|
Game
rules
Klondike
- Klondike 3 - Aces
Up - Freecell - Robert
- Golf - Metternich
History of solitaires
France is the cradle of solitaires, or patience games. In
troublous years of 17-th century, royal prisoners searching
a way to kill time during their confinement originated the
framework of what is now widely known as solitaires. The
very word 'solitaire' is of a French origin, and it means
'patience.' Napoleon, deported to the island lost in the
ocean, knew what confinement felt like fully; he also knew
how cards could solace one sentenced to solitude.
Both solitaires and reasons why people enjoy playing with
these patchworks of cards have changed since then, of
course.
In the contemporary world, we sometimes need a break from an
everyday hustle and tedious treadmill.
Solving solitaires is not only a way of time-killing
distraction; it is also a sure way to relax after work. Long
winter nights, it helped Jack London's characters to amuse
their leisure. Those who were swept with the 'Klondike
Fever' could have invented the name for one of their
favorite solitaires. A great musician, Nicolo Paganini was
also in favor of solving solitaires; his best-liked
solitaire was later called after his name.
A good solitaire not only helps you relax and kill time; it
is a great mental gymnastic as well. This is why solitaires
were appealing to mathematicians like Martin Gardner and
Donald Knut. As his contemporaries witnessed, Prince
Metternich, an eminent 19-century diplomat, used to sit and
ponder over knotty solitaires before starting most difficult
negotiations.
Here you will find solitaires, or patience games, to various
tastes, for relaxed time spending and for concentrated
pondering over tricky cards combinations. Odds of solving
some of our solitaires depend entirely on chance, whereas
the rest of them require some serious thought.
Click
here to close this window and return to the
game
Klondike
Object of the game is to collect cards of the same suit on
each Foundation.
You can move cards between Tableau piles, or put the top
Waist card on a tableau pile. Additionally, you can move
cards from Foundations to Tableau piles so that Tableau
cards form a descending order of alternating suits. For
example, a black 6 can be put only on red 7, and so on. You
can move such sequence of cards from one Tableau to another
in one move.
You can move one card at a time from Reserve to Waste. The
Waist top card can be put onto a Foundation or Tableau,
which makes the next card in Waist available, and so on.
When all Reserve cards are used up, all the cards from the
Waist can be shifted to Reserve without shuffling. You can
do it as many times as you need.
Only aces can be put onto Foundations. Then follow twos of
the same suit, then threes, and so on. You can put cards on
Foundations both from Tableaus and Waste.
The solitaire is done when all cards are built up on
Foundations as described above. If a player feels he/she
cannot put any more cards on Foundations, he may start a new
game or exit the game. In any case, even if you do not
succeed, all results information will be recorded.
From the point of view of complexity and duration, Klondike
is considered an average game: the chances of solving it are
approximately 1 to 3.
If three or more cards on the top Tableau cards layout have
the same value, chances of solving the solitaire are
extremely low.
Chances are also not very good when cards on the top Tableau
cards layout are of the same suit.
But this may also add zest to a game.
Click
here to close this window and return to the
game
Klondike 3
Object of the game is to collect cards of the same suit
on each Foundation.
You can move cards between Tableau piles, or put the top
Waist card on a tableau pile. Additionally, you can move
cards from Foundations to Tableau piles so that Tableau
cards form a descending order of alternating suits. For
example, a black 6 can be put only on red 7, and so on. You
can move such sequence of cards from one Tableau to another
in one move.
Cards are put from Reserve to Waste by threes. The Waist top
card can be put onto a Foundation or Tableau, which makes
the next card in Waist available, and so on. When all
Reserve cards are used up, all the cards from the Waist can
be shifted to Reserve without shuffling. You can do it as
many times as you need.
Only aces can be put onto Foundations. Then follow twos of
the same suit, then threes, and so on. You can put cards on
Foundations both from Tableaus and Waste.
The solitaire is done when all cards are built up on
Foundations as described above. If a player feels he/she
cannot put any more cards on Foundations, he may start a new
game or exit the game. In any case, even if you do not
succeed, all results information will be recorded.
From the point of view of complexity and duration, Klondike3
is considered an average game: the chances of solving it are
approximately 1 to 5.
If three or more cards on the top Tableau cards layout have
the same value, chances of solving the solitaire are
extremely low.
Chances are also not very good when cards on the top Tableau
cards layout are of the same suit. But this may also add
zest to a game.
Click
here to close this window and return to the
game
FreeCell
The game field contains the following elements:
1. 8 Tableaus
2. 4 Foundations
3. 4 Free cells
In the beginning of the game, a deck of 52 cards is dealt
into eight columns, or Tableau piles. Each Tableau column
contains 6 or 7 cards. All cards are face-up. You can play
only aces on free Foundations. You will need to build cards
up in suit on Foundations, starting with aces: A, 2, 3,
etc.
You can play top Tableau cards on Foundations or move them
onto other Tableaus. You need to build Tableau cards down in
sequence and alternating color. For example, a red 6 can
only be played on a black 7, etc. If there is enough room on
free cells and Tableaus to accommodate these cards one by
one, then you are allowed to move a sequence of cards in one
move.
To win, you need to build cards up in suit on Foundations,
starting with aces.
You can only play one card at a time on a free cell.
Free Cell is considered a simple game. The estimated odds
are three in five hands. The game span is average.
Try not to deadlock yourself by filling all the free cells
and thus losing an opportunity to manipulate your cards. You
win when you manage to build all cards up in suit on
Foundations.
Click
here to close this window and return to the
game
 Aces
Up
The game field contains the following elements:
1. 4 Tableaus
2. 1 Foundation
3. 1 Reserve
In the beginning of the game, a deck of 52 cards is dealt
onto the Tableaus, one on each Tableau slot. There is just
one card on each Tableau slot. All the Tableau cards are
exposed. The remainder of the deck is stored in Reserve.
The object of the game is to move all four aces on the
Tableaus. The rest of the deck has to be collected on the
Foundation. Reserve cards are dealt on the four Tableaus:
one on each Tableau. Top (exposed) Tableaus cards are
playable. They can be played on the Foundation. After this,
the next exposed card in the Tableau becomes playable. If
you empty one of the Tableau slots during the play, you can
move any of the top Tableau cards on the emptied Tableau
slot.
During the play, you move Tableau cards on the Foundation.
You have to move the card lowest in rank from two or more
cards of a same suit. The game is over when there is no more
cards left in Reserve. You cannot re-deal Reserve cards.
The solitaire is considered solved when you have all the
deck cards collected on the Foundation, and the four aces
placed on the Tableaus, one on each Tableau slot. If you
have all Reserve cards used up but there still remain cards
other than aces on Tableaus, you may have another hand or
just exit the game. In any case, regardless of whether you
win or lose, your hand results will be tracked.
Aces Up is considered a fairly simple solitaire, however,
the odds are about 1 in 9. From the duration viewpoint, it
is quite a short game. Your chances of winning this game
depend, to a great extent, on a deal.
Click
here to close this window and return to the
game
 Golf
The game field contains the following elements:
1. 7 Tableaus
2. A Waste
3. A Stock
In the beginning of the game, a deck of 52 cards is dealt
onto the seven Tableau piles, five cards on each pile. Now
each Tableau contains five cards. All cards are face-up. You
move one card to the Waste pile. The remainder of the deck
is in the stock.
The object of the game is to collect all cards on the Waste
pile. You move cards one by one from Stock on the Waste
pile. The top Tableaus cards are playable. You can move them
to the Waste pile. When you move a card, the next exposed
card becomes playable. You move cards onto the Waste pile as
you play. When you use up all the stock cards, the game is
over. You can deal cards from the Stock only once.
The solitaire, or patience is considered solved when you
have all your cards moved to the Waste pile.
If all the Stock cards are used up, but there are still
cards on the Tableaus, you can have another hand or just
exit the game. Regardless of whether you win or not, your
game results information will be saved.
Golf is considered a simple to play game, but your odds are
about 1 in 30. From the duration viewpoint, it is a short
game.
Click
here to close this window and return to the
game
Metternich
The solitaire is played with kings removed from the
deck. In the beginning of the game, seven cards are dealt
face-up on the game field so that they form a 'horseshoe,'
or an upside down 'v.' The 'horseshoe' cards serve as
'transit' stations for moving cards on the Foundation. The
eighth card is a base one, and it is placed directly on the
Foundation inside the 'horseshoe.'
The object of the solitaire is to move all the deck cards
from Stock and the 'horseshoe' onto the Foundation. You can
manipulate all the 'horseshoe' cards.
The cards' value is the following: king - 13, queen - 12,
jack - 11, and ace - 1. The value of minor cards equals to
their rank. You can play a card of any suit on the
Foundation, but it has to be two times bigger in value than
the Foundation top card. For example, you can play a four on
a two and a queen on a six. If the doubled card value
exceeds 13, then you will need to subtract 13 from this
doubled value in order to find out what card you need. For a
seven, it will be an ace: 7*2-13=1.
When you have played all playable 'horseshoe' cards on the
Foundation, click on the Stock to deal a new card. You can
either play it on a free space, from which a 'horseshoe'
card has been moved, or on a 'horseshoe' card, or directly
on the Foundation, by doubling the value of the Foundation
top card. If you cannot play a card on a Foundation, it
stays on the Waste. The Waste top card is also playable.
When you have dealt all the deck, you can click on the Waste
to re-deal the cards. You are allowed to do it for the third
time also. However, this would already mean being liberal
with yourself.
Click
here to close this window and return to the
game
Robert
1. Foundation pile (top) - build up or down regardless
of suit, wrapping from Ace to King if necessary.
2. Stock (face down) - turn over 1 card to the waste pile by
clicking.
3. Waste (next to stock) - top card is available for
play.
You can move a card from the waste pile to the foundation if
the difference between the Waste pile card and the
foundation card is one rank (for example 4 of Diamonds and 5
of Hearts).
The object of the game is to move all cards to the
Foundation pile.
Click
here to close this window and return to the
game
Click here to play the
games!
There is even MORE FUN where this came from: Epsylon
Games
|
