Questions tagged [solitaire]
Games designed to be played by a single person or methods for modifying multi-player games for single-person play.
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Can every game of Klondike-Solitaire be solved?
I play a lot of Solitaire games on my Android phone and love to keep an eye out for the statistics.
Given that the Solitaire version lets you restart the game endlessly, I usually play until I solve ...
18
votes
4answers
2k views
How can I play Dominion by myself (like solitaire)?
Is there any suggested way to modify the rules to play Dominion on your own, like a Dominion Solitaire? It seems possible given that you're mostly just building your own deck and collecting victory ...
13
votes
4answers
7k views
Looking to identify a particular form of solitaire played in-hand, not on a table
Back in college I had a friend teach me a different way to play a solitaire-like game. It was played in-hand which meant you could play it while standing in line or any time you were bored and had a ...
9
votes
4answers
8k views
Rules for Churchill Solitaire?
I've been hearing about the double-deck version of solitaire, played by Winston Churchill, that's way harder than normal solitaire. I can't seem to find the rules posted anywhere. Anyone know the ...
8
votes
1answer
2k views
How do you play a solo game of Steve Jackson Games' Car Wars?
A long time ago I bought Steve Jackson Games' Car Wars(1st ed., 1983 release) in pocket box format(like the article image).1 Here's what you can read at the back:
Drive Offensively!
He triggered the ...
8
votes
1answer
813 views
What is the name of this solitaire variant?
I recently learned a new solitaire from a friend, but we have no idea what the name of it is. Can anyone help?
You use two decks of cards, and start by placing 14 rows of cards. The middle 4 rows are ...
7
votes
1answer
6k views
in Klondike-Solitaire, how likely is a deal with no legal moves? [duplicate]
In Klondike solitaire with standard rules (Draw 3 cards, Re-Deal infinite), a 'null' hand is a hand where you cannot play any card.
Statistically, is it more common to win the game, or have a null ...
6
votes
2answers
2k views
Solitaire game where you deal four up, four down
What is the name of this solitaire game I learned when I was a kid?
You lay out 52 cards (1 deck), dealt four up, four down.
You get 8 piles:
on the left, four face-up (arranged so you can see all ...
5
votes
1answer
1k views
Which solitaire game is this?
This game may not actually be an actual solitaire, as it might have been something my grandmother had me do when I was wee to keep me out of her hair. But if anyone DOES know it, I would dearly like ...
5
votes
1answer
1k views
Canfield solitaire: moving partial sequences
According to the Wikipedia description of Canfield, "cards on the tableau are also moved one unit, provided that the entire column has to be moved". In other words, this suggests that if you move a ...
5
votes
3answers
5k views
What is a good 'Baker's Dozen' solitaire strategy?
I am wondering what a good strategy is to win the 'Baker's Dozen' solitaire variant? So far, I have tried to keep the cards descending in the same suit, wherever possible, but when the Kings are at ...
5
votes
1answer
314 views
Baker's Dozen: rule about kings
I've seen various versions of the rules of "Baker's Dozen" (e.g. on about.com, Wikipedia) stating that the rule for kings is simply that they are placed to the bottom of the column they end up in.
...
4
votes
2answers
1k views
What is the name of this solitaire card game?
You start flipping cards over one at a time and holding them in one hand. When you have two cards of the same suit that are separated by two other cards (e.g. 4♣ 2♦ 7♥ 10♣), you discard the middle two....
4
votes
2answers
8k views
Can I deal just one card at a time in Klondike?
I installed Microsoft's Solitaire Collection, but in Klondike I cannot set any option to deal only one card in every 'turn'.
Is it possible somehow?
Update: Ian Hutchinson pointed to an important ...
4
votes
2answers
547 views
How to measure the difficulty of a deal in Klondike-Solitaire?
I want to measure the difficulty of different layouts in Klondike-Solitaire. My question is, what are the parameters that determine the difficulty of a layout?
By layout I mean the permutation of ...
4
votes
1answer
3k views
Klondike Solitaire - what to do if 1 or 2 cards are left in the stock?
As far as I understand it, in standard Klondike solitaire, you deal 3 cards at a time from the stock to the waste. What if only 1 or 2 cards are left in the stock?
4
votes
1answer
239 views
Double Deck Solitaire for PC 1989-1992
Looking for the name and information on a solitaire game found in early releases of solitaire for the PC (circa 1989-1991).
It used two decks, eight foundation piles and a tableau with maybe 3 rows ...
4
votes
1answer
639 views
Solitaire all cards dealt face up in 13 columns, then 12, then 11, 10, 9
I’m trying to figure out the name of this card game.
First turn: Deal out 52 cards, all face up in 13 columns (4 rows). The cards in each column overlap. Can move single cards only. A card can be ...
4
votes
1answer
542 views
What’s the name of this three row solitaire?
Start building three rows/piles, one card at a time in each. When three adjacent cards in the same row together add to 10, 20 or 30, remove them and put them in the bottom of the draw pile (in your ...
3
votes
2answers
11k views
Klondike Solitaire - moving partial sequences between columns
You'd think all the rules for this game would be well established but I have a question about the movement of partial sequences between columns in the tableau. Lets say I have two columns with the ...
3
votes
1answer
1k views
What is this (solitaire?) card game called?
I'm not sure if this falls under the solitaire category, but it is played with one player. Someone taught me this card game and was under the impression that it was called Kings, but apparently it's ...
3
votes
3answers
956 views
Homegrown solo variants
This afternoon, I played Ascension for the first time - and I played it solo, by simply dealing two decks and playing both players' turns. I had fun, and ultimately Ascension seems like a game where ...
3
votes
1answer
149 views
Looking to identify an unusual type of solitaire
I went to college in the 1980s and someone there showed me an unusual way to play solitaire that I've played ever since. This game uses one standard deck of cards [no jokers].
Two rows of cards are ...
3
votes
3answers
2k views
What are the chances of winning Accordion Solitaire?
I would like to know what are the chances of winning in both versions:
laying out the cards one by one
laying out the entire deck at the game start
3
votes
1answer
698 views
What is the name of this solitaire game?
I am looking for the name of a card game I played as a kid, but do not remember it's name.
I found it in a Donald Duck book about the scouts (that I remember)
It was played as a solitaire game with ...
3
votes
1answer
305 views
Solitaire game with all cards up in 5 rows of 10 cards each?
What is this game?
The rules are:
Goal - To create four "foundations" from all the cards.
Foundations - Build up in suit from Ace to King.
Initial Tableau - 50 cards in 5 rows of 10 each and two ...
2
votes
2answers
216 views
Which version of solitaire this is?
Setup: single deck, all cards are laid face up in 4 rows of 13.
Goal: to get all cards into one pile.
Moves: only cards that are next to each other or 4 spaces away.
2
votes
1answer
163 views
Is the Kansas flavor of Solitaire winnable
So I have recently started playing a variant of solitaire called "Kansas"
https://politaire.com/help/kansas
and either I'm really bad at it (have lost dozens of times over past month) or it ...
2
votes
0answers
117 views
Identify this Solitaire with 4 piles of 4 cards
I am looking for a Solitaire game, the rules are:
Setup: deal 4 piles of 4 cards. Only the top card is face up. Then you flip over the top card in your hand. That becomes the starter card for the ...
2
votes
1answer
147 views
Can anyone identify this variant of Yukon solitaire?
I learned this game from my grandfather, and I want wondering if anyone else has seen it before or knows the name of it.
It uses one deck with no jokers. To set up the starting stacks, moving left to ...
2
votes
0answers
447 views
Churchill Solitaire scoring
In theory, one scores 5 points for each card moved from the "devil's 6" and 1 point for each of the other cards. So a win should score 98 + 30 = 128 (ignoring any bonus for winning in a short time). ...
2
votes
1answer
142 views
What position takes the most moves to solve for the jail puzzle (Klotski)?
For full details on the puzzle: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klotski#Khun_Chang_Khun_Phaen
May only use the legal pieces available in the original puzzle. A move is counted as moving any piece on ...
1
vote
2answers
3k views
FreeCell: How many cards can be moved at once?
I'm working on a FreeCell implementation and I'm currently stuck determining how many cards the user is allowed to move from tableau to tableau at once. I've seen multiple formulas for this, but no ...
1
vote
2answers
122 views
Rules for solitaire card games
I know of pagat for games with multiple players, but is there anything similar for solitaire? I prefers to play with real cards so I am only looking for the sets of rules.
1
vote
1answer
358 views
Looking to identify Solitaire game
My dad (now 93 years old) used to play a two deck solitaire game with the cards laid out in 10 columns as shown in the picture. In brief:
Two Decks
10 columns
1st column has one card, second column ...
1
vote
1answer
87 views
Is there a reliable free cell solver?
I am trying to find a solution to game 9371310 and the online solver at
https://fc-solve.shlomifish.org/
instructions try to use 6 free cells when only 4 exist. Here is where the instructions go ...
1
vote
1answer
434 views
Why am I seeing the same 3 Spider Solitaire games today that I saw 2 days ago [closed]
For the third time in 5 or 6 games today and yesterday I am seeing the same Spider Solitaire layout that I saw two days go. These three games all had very unique patterns, and took a large number of ...
1
vote
1answer
1k views
Solitaire variant: Piles of 3, top moved by value match. Name=?
I'm in the UK.
My sister taught me this as "American Patience" in the 1960's
(it is not a straight Solitaire).
Object: To clear the tableaux and move all the cards to the 4 foundation piles, Ace ...
1
vote
0answers
57 views
Unwinnable klondike game [duplicate]
On an android app, called Classic Solitaire Klondike from Potato Jam, I'm struggling with a deck which seems unsolvable. In this app, 100% of the decks had a solution before.
I wrote a solver running ...
1
vote
0answers
402 views
What is this 2 pack patience game?
Can anyone tell me what the name of this 2 pack solitaire game is called? I have played it since I was a child but would like to discover the full rules. It is much like standard one pack solitaire ...
1
vote
0answers
45 views
Identify this Solitaire variant [duplicate]
I played a variant of Solitaire long ago (20+ years) but don't remember the name of it or the specific rules.
It was played with a single deck of cards, which you held in your hand face down. You ...
1
vote
2answers
2k views
What is the optimal strategy to solve Hanoi Solitaire?
I recently discovered for the first time a variation of Solitaire called Hanoi (sometimes spelled Hanoy or Hanoii). My Solitaire app says it's rated easy, but I have never solved it because I only get ...
1
vote
1answer
97 views
Churchill Solitaire [closed]
I can't get close to winning in Churchill Solitaire. I must be doing something wrong.
Do the Devils Six have to be taken in order to the eight piles to the right? Or from anywhere within the six?
In ...
0
votes
1answer
220 views
Free Cell dichotomy
Is it possible to solve the free cell game
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I would appreciate it if anyone can let me know if it is possible as it is driving me nuts
MC
0
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2answers
292 views
What does “if there are previously drawn cards in your hand, rearrange the hand so that four cards are visible” mean?
In one-handed solitaire, after discarding cards the rules state "If there are previously drawn cards in your hand, rearrange the hand so that four cards are visible."
What does this mean?
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votes
0answers
4 views
Trying to find the name of a great solitaire game from my childhood
This is a fantastic, thinking solitaire game, played with 52 cards, all face up.
To set it up, you lay out 15 clusters of 3 cards each with all cards exposed, in 2 concentric arcs.
Then you lay out 3 ...
0
votes
1answer
119 views
Grandma's Patience
I've been given some cards numbered 1 to 16 (6 cards with each number). Apparently you can play a patience style game called Grandma's patience, trying to build up 6 columns of numbers, but I can't ...
0
votes
0answers
80 views
What is this solitaire game?
My grandma taught me this game as a child and I can’t find it to learn it again. You have four piles on the left of the table. You have to somehow uncover aces to start playing the cards of that suit. ...
0
votes
0answers
46 views
Help identifying version of solitaire
I was taught a solitaire game similar to klondike that has seven columns, 1st row has 1st card up and next 6 columns down, second layer has column 1 and 2 up next 5 down, erc until the 7th row is all ...
-3
votes
2answers
959 views
Can't remember the name of this card game [closed]
There was a game we played a few years ago... a friend taught us but can't remember how to play! I remember we named it "Slummy" because it was a cross between rummy and solitaire (and we didn't know ...
