Lady Cadogan's Illustrated Games of Solitaire or Patience Part 9

Two Entire Packs of Cards

RULES

I. The foundations follow suit.

II. Only cards in the highest or lowest rows are available, until a card from any other row is released, by the removal of cards either above or below it, the principle being that no card can be used that is not free _either_ from the top or the bottom. Small crosses are placed on the tableau to mark the cards that are available.

III. You can only refill vacancies in the lowest row as the deal goes on (_i.e._, in the row which you are actually dealing).

IV. Each row must be completed before you can play from it.

PLAY

Withdraw from the pack and place in horizontal line above, four kings and four aces of different suits. These are the foundations, the aces ascending in sequence to kings, the kings descending to aces (Rule I).

You next deal out ten cards in a horizontal row, and when the row is complete, play any suitable cards on the foundations, refilling the vacancies from the pack or talon.

Proceed to deal out a second row of ten cards underneath the first, playing suitable ones as before, playing _also from the upper row_, and refilling s.p.a.ces subject to Rule III. As you may only refill vacancies on the last row which is being dealt, there will be many gaps in the tableau as you proceed.

You continue thus to deal out the entire pack in successive rows, each row completely blocking the preceding one unless the removal of a card releases the one above it, or _unless the removal of cards in the upper rows_ (Rule II) releases that card from above.

When the pack is exhausted and you have played all available cards, if the game has not succeeded, you have one more chance, _i.e._, the privilege of removing any one card from the tableau, taking care, of course, to remove the card which blocks those most needed. The choice of this "grace" is the only point left to the skill of the player.

There is no re-deal.

_Note 1._--Some players instead of taking the foundations from the pack, wait till they appear in the deal.

_Note 2._--The dimensions of the tableau preclude the insertion of the s.p.a.ces for the foundation cards.

[Ill.u.s.tration: SPENSER'S FAIRIE QUEEN.]

SPENSER'S FAIRIE QUEEN

Two Entire Packs of Cards

RULES

I. The foundations follow suit.

II. If during the deal two or more kings turn up in succession, cards can only be placed on the last one.

III. Available cards may be transferred from one column to another in descending sequence and need not follow suit.

IV. Only the lowest card of each column is available, until its removal releases the one above it.

V. Any available card may be transferred to a single king, and sequences may be placed upon that card as upon those of the other columns.

PLAY

Take one king from the pack, and place it at the left-hand upper corner. Upon this king you place the cards as they are dealt, in perpendicular column, each card half covering the preceding one, until a second king appears, which must be placed next to the first one, and becomes in its turn the head of a second column (Rule II). When a third king appears, it is placed next to the second one, and is treated in like manner, and so on until the pack is exhausted, cards being always placed on the last king turned up. Thus some kings will head lines of different lengths (see Note 3, on next page), and some will probably remain alone, and this, as will be seen, is very advantageous.

During the deal, aces as they turn up are placed in the s.p.a.ces reserved.

The eight aces form the foundation cards and ascend in sequence to queens (Rule I). (See Note 2.)

Suitable cards may be played as they turn up in the deal, and after playing each, the columns should be examined, as the playing of a card may bring other available ones (Rule IV) into use.

When the deal is complete, the tableau must be carefully examined.

Available cards may now be transferred from one column to another (Rule III) or placed on the single kings (Rule V) or played on the foundations. And it is sometimes better not to play cards, but to leave them to receive sequences.

It is not advisable to transfer queens, as they cannot be moved again until required to complete the foundations, but it is often necessary to do so, when their removal would release cards urgently needed. The success of the game greatly depends on the skill of the player in transferring the sequences backward and forward so as to release as many cards as possible. There is no re-deal. (See Note 1.)

_Note 1._--Supposing that you have two single kings and wish to release a knave of hearts which is blocked with a descending sequence, the last card of that sequence being a four, place the four and then the five on the two spare kings. The six is thus released, and if a seven should be at the bottom of any other column, you transfer the six on to it, and also the five and the four, thus again freeing the two kings. Now put up the seven and the eight (of the column you are trying to work off) on to those kings. Then transfer the seven to the eight, and place the nine on the remaining king. You have now only the ten left to block your knave of hearts; you will probably find, or be able to release, some other available knave, on which you will place the ten. In this somewhat complicated manner you arrive at the desired knave of hearts.

The combinations are endless.

_Note 2._--The s.p.a.ces for the foundations are not marked for want of room.

_Note 3._--It often happens that so many cards have to be dealt on to one king before the next one appears that the column can no longer be continued in a straight line. The player must, therefore, twist the cards to gain room (see tableau), the small crosses show the available cards.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE TERRACE.]

THE TERRACE

Two Entire Packs of Cards

RULES

I. Only the last card (_i.e._, the right-hand one) of the Terrace is available till its removal releases the card next to it.

II. The foundations ascend in sequence and must be formed with alternate red and black cards.