Ultimate Book of Card Games: The Comprehensive Guide to More Than 350 Games (21 page)

1. DIFFICULTY
   :
   low
   
2. TIME LENGTH
   :
   medium
   
3. DECKS
   : 1
   

Here’s another novel tableau for players who appreciate them. Once you get the hang of its unique layout, Maze is a relatively simple game to play and win. You should win 1 in every 4 hands.

HOW TO DEAL
Deal an entire fifty-two-card deck as follows: two rows of eight cards each, followed by four rows of nine cards each. Remove all four aces from the tableau—these are discarded from the game, thereby creating the initial “gaps” in the tableau.

WINNING
The goal is to reorganize the tableau into four twelve-card sequences arranged by suit, in ascending rank, from 2 to king. Despite the six-row tableau at the start of the game, the tableau is actually continuous— think of the layout as a single line of cards reading from top left to bottom right. As you properly sequence the cards, the king of each suit will by fol lowed by the 2 of a different suit, and that’s OK. It does not matter in what order the suits are played. Nor does it matter where the gaps ultimately fall.

HOW TO PLAY
Maze is all about filling gaps. Look at the cards to the left and right of each gap, and fill any gap with either a suited card one rank higher than the card to the left of the gap, or with a suited card one rank lower than the card to the right of the gap. For example, in the sequence 5 of hearts—8 of diamonds—10 of spades—
gap
—4 of diamonds—9 of clubs—Q of spades—
gap
—2 of diamonds, the left gap may be filled with J of spades (one rank higher than 10 of spades) or 3 of diamonds (one rank lower than 4 of diamonds).

Note that you may not play a king to the left of a 2, though you may play a 2 (of a different suit) to the right of a king. Also note that rows are continuous, so the last card of each row is followed by the first card of the next row.

1. DIFFICULTY
   :
   medium
   
2. TIME LENGTH
   :
   short
   
3. DECKS
   : 2
   

This game starts with the most basic Solitaire model and adds just a single innovation: a temporary reserve. This novel twist is enough to recommend Miss Milligan. The odds of winning are 1 in every 6 hands.

HOW TO DEAL
Start with two fifty-two-card decks (104 cards total), and deal eight tableau cards, face up, in a row.

WINNING
Build eight foundations by suit in ascending rank from ace to king.

HOW TO PLAY
As they become available, move aces to the foundations, and play the topmost tableau cards to the foundations whenever possible. When you’re out of moves, deal a new row of eight tableau cards.

You also may build within the tableau in descending rank and alternating color. As you build on the tableau, you may move any group of cards, as long as rank and color-matching rules are followed. Fill empty spaces only with a king or a king-led sequence of cards.

Miss Milligan’s unique feature is that once the stock is exhausted, you may create a temporary reserve pile. Any single card (or properly built sequence of cards) may be transferred to the reserve in order to clear space in the tab leau. You may play cards from the reserve at any point; however, the reserve must be empty before you move any additional cards into it.

1. DIFFICULTY
   :
   high
   
2. TIME LENGTH
   :
   short
   
3. DECKS
   : 1
   

This is a game of chance with unfriendly odds—just what you’d expect from something named after a European principality famous for its casinos. Don’t expect to win more than 1 in every 25 hands.

HOW TO DEAL
Start with a fifty-two-card deck, and deal twenty-five cards, face up, in five rows of five. This is your tableau.

WINNING
The goal is to remove all cards from the tableau by pairing them. The game is won when the entire deck is discarded.

HOW TO PLAY
Remove cards from the tableau by pairing off any two cards that match in rank (e.g., 10 of clubs and 10 of diamonds)
and
that adjoin either verti cally, horizontally, or diagonally. When all moves are exhausted, move all remaining tableau cards one position to the left and one position up in the tableau, and fill gaps with cards dealt from the stock. There is no redeal.

1. DIFFICULTY
   :
   medium
   
2. TIME LENGTH
   :
   short
   
3. DECKS
   : 2
   

We can’t prove it, but the reason behind the name of this game has got to be the phrase “scaling the heights of Mount Olympus.” With sixteen foundation piles, there is plenty of scaling to be done here. You’re unlikely to win more than 1 in every 17 games.

HOW TO DEAL
Start with two fifty-two-card decks (104 cards total), and remove all aces and 2s. These sixteen cards are your foundations. Next, deal a row of nine cards face up; this is your tableau.