The game of solitaire is no doubt one of those games that gets shot down just because of all the games available out there especially to gamers. Even when it comes to card games it is often underrated just because we dont have long lines at the casinos for people wanting to play this game.
But for an old school person such as myself, I relish its simplicity, and sometimes it acts as a way to clear my mind.
It’s definitely a game of patience, but mostly a game to just calm you down a bit. Heck, Solitaire is also called Patience in different parts of the United States, just not here in Michigan where I am.
But honestly, especially because we definitely live in more hectic, stressed, and busy times, sometimes a game of solitaire is just what we need to get us back to a more calm state of mind. And I still contend it’s defintely one of the more nice games out there. It’s a classic!
I’ve recently come back to this game only because I honestly don’t play that much anymore, but I found myself just wanting to relax the other day, and lo and behold I came back to solitaire. If you don’t know what solitaire is and how to play, first off I would have to ask where you’ve been, second thing is that I would implore you to go and play right away.
There are many different variations to solitaire which makes it suitable to many people. In fact, you don’t really need a deck of cards because most laptops and computers already come loaded with games such as solitaire. The variation that is the most classic of them all is actually a solitaire game called Klondike, but which most people refer to as just solitaire.
In the image above, this is what we call the initial layout. The setup is quite easy. From a deck of 52 cards, you take the first card and lay it face up, then dealing from left to right, you place the next six cards face down. Then you start with the second column, with that card face up and the remaining 5 columns with the face cards down (again dealing from left to right). You continue in this manner until you get the setup shown above.
What you see in the upper right corner are your foundations which become the receptacle for the four suits of cards (hearts, spades, diamonds, clubs). Each foundation must start with the Ace then move higher up to the King. When you have filled up these foundations according to the suits, then you have won the game.
During game play, what you see in the upper left corner is where the rest of the cards are placed (those which have not been used yet for the initial layout). You deal in groups of three, such as what you see in the image above. This is the traditional way of dealing and playing Solitaire, and by far, in my opinion is the hardest. Dealing by groups of three is hard, because you don’t get to use all the cards for game play right away, and can only use the top card when it is dealt, thus the two cards below the top card cannot be used, unless the top card is used first. Usually, you are able to deal indefinitely, in groups of three, until you have either won or there are no more moves to make and in which case you have lost.
But as I said, even the classic solitaire has variations, and usually these variations deal with how you deal the cards in the upper left corner to use during game play. These variations include dealing the cards one by one, having unlimited passes through the deck, limiting the passes to just one, etc.
ACTUAL GAME PLAY
The actual game play itself is pretty straightforward. The point is to basically build piles that are in sequential order but in order of alternating colors. You can move parts of a pile or entire piles provided that it fits the sequential order and are still of alternating colors. You can move piles into empty spaces provided that it contains a King as the base of the pile.
You continue in the manner of dealing in groups of three, filling up the foundations starting with the Ace, positioning your piles to sequential orders of cards that are alternating in color.
In the picture above, this is usually the point where the game is certain, and you basically know that you have already won. This is by far the most fun turning point in the game since you start filling up your foundations in terms of suits. You need not think of your moves any longer since at this point it’s just a matter of route and you’ve won already.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
Hard to explain, but definitely easy to play. Sometimes, all these games out there, the more new and very realistic games out there, the role playing games, and others, they really can be too stimulating when sometimes all you need is something to relax you. The great thing about Solitaire is that you can easily pick it up anytime and most games don’t take too long, which is another reason why it’s a flexible way to get your game fix.
Honestly, there really are a number of positives to playing a game of solitaire, or maybe I’m just too old school for my own good, whatever it is, I’m hoping I’ve converted a few of the readers out there, or maybe I’ve reminded some of you just how fun it can be to play.
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Nick is Rochelle’s fiance. A blogger, Filipino, engineer, financial adviser, former business owner, and a lover of life. He loves to read, meditate, listen to classical music, and talk current events. Boring to most, interesting to a few.
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