if players remove their shoes and any sharp objects before playing.

How to Play

Choose a dealer. It doesn't really matter who, as the deal will rotate after each hand. The dealer shuffles the cards and deals four cards to each player, who pick them up and look at them. He then places the remainder of the deck face down in front of him.

The dealer takes the top card from the deck and adds it to his hand, which he examines, then discards a card, placing it to his left by the next player. He repeats this. Meanwhile the next player picks up the card the dealer discarded and passes one of his own to the next player. This continues round the circle. Notice that there are no turns, and as long as there are cards to your right you can pick one up. Make sure you discard one each time, so as to retain four cards. If the dealer exhausts the deck, he then picks up from the discard pile of the player on his right.

But what's the point of all this, you may ask. Well, the aim of this part is to collect a set of four cards of the same value (eg, four kings or four threes). With a smaller number of players this will naturally take longer - you could consider dealing more than four cards each to speed it up. The first player to collect a full set picks up a spoon. As soon as this happens the other players pick up the remaining spoons.

The reference to picking up spoons may be slightly misleading, as what generally happens is that the players dive on the spoons. One player lands on most of them and sends the rest skittering across the room. Three players get their hands on the same spoon and start bending it every which way, which is why you probably shouldn't use the best silver.

Anyhow, at some point every player but one has a spoon. This player has lost, the penalty for which depends on how long you want the game to last. For a short game, this player is out of all subsequent hands. For a slightly longer game, give the players a certain number of lives - six is common, whence players can keep track of lives lost by spelling out the word 'SPOONS' - a player who loses his last life is out. For a really long game, hang the idea of an eventual winner and just keep playing for honour.

Tactics

The more you look at your cards, the less likely you are to see the first person grabbing a spoon - so just glance at the cards occasionally, and remember what you're trying to collect. It is not unknown for players to ignore the cards, simply passing those that come their way onto the next player. This does mean that you'll never get four of a kind, but allows extra vigilance on the spoon front.

The tactic of diving on the spoons has been mentioned. Another possibility is to try to take a player 'out' - that is, stop him from getting a spoon; the logic being that if he doesn't get one, you will. Unfortunately, if you're unsuccessful this puts you at a great disadvantage. Ganging up with another player can significantly increase the chance of success.

Your very posture can be tactical - place your weight towards the centre of the circle, allowing you to quickly dive towards the spoons. Crouching or kneeling with legs sideways is best for this. Alternatively elbows and shoulders can be placed in the path of another player.

If you are the player to get four of a kind, there is an advantage in reaching slowly and unobtrusively for a spoon rather than lunging. It is not unknown for a player to attract attention too quickly when doing this and get the spoon snatched from his very grasp.

Unless you decide to punish anyone who does so, 'dummy' moves (reaching towards the spoons without picking one up) can be quite fun. There's not really much of a tactical advantage, but who cares?

There is plenty of scope for personal vendettas, which will be encouraged by the other players as two people fighting each other will naturally give the rest a chance to grab overlooked spoons. This should tell you something about the wisdom of such behaviour.

Disclaimer

The Researcher bears no responsibility for injuries sustained in this game. As a wise man once said, 'If you can't stand the heat, vacate the cooking area.'