Solitaire Game Rules

Brief guide of the rules

Solitaire Overview

Patience (game)

Patience, or solitaire as it is known in the US and Canada, is a genre of card games that can be played by a single player. Patience games can also be played in a head-to-head fashion with the winner selected by a scoring scheme.

In the US, the term solitaire is often used specifically to refer to solitaire played with cards, while in other countries solitaire specifically refers to peg solitaire. Both solitaire and patience are sometimes used to refer specifically to the Klondike form of patience.



Overview

The purpose of patience generally involves manipulating a layout of cards with a goal of sorting them in some manner. It is possible to play the same games competitively (often a head to head race) and cooperatively.

Patience games typically involve dealing cards from a shuffled deck into a prescribed arrangement on a tabletop, from which the player attempts to reorder the deck by suit and rank through a series of moves transferring cards from one place to another under prescribed restrictions. Some games allow for the reshuffling of the decks, or the placement of cards into new or "empty" locations. In the most familiar, general form of patience, the object of the game is to build up four blocks of cards going from ace to king in each suit, taking cards from the layout if they appear on the table.

There is a vast array of variations on the patience theme, using either one or more decks of cards, with rules of varying complexity and skill levels. Many of these have been converted to electronic form and are available as computer games.

History

The game is most likely German or Scandinavian in origin. The game became popular in France in the early 19th Century reaching England and America in the latter half. The earliest known recording of a game of patience occurred in 1788 in the German game anthology Das neue Königliche L'Hombre-Spiel. Before this, there were no literary mentions of such games in large game compendiums such as Charles Cotton's The Compleat Gamester (1674) and Abbé Bellecour's Academie des Jeux (1674).

Patience was first mentioned in literature shortly after cartomantic layouts were developed circa 1765, suggesting a connection between the two. This theory is supported by the name of the game in Danish and Norwegian, kabal(e). An 1895 account describes a variant of the game exclusively used for cartomancy.

The first collection of patience card games in the English language is attributed to Lady Adelaide Cadogan through her Illustrated Games of Patience, published in about 1870 and reprinted several times. Other collections quickly followed such as Patience by Ednah Dow Littlehale Cheney (1869), Amusement for Invalids by Annie B. Henshaw (1870), and later D i c k's Games of Patience, published by D i c k and Fitzgerald. Other books about patience written towards the end of the 19th century were by H. E. Jones (a.k.a. Cavendish), Angelo Lewis (a.k.a. Professor Hoffman), Basil Dalton, Ernest Bergholt, and Mary Whitmore Jones.

Types

In most games of patience the overall aim is to arrange all thirteen cards of each suit in order in a "family" running from ace to king. Normally the ace forms the "foundation" on which a two of the same suit is placed, followed by a three and so on. This is known as "building" and all such games are, technically, builders. However, in many games the cards must be assembled in reverse order on another part of the layout called the "tableau". They can then be built in the right sequence on the foundations. This interim process of reverse building is calling "packing". Games that use this technique are thus called "packers". Games that use neither technique are called "non-builders".

There are also specials kinds of packer-games which may be further sub-classified as:

• Blockades
  
• Planners
  
• Spiders

Patience games may be classified by the degree to which the cards are revealed. In "open" games, all the cards are visible throughout the game and the player has to use powers of analysis to solve the patience. In "closed" games, cards are drawn from a face-down stock and the player has to use judgement because the sequence of cards is unknown until they appear. In between is a hybrid group which Parlett calls "half-open".

Forty Thieves Game Rules (as example)

Forty Thieves Solitaire Rules (example)

Forty Thieves is the basis for an entire family of solitaires (see the list of variations below). The number "forty" in the title refers to the number of cards in the tableau (ten piles of four cards each).

It's a rather difficult game to play, and requires a good deal of skill, but has proved to be an enduringly popular game, regardless.



Rules

Number of Decks: 2 (104 cards)

Alternate Names: Big Forty, Le Cadran, Napoleon at St. Helena, Roosevelt at San Juan

Initial Layout: Begin by dealing 40 cards to the tableau, face up, as ten piles of four cards each, spread out vertically so that all cards are visible. Leave space for eight foundation piles above the tableau. The remaining cards form the stock, and are held in a single face-down pile. Also reserve space for a single wastepile.

Object: The object of the game is to build all eight foundations up in suit from ace to king.

Play: Within the tableau, cards are built down and in suit. Only the top card of each tableau pile is available for play. Only one card at a time may be moved, either to a foundation or to another tableau pile. Spaces within the tableau may be filled with any card.

The top card of the stock is available for play to a foundation or to a tableau pile, or may be put on the wastepile. The top card of the waste pile is also available for play to a foundation or to a tableau pile. There is no redeal.

Variations

Ali Baba - Same as Forty Thieves, except that Ali Baba is a one-deck game. Tableau sequences may be moved in part or in whole.

Indian - Same as Forty Thieves, except that the tableau consists of ten columns of three cards each, and the bottom card of each column is dealt face down. In addition, cards are built down by any suit other than its own.

Limited - Same as Forty Thieves, except that the tableau consists of twelve columns of three cards.

Little Forty - Same as Forty Thieves, except that tableau sequences may be moved in part or in whole, tableau piles are built down regardless of suit, cards are dealt from the stock three at a time, and there are three redeals.

Lucas - Same as Forty Thieves, except that the aces are removed to start the foundations, and the tableau consists of 13 columns of three cards each.

Maria - Same as Forty Thieves, except that the tableau consists of nine columns of four cards each, and during play the cards are built down by alternating colors.

Number Ten - Same as Forty Thieves, except that within each tableau pile, the bottom two cards are dealt face-down, and the top two are dealt face-up. Tableaus are built down in alternating colors. Sequences may be moved in part or in whole.

Rank and File - Same as Forty Thieves, except that the bottom three cards of each of the ten columns are dealt face down, leaving only the top card of each pile exposed. Tableaus are built down in alternating colors. Sequences may be moved in part or in whole.

Streets - Same as Forty Thieves, except that the building on the tableau is down by alternating colors.

List of Patience Games

A

• Accordion
  
• Aces and Kings
  
• Aces Up (Loser Solitaire)
  
• Acme
  
• Addiction, see Gaps
  
• Agnes I (Sorel)
  
• Agnes II (Bernauer)
  
• Alaska
  
• Algerian
  
• Alhambra
  
• All in a Row
  
• Alternation
  
• Amazons
  
• American Toad
  
• Archway
  
• Auld Lang Syne
  
• Australian Patience

B

• Babette
  
• Backbone
  
• Baker's Dozen
  
• Baker's Game
  
• Baroness
  
• Batsford
  
• Beetle
  
• Beleaguered Castle (Laying Siege, Sham Battle)
  
• Betsy Ross
  
• Big Ben
  
• Bisley
  
• Black Hole
  
• Blockade
  
• Bowling
  
• Box Kite
  
• Braid, see Herring-Bone
  
• Bristol
  
• British Constitution
  
• British Square

C

• Calculation
  
• Canfield (US) / Demon (UK)
  
• Capricieuse
  
• Captive Queens, see Quadrille
  
• Carpet
  
• Casket
  
• The Castle of Indolence, see Beleaguered Castle
  
• Castles in Spain
  
• Chameleon
  
• Chessboard
  
• Citadel
  
• Clock, see Big Ben
  
• The Clock
  
• Clock Patience
  
• Clown Solitaire, see Gaps
  
• Colorado
  
• Colours
  
• Congress
  
• Contradance
  
• Corners
  
• Corona
  
• Courtyard
  
• Crazy Quilt
  
• Crescent
  
• Cribbage Solitaire
  
• Cribbage Square
  
• Cruel
  
• Curds and Whey
  
• Czarina

D

• Decade
  
• Deuces
  
• Diplomat
  
• Double Klondike
  
• Double or Quits
  
• Duchess
  
• Duchess de Luynes, see Grand Duchess

E

• Eagle Wing
  
• Easthaven (Klondike)
  
• Easthaven (Westcliff)
  
• Eight Off
  
• Elevens
  
• Emperor

F

• Five Piles
  
• Flower Garden
  
• Fly
  
• Following
  
• Fortress
  
• Fortune's Favor
  
• Four Corners (Les Quatres Coins)
  
• Four Seasons
  
• Fourteen Out
  
• FreeCell
  
• Frog

G

• Gaps
  
• Gargantua
  
• Gate
  
• Gavotte
  
• Gay Gordons
  
• German Patience
  
• Glencoe
  
• Golf
  
• Good Measure
  
• Grand Duchess
  
• Grandfather's Clock

H

• Harp
  
• Heads And Tails
  
• Herring-Bone (* Long Braid)
  
• Herz zu Herz
  
• Hide-and-Seek
  
• Hit or Miss

I

• Imaginary Thirteen
  
• Indian
  
• Interregnum
  
• Intrigue

J

• Josephine
  
• Jubilee

K

• King Albert
  
• King's Audience
  
• Klondike (Canfield)

L

• La Belle Lucie
  
• La Croix d'Honneur
  
• Labyrinth
  
• Ladybug
  
• Laggard Lady
  
• Leoni's Own
  
• Limited
  
• Little Spider
  
• Louis
  
• Lucas

M

• Maria
  
• Martha
  
• Matrimony
  
• Maze
  
• Miss Milligan
  
• Montana
  
• Monte Carlo
  
• Moojub
  
• Mount Olympus
  
• Mrs. Mop

N

• Narcotic
  
• Napoleon at St Helena (Forty Thieves)
  
• Napoleon's Square
  
• Nertz+ (Racing Demon, Pounce)
  
• Nestor
  
• Ninety-One
  
• Nivernaise
  
• Number Ten

O

• Odd and Even
  
• One-Handed Solitaire
  
• Osmosis

P

• Päckchen
  
• Parallels
  
• Parisienne
  
• Pas de Deux
  
• PatienceMax
  
• Patriarchs
  
• Peek
  
• Penguin
  
• Perpetual Motion
  
• Perseverance
  
• Persian Patience
  
• Pharaoh′s Grave
  
• Picture Gallery
  
• Picture Patience
  
• The Plot
  
• Poker Squares
  
• Portuguese Solitaire
  
• Precedence
  
• Puss in the Corner
  
• Pyramid
  
• Pyramide

Q

• Quadrille (Captive Queens)
  
• Queen of Italy

R

• Rainbow
  
• Rank and File
  
• Red and Black
  
• Rouge et Noir
  
• Royal Cotillion
  
• Royal Flush
  
• Royal Marriage
  
• Royal Parade
  
• Royal Rendezvous
  
• Russian Bank+
  
• Russian

S

• Salic Law
  
• Scorpion
  
• Seahaven Towers
  
• Serpent Poker Solitaire
  
• Seven Devils
  
• Seven Up
  
• Sham Battle, see Beleaguered Castle
  
• Shamrocks
  
• Simple Simon
  
• Simplicity
  
• Sir Tommy
  
• Six By Six
  
• Sly Fox
  
• Spaces, see Gaps
  
• Spanish Patience
  
• Spider
  
• Spiderette
  
• Square
  
• St. Helena
  
• Stalactites
  
• Stonewall
  
• Storehouse
  
• Strategy
  
• Streets
  
• Streets and Alleys
  
• Stronghold
  
• Sultan
  
• Superior Canfield

T

• Tabby Cat
  
• Tableau
  
• Terrace, see Queen of Italy
  
• Three Blind Mice
  
• Three Shuffles and a Draw
  
• Thumb and Pouch
  
• Tournament
  
• Tower of Hanoi
  
• Travellers (Clock Patience}
  
• Travellers
  
• Tree Solitaire
  
• Tri Peaks
  
• Twenty-Five

V

• Vanishing Cross
  
• Virginia Reel

W

• Wasp
  
• Westcliff
  
• Whitehead
  
• Will o' the Wisp
  
• Windmill

Y

• Yukon

Z

• Zodiac