Games of patience, or (card) solitaires as they are usually called in North America, have their own 'language' of specialised terms such as "building down", "packing", "foundations", "talon" and "tableau". Once learnt they are helpful in describing, succinctly and accurately, how the games are played. Patience games are usually for a single player, although a small number have been designed for two and, in rare cases, three or even four players. They are games of skill or chance or a combination of the two. There are three classes of patience grouped by object.
Klondike is a card game for one player and the best known and most popular version of the patience or solitaire family, as well as one of the most challenging in widespread play. It has spawned numerous variants including Batsford, Easthaven, King Albert, Thumb and Pouch, Somerset or Usk and Whitehead, as well as the American variants of the games, Agnes and Westcliff. The distinguishing feature of all variants is a triangular layout of the tableau, building in ascending sequence and packing in descending order.
Cassino, sometimes spelt Casino, is an English card game for two to four players using a standard, 52-card, French-suited pack. It is the only fishing game to have penetrated the English-speaking world. It is similar to the later Italian game of Scopa and is often said, without substantiation, to be of Italian origin. Cassino is still played today in Madeira, probably due to English influence.
Pyramid is a patience or solitaire game of the Simple Addition family, where the object is to get all the cards from the pyramid to the foundation.
Monte Carlo is a pair-matching patience or card solitaire game using a pack of 52 playing cards where the object is to remove pairs from the tableau. Despite its name, it has no relation to the city with the same name nor to any casino-related game. Alternative names for this game include Good Neighbours and Weddings.
Interregnum is a patience or card solitaire game using two packs of 52 cards each. It sometimes also is given the name Constitution, although this alternate name can also refer to an entirely different game. The object of Interregnum is to build eight foundations of thirteen cards each, regardless of suit. Building the foundations is unusual compared to most foundation-building games.
Canfield (US) or Demon (UK) is a patience or solitaire card game with a very low probability of winning. It is an English game first called Demon Patience and described as "the best game for one pack that has yet been invented". It was popularised in the United States in the early 20th century as a result of a story that casino owner Richard A. Canfield had turned it into a gambling game, although it may actually have been Klondike and not Demon that was played at his casino. As a result, it became known as Canfield in the United States, while continuing to be called Demon Patience in the United Kingdom and elsewhere. It is closely related to Klondike, and is one of the most popular games of its type.
Quadrille is the name of two loosely related card games of the Patience or solitaire type which are often confused. Both use a pack of 52 playing cards. The earlier one was also known as La Française or Royal Quadrille, the slightly later one as Captive Queens. The name is derived from the desired outcome of the earlier game in which the four Kings and Queens are arranged in a square formation as in the European dance of quadrille that was fashionable in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Labyrinth is a patience or card solitaire game which uses a pack of 52 playing cards. Despite the fact that the word labyrinth is synonymous with maze, this game is very different in its manner of play and dealing from the game of Maze, and should not be confused with it. Labyrinth does however have similar play to the game of Babette – both being blockades – and the spatial puzzle in which cards become available is also reminiscent of Crazy Quilt.
Baroness is a patience or card solitaire that is played with a single deck of 52 playing cards. It is similar to other members of the Simple Addition family and is also distantly related to Aces Up.
Rouge et Noir is a patience card game which is played using two decks of playing cards. It is a unique game where two types of building are done in the same game.
Precedence is a patience or card solitaire game which uses two packs of playing cards. It is a building game where the playing does not have to worry about a tableau or playing area.
Imaginary Thirteen is a solitaire card game which is played with two decks of playing cards. Its gameplay makes it a two-deck version of Calculation and its name is taken from the fact that when a sum is over thirteen, thirteen is subtracted to get the value of the next card, with spot cards worth their face value, jacks eleven, queens twelve, and kings thirteen.
Elevens is a patience or card solitaire of the Simple Addition family that uses a standard 52-card deck, with the goal of removing pairs of cards that add to eleven. Odds of winning are slightly better than 1 in 10.
Hope Deferred is a simple game of patience, played with a French-suited Piquet pack of 32 cards. The aim of the game is to get rid of all the Clubs from the pack.
Quadrat ("Square") or Viereck ("Rectangle") is a simple, German patience game, which is played with a French pack of 32 or 52 cards. Zudecken ("Covering") is a very similar patience with slightly altered rules.
Good Thirteen is a simple, German patience game for one person, played using a French pack of 52 playing cards. It also goes under the name Thirteens.
Birthday is a simple, German patience game, which is played with a French pack of 52 cards.
Little Lots is a patience game and one of the most popular and widespread card games in the world.
Counting Patience is a simple patience game that can be played with a French Skat pack of 32 cards or a standard French pack of 52 cards.
