The card game Solitaire and its history
Solitaire (French. Patience), also known as a solitaire. Solitaire) - a fun game where the aim is to sort the cards according to a set of rules, e.g. by family or hierarchy. The game is believed to have been developed from the intricate puzzles of Tarot cards used for fortune-telling and originated in 17th century France. This version is based on the fact that most of the names of the solitaires are of French origin. The first rules of the game did not appear until the beginning of the 19th century, during the reign of the famous military leader Napoleon Bonaparte. According to some historical sources, he was even exiled to St Helena's table, spending his days on the ice just making solitaire. This legend may be the reason why solitaire was so popular in 19th century France. Today, solitaire is played all over the world and there are more than half a thousand known variations.
Solitaire online:
Types of Passjans:
"Traditional or Klondike Passion"
This version of the game is most famous for its computerised solitaire variants. Interestingly, most people know this version of solitaire, but not even its real name! The chances of winning are very slim - just one in 30 times. It's hard, but worth a try!
Card layout
Played with a 52-card deck. The deck is shuffled and 7 piles of cards are dealt - the first pile has 1 face-up card, the second pile has 1 face-up and 1 face-down card, the third pile has 1 face-up and 2 face-down cards, etc. It is important that only 1 card is face up. Four empty squares must be prepared for the game.
The aim of the game
Move all the cards into the four boxes, starting with the Ace and ending with the King - A, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc.
How to play? 
If the first cards turned up are Aces, they can be placed in the empty spaces immediately. Then look for deuces. If there are none, the cards can be forced from the community deck or stacked in seven piles. Each card can be placed one number lower (e.g. a five on a six or a queen on a king), the aim being to reveal as many of the covered cards as possible. If this is not possible, the player must take a new card from the total pile of cards remaining and place it either on the 7-card pile or on one of the 4 squares. Cards from the Reserve may be taken in sets of three. Cards taken from the reserve but used up go into the reserve, are turned over and placed face down.
"Passion of the Scorpion"
This variant is said to be a real challenge for solitaire lovers, as the odds of winning it are no more than 1 in 10.
Card layout
Played with a 52-card deck. The 49 cards are arranged in 7 columns of 7 cards per column, so that the three rightmost columns are face up and the four leftmost columns are face up with only 4 cards in each column. The remaining 3 cards remain in the deck in reserve.
The aim of the game
Arrange the cards in families from king to ace - K, Q, V, 10, 9, etc.
How to play?
There is no special field for moving cards in this variation of the solitaire. Cards are sorted by moving them from one column to another. Cards can also be translated 1 by 1 (if it is at the top of the column), or in parts of the column, or even the whole column. The most important thing is that the card to be moved or the last card of the column to be moved must be of the same family as the card on which it is placed, but the latter must be one rank higher, e.g. the five of hearts can only be placed on the seven of hearts. The face-down card at the bottom of the column moved must be turned over. When all the cards in a column have been removed, any card or sequence of cards may be moved to its place. When there are no cards left to move, a face-up card from the remaining 3-card deck - the reserve - may be placed on each of the three leftmost columns.
"Solitaire spider"
This game is very similar to the regular solitaire version, but longer and more complex.
Card layout
Played with two 52-card decks. The cards are carefully shuffled and arranged in 10 columns - 8 columns of 5 cards and 2 columns of 6. The first cards of the stacks must be face up and all other cards must be face down. Place the next deck of cards on the left for replenishment, leaving 8 empty spaces above the 10 stacks for the card families.
The aim of the game
Arrange the cards by family and rank in stacks from Ace to King. In total, you should have 8 piles of cards - 2 hearts, 2 diamonds, 2 hearts, 2 diamonds and 2 clubs.
How to play?
Cards can be stacked one on top of the other regardless of their family - only the rank of the cards matters. A lower ranked card is only placed on top of a higher ranked card. Cards can also be stacked in columns, trying to expose as many cards as possible when face down. Later, sort the cards by colour and place the family in a free column. If there are no options left to move the cards, place one card from the extra card deck in each column. Note - you cannot leave a column empty until all the cards from the extra deck have been dealt. The game is won when all 8 families are correctly placed.
"Solitaire Golf"
The name of the game comes from the game of golf, where the main rule is to score as few points as possible. The most important nuance of this game is that only cards of a higher or lower rank can be stacked on top of each other. It is not a very difficult game, but it is ideal for players who like a challenge and who use logical and strategic thinking.
Card layout
Played with a 52-card firewood deck. The 35 cards are arranged in 7 columns of 5. The cards must be face up and slightly overlapping each other so that you can still see which card is placed. All other remaining cards shall be placed separately and the top card of this reserve shall be placed face up.
The aim of the game
Collect the cards dealt on the face-up Reserve card.
How to play?
Any card one rank higher or lower can be placed on the face-up card, regardless of its family. The card to be placed on the Reserve card is limited to a choice of 7 cards not covered. If none of them is suitable, the top card of the reserve pile must be placed on the stack of cards to be collected and a suitable card must be found again.
When there are no puzzle cards left to move and the reserve is exhausted, the game is lost. The game is won when all the covered cards have been dealt (reserve cards are ignored).
If you want to make the game harder, come up with special rules - for example, only put a queen on the ace and a queen on the king. You can also count the points awarded for each puzzle card not moved. If the puzzle cards are stacked, you get a minus point for each card taken from the reserve. For the purpose of counting points, 2 players can also play. In this case, 9 games are played and the points are added together. The aim is to score no more than 4 points in each game, with a final total of no more than 36 points.
"Yukon"
This is also sometimes called the cousin of the traditional solitaire because of its similar layout and slight difference in rules.
Card layout
Played with a 52-card firewood deck. 28 cards arranged in columns of 7. The first column consists of 1 card, the second of 2 cards, the third of 3 cards and so on. The first cards of the piles are face up and the remaining cards are slightly overlapping. The remaining 24 cards are then placed on top of these piles, except the first column. Thus, the first column will have 1 card and all the others will have 5.
The aim of the game
Arrange the cards in order of hierarchy and families from Ace to King - A, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc.
How to play?
Only the first cards of the stacks face up can be placed in the 4 available family spaces. If an Ace appears, raise it immediately to the vacant square and continue to look for higher ranking cards to place on the Ace. On the playing field, in the columns, place the cards in descending order of rank, with a nine on the ten and an eight on the ten. You can also alternate colours by placing black on top of red. In this variation, you can raise any card face up, even though there are other cards on it, for example, you can raise the jack of wines on a face-up loose card that is the queen of hearts, even though there is still a three of clubs or a two of diamonds on it. If there is a face-up card at the top of the column, it must be turned face up. When all the cards in a column have been taken, only the King may be placed in that column, either alone or together with the cards in that column.
"Kenfield"
Kenfield, also known as Demon's Solitaire, is a puzzling and interesting variant of the game. Legend has it that the owner of a casino in Kenfield challenged the solitaire dealers to a game. He would sell a piece of card wood for $50 and was paid $5 for every solitaire a player made! This one is interesting because the families are arranged in a hierarchy, but the first card to be dealt is a random one.
Card layout
Played with a 52-card deck. 13 cards are placed in a separate pile and the top card is turned face up. This card must be placed in a separate area for the card stacks. This card becomes the one on which the other cards will be placed. The first cards of the other three families will have to be of the same rank, but can only be placed once play has started. Below the first face-up card, place 4 more face-up cards from the 13-card reserve. All remaining cards form the main card pool. Turn over 3 cards again, but from the main pool.
The aim of the game
Collect the first foundation cards of the other three families and place all the cards of that family on each of the foundation cards in order of rank, e.g. if the first card turned up is a five, then the cards will be 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Q, K, A, 2, 3, 4.
How to play?
Only the top Reserve cards and free Playing Cards are allowed to be raised - they are placed in or on top of the free spaces of the 4 families. Cards are placed on the playing field in descending order of rank, and colours may be varied. Cards can also be arranged in columns. If a vacancy occurs on the playing field, a card from the 13-card reserve must be placed in it. If this reserve is already exhausted, a card from the main reserve is placed.
Cards from the 13-card pool are taken 1 at a time and 3 from the next pool. The game is played in this way until all four cards in the family are dealt, or when there are no cards left to move.
"Istheiven"
This solitaire option is of medium difficulty and has a 1 in 10 chance of winning.
Card layout
Played with a 52-card firewood deck. The cards are arranged in 7 columns of 3. The bottom cards of the column are face up. You must also leave 4 boxes in which to place the cards. The rest of the cards are placed in reserve and will also be needed.
The aim of the game
Arrange the cards in order of hierarchy and families from Ace to King - A, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc.
How to play?
Move any first card in the first 7 columns onto another card if it is of a lower rank and of a different family. If the first card is an Ace, place it immediately in the stacking area. On top of the latter, continue to place, in ascending order of rank, all the other cards of that family. If you approach a face-down card, turn it face up, and if there are no cards left on the playing field to move, remove 7 cards from the remaining pile and place them face up on the top cards of the columns. Note - do not take cards from the reserve while there are still moves available, but try to turn as many face down cards as possible. Cards can also be moved in columns. When all the cards in a column are moved elsewhere, a King can be placed in the column's vacant space.
"Passion Pyramid"
This, also known as In triangles via Three. The game is based on card value calculation, where the pyramid is arranged in such a way that pairs of cards are matched so that the sum of their two values equals 13 points. It's said to be easy to learn, but the game itself can take a while!
Card layout
Played with a 52-card firewood deck. The 28 cards are arranged like a triangle in 7 rows - the top row has 1 card face up, the second row has 2 cards face up, the third row has 3 cards face up, etc. The cards should be arranged from top to bottom, with the lower rows overlapping the higher ones. Place the remaining cards in a separate pile on the left, as you will be placing the discards on the right.
The aim of the game
Collect all the cards in the firewood by discarding 13-point cards or pairs of 13-point cards from the pyramid and the rest of the card deck.
How to play?
First, memorise the card values. Aces have the same number of points as eyes (an ace is worth 1), while queen cards are more valuable. A Jack has 11 points, a Queen has 12 and a King has 13. Discard cards from the playing field and the reserve in pairs or singly (King only), but the total value of the discarded cards must be 13 points. The possible combinations are King; Queen and Ace; Jack and Deuce; Ten and Three; Four of a Kind and Nine of a Kind; Five of a Kind and Eight of a Kind; Six of a Kind and Seven of a Kind.
"The Three Towers"
It is probably the fastest and shortest version of the Prancing, resembling the Pyramid in layout and the Golf in rules.
Card layout
Played with a 52-card firewood deck. Arrange the 28 cards face down in rows from top to bottom in 3 different pyramids - the top row spaced 3 cards apart, the second row spaced 2 cards apart covering the top cards (6 cards in total), the third row spaced 3 cards apart covering the cards in the second row (9 cards in total), and the last row spaced 10 cards apart. All the remaining cards form a reserve, the first card of which is turned over and placed next to it.
The aim of the game
Collect all the cards on the playing field on the first reserve card.
How to play?
You can place any card lower or higher in rank on the first Reserve card - family and suit are irrelevant. The card to be dealt can only be selected from the cards that are not covered, and if none of them are suitable, place the top reserve card face up on the pile of cards to be dealt, and then search for a suitable card. The game is won by collecting all the cards on the playing field, regardless of whether there are any left in the reserve.
"Passion for Empty Windows"
A game that requires skill and a clear strategy, and will make even the most sceptical of gamblers try their hand at playing cards. Especially since the odds of winning are 99%. Only if you have a flawless strategy, of course!
Card layout
Played with a 52-card firewood deck. The area for dealing the cards is divided into 3 fields - a field for family stacks, a game field and a spare field for regrouping the cards. Allow enough space in the reserve and family stacking areas to accommodate 4 cards stacked side by side.
Arrange the cards face up in 8 columns on the playing field, the first 4 cards in each column and the remaining 6 cards in each column.
The aim of the game
Arrange the cards in families according to the hierarchy from Ace to King - A, 2, 3, 4, etc.
How to play?
As in other solitaire games, only the first cards of the stacks face up can be moved, but only 1 at a time. You can move cards to the spare or family field and onto other cards in the first stacks. Cards are dealt in descending order of rank, with the Jack placed on the Queen. The suits must also be crossed - black on red and red on black. Aces, as in normal solitaire games, are immediately placed in the space allotted to them, and the search continues in descending order of rank.
You can only move a card to the reserve field if there is room in the field - remember, there is only room for 4 cards. Cards are stored there temporarily and are only used until they are needed on the field of play or an opportunity arises to place them in the family spaces.
"Bahamas Cards"
This is another solitaire variant, again playable online.
Card layout
Played with a deck of 52 cards. The cards are arranged in 3 piles - the middle pile is arranged in a triangle of 10 cards - 1 card on top, 2 cards in the second row, etc. The cards in the fourth row must be face up and all other cards must be face down. A further 5 cards shall be placed on the left and right sides of the triangle. One card out of 5 in these piles must be face up.
The remaining cards in the deck are placed in reserve, and the first card in the deck is turned up.
The aim of the game
Place all the cards on the playing field in the bottom of the deck.
How to play?
The first Reserve card must be placed on the lower or higher ranking card - suit and family are irrelevant. Only free, face-up cards may be dealt. Cards face up may only be dealt face down after the cards covering them have been removed. If there are no more choices, another card is taken from the reserve, placed on top, and a lower or higher ranked card is searched for on top of this card.
More card games click here.
EN 
LT 
DE 
FR 
SV 
ES 
IT 
FI 
LV 
SK 
SL 
TR