The History of the Game
Boulder, Colorado circa 1993, 1994
The PlaySnappa.com team was first introduced to the game of Snappa in 1994 at the University of Colorado-Boulder. We were in the basement of the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity house (Eta Gamma chapter) during a house sponsored Snappa tournament. There were 8 tables and over 20 teams involved in a single elimination tournament... the drink of choice? Coors Extra Gold.
Intrigued as to where this highly addictive game came from, we asked several of the fraternity members about it's origins. It seems that in the fall of 1993 and into the spring and summer of 1994, two frat brothers (one from Boston, one from Georgia) had started playing and spreading a game that, as far as we can tell, they derived from 'beer dice'. They called this new game Snappa, and by the fall of 1994 it was speading throughout the CU-Boulder campus.
An Evolving Game
These two pioneers originally played the game with their chairs and torso's right up against the table, and threw the die overhand. A sink was, as always, a finish, but there was no height rule and no maximum number of drinks per glass rule; none were needed. As they and their friends got better at this new game, the overhand throws from such a short distance were too accurate, becoming the equivalent of a basketball free-throw. To help offset this and make the game a little more challenging, the minimum height rule was instituted. As it was now very difficult to both throw overhand AND hit the table, players starting to throw underhand. Along with the institution of the underhand throwing rule, the 'drink' rule was introduced, where a player's glass had to be finished in a maximum of three or four drinks. The game as we know it was taking form.
San Francisco Bay Area
In 1999, the game moved with us to the San Francisco Bay Area. New friends, co-workers and out of town visitors soon found themselves exposed to Snappa, with many picking the game up regularly and taking it with them in their travels. As a result, the game has spread to other regions of the country. Many of our chapters include those same people.
Isla Vista - UC Santa Barbara
Per capita, the undeniable center of the Snappa revolution resides at UC Santa Barbara, in the student community of Isla Vista. On any given weekend, there will be dozens of games being played, and UC Santa Barbara's students and alum have helped spread the game throughout the world. In fact, we know first-hand that a swimmer from UCSB is responsible for bringing the game to Australia in 2008, where it is now thriving.
Continued Evolution
As the game is growing rapidly, with little information on the Internet relating to the game and it's rules (other than this site), it has been developed regionally, resulting in slightly different traditions. We play by and support any modifications to the game that make it more enjoyable for those playing. Snap-on!
If you have any more information or history to add, please let us know!
