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Solitaire Games

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Solitaire is one of the most pleasurable pastimes for one person. Often called, "Patience," more than 150 Solitaire games have been devised. A few of the most popular are presented here, as well as some new ones.

Many Solitaire games can be played on areas smaller than a card table. Others require a larger playing area, and these games are often played on the floor or on a bedspread. Alternatively, in order to play with large layouts on a card table, miniature playing cards are available. These are usually half the size of standard playing cards.

General Guidelines

Virtually all Solitaire games are played with one or more standard 52-card packs. Most of the games proceed in the following way:

Some or all of the cards are distributed face up in some distinctive array, forming the "tableau." The tableau, together with any other cards dealt at the outset are often called the "layout."

The initial array may be changed by "building" - transferring cards among the face-up cards in the tableau. Certain cards of the tableau can be played at once, while others may not be played until certain blocking cards are removed.

The first objective is to release and play into position certain cards called "foundations." In most Solitaire games, the four aces are the bottom card or base of the foundations, and the objective is usually to build up each foundation, in sequence and in suit, from the ace through the king. The ultimate objective is to build the whole pack onto the foundations, and if that can be done, the Solitaire game is "won."

If the entire pack is not laid out in a tableau at the beginning of a game, the remaining cards form the stock (or "hand") from which additional cards are brought into play according to the rules. Cards from the stock that have no place in the tableau or on foundations are laid face up in a separate pile called the "talon" or "waste pile."

In some games, the layout includes a special packet of cards called the "reserve," which the player attempts to use by turning up and playing one card at a time. In many games, a vacancy in the tableau created by the removal of cards elsewhere is called a "space," and it is of major importance in manipulating the tableau. In some games, a space can only be filled in with a king.

The rank of cards in Solitaire games is: K (high), Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, A.

Klondike

(Solitaire)

The most popular version of Solitaire is also the best! The official name is Klondike, but most people know it as just plain Solitaire. Mistakenly called Canfield by many (which is another popular Solitaire game), Klondike is fast, has plenty of card play, and features a classic, elegant layout. While it is one of the most difficult Solitaire games to win, it is likely that Klondike will remain one of the most frequently played versions of the game for generations to come.

The Pack. The standard 52-card pack is used.

Tableau. The tableau is created by dealing out 28 cards in seven piles as follows: The first pile is one card; the second pile has two cards, and so on up to seven in the last pile. The top card of each pile is face up; all others are face down.

To set the tableau, the player deals seven cards cross-wise from left to right. In the first deal, one card is placed face up and six are placed face down. In the second deal, one card is placed face up on the second pile, and one face down on each other pile; and so on (see diagram next page).

Foundations. The four aces form the foundations. As it becomes available, each ace must be played to a row above the tableau. Cards
in the appropriate suit are then played on the aces in sequence - the two, then the three, and so on - as they become available.

Object of the Game. The goal is to get the four suits built onto the foundations from aces up through kings.

Building. Any movable card (from tableau, stock or talon) may be placed on a card next-higher in rank if it is of opposite color. Example:
A black five may be played on a red six. If more than one card is face up on a tableau pile, all such cards must be moved as a unit. Example: the 3, 4, 5 may be moved as a unit onto 6 or 6. When there is no face-up card left on a pile, the top face-down card is turned up and becomes available.

Spaces. Only a king may fill an open space in the layout.

Stock. After the tableau is dealt, the rest of the pack forms the stock. The player turns up cards from the top of the stock in groups of three, and the top card of the three may be used for building on the tableau or, if possible, played on a foundation. If a card is used in this manner, the card below it becomes available for play. If the upcard cannot be used, the one, two, or three cards of the group are placed face up on the talon (waste pile), and the next group of three cards is turned up. When the stock is exhausted, the talon is turned upside down (without shuffling) to form a stock, and groups of three cards are again turned up. This process is repeated until no further plays are possible. The top card of the talon is always available for play, provided that the next three cards of the stock have not been turned.

Las Vegas Solitaire

The play is the same as in Klondike, but with the following rule change: Instead of turning up cards from the stock three at a time indefinitely, the player turns the cards one at a time, but goes through the stock only once.

Settlement. In some casinos, Las Vegas Solitaire is a gambling game. A player pays to play, and once the game ends, the house pays the player for each card on the foundations. For example: A player pays $50 to play and the house pay $5 for each card on the foundation. Thus 10 cards "upstairs" (on the foundations) would break even; 11 or more would win. Getting all 52 cards onto the foundations pays a jackpot that varies from casino to casino.

Joker Solitaire

This game was created by Joli Quentin Kansil and is played in the same way as Klondike, but with a wild twist: Two jokers are added
to the pack, and they serve as limited wild cards. Of all Klondike variations, this game probably requires the most skill because it demands that the player make many calculated decisions. Joker Solitaire is played Las Vegas-style: The cards of the stock are turned up one card at a time, rather than three at a time, and the player goes through the stock only once.

Jokers. The two jokers must be different from each other as one represents any black card, and the other is any red card. If the two
jokers in the pack are different, the more ornate one can serve as the black joker, and the other one can be the red joker. (In packs of cards where the jokers are identical, use the extra advertising card that often comes with the pack as the red joker, or mark the face of one of the two jokers with a felt pen.)

How the Jokers Function. When the black joker appears in the tableau, it may be designated as any black card, such as a black queen or a black three. The player does not have to specify the particular suit. When the black joker is designated as a black king, it may be placed on an open space. When it is selected to be an ace, it is placed above to form one of the four foundations, though the player does not have to designate whether the joker is the club ace or spade ace. This joker will become either of these aces once the club deuce or spade deuce is played on it.

When a black joker is turned up from the stock, or when it appears as the top card of the talon (waste pile), it may be played as any needed black card on to the tableau as long as both such black cards are not in the tableau or foundations already. Example: A player would not be permitted to use a black joker as a black six, if both the spade six and club six were already in the tableau or foundations. When a black joker is the top card of the talon and cannot be played on to the tableau because only black cards are the top cards of the piles, it is not played, and the next card of the stock is turned up. All of these same rules apply in the same way for red jokers and red cards.

Tableau Rule. One important regulation is that when a joker is turned up from the stock, or when it is the top card of the talon, it may not be played directly to the foundations - it must first be played to the tableau before being placed in the foundations. Example: If the red joker is the top card of the talon and the player wishes to use it as a red ace, it must be placed on a black deuce in the tableau before then being played to the foundations as a red ace. Thus, the player should take care not to automatically play a black deuce onto a matching black ace in the foundations, as he may wish to keep open the option of using the black deuce in the tableau for the possible play of a red joker as a red ace.

Exchanging. When a joker is used for a specific card, and that card is later turned up in the stock or tableau, the player must use that card to exchange it with the matching joker. The card is placed where the joker was, either in the talon, tableau, or foundations. After the exchange, the player is permitted to use the joker for another card, and this process can later be repeated so that during the game, a joker may be used for several different cards. To illustrate: The red joker is a red seven in the tableau and is on top of a black eight, with a black six on top of the red joker. If the diamond seven is turned up from the stock, it is exchanged with the red joker, which is placed as the top card of the talon. This red joker can now be used as another playable red card. Another example:
The black joker is the club three in the foundations, and the club three is turned face up from one of the face-down piles in the tableau. The club three is exchanged with the black joker in the club foundation pile, and the joker is put on top of the pile in the tableau where the club three used to be. The joker can now be used as another black card, or the player can just leave the joker in the tableau and declare what card it will be at a later time.

Once a joker is declared, the player cannot change the decision and select a different card unless the joker is exchanged, as already described.

If a player cannot play a joker when it becomes available, he continues play by turning up cards from the stock. A player always has the option of removing the joker from the game by placing it out of play. Once a player does so, the joker cannot be used again.

Winning. If the player succeeds in playing 15 or more cards to the foundations, it is a win; 25 or more cards "up top" is a double victory, and all cards up top is a triple victory.

Double Solitaire

In this variation, two people can participate. The players sit across from each other, and each has his own pack of cards. The two packs must be of different colors or designs. All foundations may be played on by both players, but players cannot play to each other's tableaus. The first player is determined by the low card on the one-card piles; if these cards are the same, the two-card piles decide, and so on. A player's turn ends when he puts a card face up on his talon and cannot play it; then, the opponent's turn begins. A player's turn also ends if he makes another play when able to start a foundation pile with an ace, provided the opponent notices the error and stops him. The winner is the player who has played the most cards to the foundations at the time the game becomes blocked. If one player gets all 52 cards upstairs, he "goes out," and immediately wins.

Canfield

(Fascination, Demon)

Closely related to Klondike, the game of Canfield is probably the second most popular Solitaire game.

The Pack. The standard 52-card pack is used.

The Layout. The player counts off 13 cards face down, squares them up, and places them face up horizontally to the left to form the reserve. He turns up the next (14th) card as the first foundation card and places it above the reserve, to the right. Beside the reserve, and directly below the first foundation card, the player deals a row of four cards face up to the right. This forms the tableau.

Foundations. As they become available, the other three cards of the same rank as the first foundation card are added in a row to the right of the first foundation. The player builds up on each foundation in suit and sequence, going "around the corner." Example: If a queen is the first foundation, each other queen, as it becomes available, forms a foundation and is built up as follows: Q, K, A, 2, 3 and so on, up to J.

Object of the Game. The goal is to build all four foundations up to the 13th card in each suit.

Stock. After the layout is dealt, the rest of the pack forms the stock (or "hand"). Cards are turned over three at a time, and the top card of each packet is available for building. The cards underneath are available once the top card is played.

Talon. The player places each packet of three cards, as they are turned up from the stock, on a talon (waste pile) below the layout. The top card of the talon is always available for building. When all of the stock is played onto the talon, the player turns it face down to make a new stock and goes through it again, three cards at a time. The stock may be run through any number of times until no more plays are possible, or until the game is won.

Building. Any movable card or cards (from tableau, reserve, or stock) may be placed only on a card next-higher in rank and of opposite color in the tableau. Example: The 8 may be placed on 9 or 9. An entire pile of the tableau must be moved as a unit.

Spaces. A space in the tableau must be filled by the top card of the reserve, which must always be kept squared up so that only the top card can be identified. After the reserve has been exhausted, spaces may be filled from the stock and talon.

Thirteen-Up

(Storehouse)

This game is the same as Canfield, but is easier to win because the four aces are removed from the pack prior to play. They are then placed above the reserve to start the four foundations. All the foundations are built up from the ace through the king, in sequence and in suit.

There are two other differences:

1) Cards from the stock are turned up one at a time, instead of three at a time.

2) The player may go through the stock three times only. That is, no more than two "redeals" are permitted.

Seahaven Towers

A relatively new version of Solitaire, Seahaven Towers was invented by Art Cabral in 1988. It may be one of the greatest solitaire card games ever devised because there is very little luck involved - the outcome depends almost entirely on the player's skill. With clever card manipulation, a player should be able to win the game more than three-quarters of the time. An average player, though, will win about once in three times.

The Pack. The standard 52-card pack is used.

Tableau. The cards are dealt face up into ten columns of five cards each, and all cards should overlap so that they remain visible. The remaining two cards are placed above the tableau to form two of the four "Towers." It is on these four towers where most essential card play takes place. Well to the left of the towers are two spaces for the A and A when they become available. Well to the right of the towers are two more spaces, where the A and A are placed when they become available. The four aces form the foundations.

Object of the Game. The goal is to build up each suit onto the foundations from ace through king.

The Play. With the cards overlapping, the lowest card in each column serves as the top (first) card and is the only one in each column that is available for play. Any top card can be moved to an empty tower space; but the player should be careful, because Tower spaces are needed as places to put cards which block vitally needed cards.

The player can play a card onto a top card in the tableau only if the top card is the next-higher card of the same suit. Thus, the 3 can be placed on the 4. When cards are moved in this manner, a column can grow much longer than the original five cards.

Spaces. When all of the cards of a column have been placed elsewhere in the tableau, onto a tower space, or onto the foundations, the empty space can be filled in only with a king.

Foundations. In the foundations, a higher card is placed on a lower card of the same suit, as in many Solitaire games. For example: The 2 may be placed on the A or the 10 may be placed on the 9 if the 9 is the top card in the hearts foundation pile at the time.

Players should not doubt their card-playing skills if they do not succeed in playing all the cards in this Solitaire game. It has been estimated that the chances of winning in Accordion are about one in a hundred!

The Pack. The standard 52-card pack is used.

Tableau. The player deals out the cards one by one face up, in a row from left to right, as many at a time as space allows. (Dealing may be interrupted at any time if the player wishes to make a move. After making a move, the deal is then resumed).

Object of the Game. The goal is to get all the cards in one pile, by building.

Building. Any card may be placed on top of the next card at its left, or the third card at its left, if the cards are of the same suit or of the same rank. Example: Four cards, from left to right, are: 6, J, 9. 9. The 9 may be placed either on the 9 or on the 6. It may not be played on the jack of the same suit because the jack is not to the immediate left,
or third from the left. (see diagram below)

When the movement of one or more cards has formed a pile, the entire pile is moved with the top card. In the example above, when the 9 is put on the 9, the two may be put on the J and then all of these cards on the 6. However, it is not obligatory to make a particular move if the player prefers not to do so.

Napoleon at St. Helena

(Forty Thieves)

After his final exile to the island of St. Helena, Napoleon often played Solitaire. This is probably the version he played. Also known as Forty Thieves, it was once one of the most popular two-deck Solitaire games. It is still frequently played.

The Pack. Two standard 52-card packs are used and they are shuffled together.

Tableau. Ten piles of four cards each, dealt by rows, all face up. The cards should overlap so that the player can see them all.

Foundations. All aces are placed above the tableau as soon as the player can release them from the tableau. (See diagram next page)

Building. Only the top card of a pile may be moved. The removal of a card releases the one below it. A card may be placed only on another of the same suit and next-higher in rank. Example: A 7 may be placed only on 8. A king may not be built on an ace, and aces must be placed as foundations as soon as possible. Foundations are built up in suit and sequence from ace through king.

Object of the Game. The goal is to get all eight foundations built up from ace through king.

Spaces. When any of the ten tableau piles is entirely cleared away, any movable card may be placed in the space.

Stock. Cards are turned up one at a time from the top of the stock and may be placed on the tableau or foundations.

Talon. Cards from the stock that cannot be used are placed face up in a pile below the tableau to form the talon (waste pile). The top card of the talon is always available for building onto the tableau or foundations. The player may overlap the talon cards so that all of them can be seen.

Emperor

The rules are the same as for Napoleon at St. Helena, with the following exceptions (which make the game easier to win): For the layout, the player deals the first three rows face down, and the last
row face up. On the tableau piles, he builds down using alternate
colors. Also, face-up cards on a pile may be moved as a unit, and
cards on foundation piles may be removed and built on the tableau.

Spider

The Pack. Two standard 52-card packs are used, and they are shuffled together.

Tableau. Ten piles of five cards each are dealt by rows. The first four cards of each pile are dealt face down, the top cards face up. All play
is made on the tableau. There are no foundations and no talon.

Building. The top card of a pile may be moved, together with all face-up cards below it that follow in ascending suit and sequence. A sequence of available cards may be broken at any point by leaving some cards behind. Example: If a pile from top down shows 4, 5, 6, 7, either the first one, two, or three cards may be moved as a unit, but the 7 may not be moved until the covering three cards are removed.

When all face-up cards on a pile are removed, the next card below is turned face up and becomes available.

A movable unit of cards may be placed either in a space or on a card of the next-higher rank to the bottom card of the unit, regardless of color or suit. Example: If the bottom card of a unit is the J, it may be moved onto any one of the four queens.

A king can be moved only onto a space. Alternatively, the spaces may be filled with any movable unit.

Object of the Game. The goal is to assemble 13 cards of a suit, in ascending sequence from ace through king, on top of a pile. Whenever a full suit of 13 cards is so assembled, it is lifted off and discarded from the game. The game is won if all eight suits are played out.

Stock. When all possible or desired moves on the tableau come to a standstill, the player deals another row of ten cards face up on the tableau piles. However, before such a deal may be made, all spaces in the tableau must be filled. The final deal consists of only four cards, which are placed on the first four tableau piles.

Streets and Alleys

The Pack. The standard 52-card pack is used.

The Layout. A column of four cards is dealt to the center of the table, slightly to the left. A column of four cards is then dealt to the right of center, leaving room between these two columns for another column. All cards are dealt face up. The player continues dealing the cards in columns of four alternately to the left and right, overlapping outward from the center with the cards already dealt. The entire pack is dealt out, so that each row on the left will contain seven cards and each row on the right, six cards. These rows form the "wings" of the tableau.(See diagram next page)

Foundations. The four aces form the foundations. As each ace is released, it is moved into the center between the left and right wings
of the tableau. The foundations are built up in suit and sequence.

Building. Only the outermost card of each row is available for transfer. A card may be moved onto the outer end of a row, provided that it is in descending sequence with the card there, regardless of suit. Example: The 5 may be placed on 6, 6, 6, or 6. Any available card may be placed on a space.

Object of the Game. The goal is to get all cards built onto the foundations.

Beleaguered Castle

This game is the same as Streets and Alleys except that the four aces are removed from the pack prior to play and are placed in the center column. Each row of the tableau, left and right, will then contain six cards.

Poker Solitaire

The Pack. The standard 52-card pack is used.

Tableau. From the shuffled pack, the player turns up the first 25 cards one by one, placing them in a square (grid) that is five cards wide and five cards deep. Each card, as it is turned up, may be placed anywhere with reference to those previously placed, so long as all remain within the five-by-five limits. Once placed, a card may not be moved.

Object of the Game. The goal is to score as high a count as possible in the ten Poker hands formed by the five rows and five columns of the tableau.

Scoring. There are several systems of scoring; the two shown below are the most popular. The American system follows the ranking of hands in standard Poker, while the English system is based on the actual difficulty of forming the hands in Poker Solitaire.

Royal Flush 100 30

Straight Flush 75 30

Four of a Kind 50 16

Full House 25 10

Flush 20 5

Straight 15 12

Three of a Kind 10 6

Two Pair 5 3

One Pair 2 1

One common variation is to deal all 25 cards face up quickly in the five-by-five grid and then the cards are moved by the player to come up with the 10 highest-scoring poker hands within the grid.

Calculation

The Pack. The standard 52-card pack is used.

Foundations. Remove from the pack and lay in a row any ace, any two, any three, and any four.

Object of the Game. The goal is to build 12 cards on each foundation in arithmetical sequence (regardless of suit). The sequences on the four piles must be:

A, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K.

2, 4, 6, 8, 10, Q, A, 3, 5, 7, 9, J, K.

3, 6, 9, Q, 2, 5, 8, J, A, 4, 7, 10, K

4, 8, Q, 3, 7, J, 2, 6, 10, A, 5, 9, K

Stock. The 48 remaining cards of the pack are the stock. Cards are turned up one by one from the stock and played either on a foundation or a talon (waste pile).

Talon. Cards from the stock may be placed on any of four talons below the foundations. The top card of a talon is always available for play on a foundation, but may not otherwise be moved once it is placed.

Devil's Grip

Devil's Grip has a touch of Calculation in it, and the deck for the game is rather unusual.

The Pack. Two standard 52-card packs are stripped of all the aces, leaving a deck of 96 cards.

Tableau. After the pack is shuffled, 24 cards are dealt face up in three rows of eight columns. At any time, cards may be moved within this three-by-eight grid by changing places with one another. The remainder of the pack is placed face down to form the stock.

The Play. Cards may be placed on top of one another if they are of the same suit and adhere to one of the following bottom-to-top orders:

2, 5, 18, J

3, 6, 19, Q

4, 7, 10, K

The order may seem random, but it makes sense visually on the grid: deuces in the top row, threes in the middle, fours on the bottom row, then in the top row, fives, middle row sixes, and so on.

Object of the Game. The goal is to place the entire deck into the piles on the grid, winding up with jacks on top in the top row, queens on top in the middle row, and kings on top in the bottom row.

Spaces. When an empty space appears as a result of moving one card on top of another, the top card of the stock is drawn to replace it. This is the only way that the base cards (deuces, threes and fours) can make it onto the grid. If there are no empty spaces, cards are turned up in the traditional Solitaire manner - groups of three - and these cards are left face up in a pile to form the talon. Cards of the correct suit may be taken and placed on top of appropriate cards already on the grid. Thus, the 8 may be placed on the 5. It is not necessary for the five to already be on top of a 2.

Ending the Game. Play continues until no more cards can enter the grid. Usually, every pile will have a picture card on top. The cards left in the talon are counted to become the player's score - the lower the better. It is rare to play out the entire deck. A score of 10 or fewer cards left in the talon is "good"; a score of five cards or under is "excellent"; and 2 or fewer cards is "brilliant."