Solitaire is widely regarded as one of the most popular card games in the world. It’s a game that the majority of you will likely haver played at home some point in your childhood and is seen as something of a favourite pastime for most.
Like the majority of card games online casinos have found a way in which they can adapt the game to word within an online casino, and more importantly, for real money. The game does differ slightly from the one that you’ve likely played at home and will often be called by the name of ‘Casino Solitaire’ or ‘Vegas Solitaire’.
One thing that you will notice from game to game is that a number of them might have different rules to play through or a slightly different set up. What this review will do is show you how to paly the game in the most common format, whilst also informing you of other variants and how they differ.
How To Play Solitaire
The firs thing you’ll need to do is buy into your game. There are usually two formats of payment, depending on your casino. The first will be for a set amount in any sort of multiple and the second will be for a set amount in multiple of 52.
The first kind will be for games that pay-out a certain amount per card that’s been moved into the playing area. For example, you might buy in for $50 and the game will pay out $5 for every card that you manage to get in play, meaning that you only need to bring 10 cards into the game to break even.
The second amount will be a multiple of 52, so it might cost you 20 cents per card to play, with 52 cards that would equal $10.40 to buy in. Pay-outs would then be around 50 cent per card that you get from the playing area into the four decks at the top.
The aim of the game is essentially to get all 52 cards from the playing area in one of the four stacks at the top of the screen. For every card that you manage to get into its correct stack, the more money you will win. There will be times where it’s impossible to finish games, of which you will just simply need to start again.
The game uses just one deck of 52 cards. The play deck will consist of 7 columns. The first column will contain just one card, the second two, third three and so on until you have seven cards in the final column. The remaining cards are called your stockpile and will be located at the top of the screen.
In each of the 7 columns, only the top card will be visible, with the remaining cards below that being face down. You can move any of the cards that are face up on top of one another only if they are of a contrasting colour and the next number in sequence. So, a red 7 would only be able to go after a black eight and black Queen would have to follow a black King (suits don’t matter at this stage).
The top four spaces that are vacant when you start are area in which you get your cards ‘out’. These piles must start with an Ace from each suit and then work their way upwards. So, Ace, 2, 3, 4 etc. all of the same suit.
Your stockpile is there for when you can no longer make any moves from the cards that are on show. Depending on the game, you will be able to deal three cards (with two facing down and one facing up) or single cards, each facing up. Once the card is on show then if you can use it, you may.
Remember, the aim of the game is to fill all of the foundation spots at the top, with the more cards you get to match, the more money you will make.
Tips And Advice
Like all card games, there’s going to be an optimum way to play solitaire. However, unlike some, it isn’t always possible to win at what is essentially a luck game. However, these couple of pointers should stand you in good stead.
It’s important to have control of your stockpile and only use this as an absolute necessity and when you’ve exhausted all possible combinations from the game cards. This becomes especially important if you are playing 3-card draw solitaire where you get three cards turned over instead of single cards. If you take just one or even two cards from the stockpile then you will know that next time round the cards will be in a different order. If you take none or all three from one set then you will have exactly the same combination as before.
Always try and expose unturned cards as quickly as you can. If you get a chance to get rid of card to find a card that is face down, then we highly recommend doing so at the first possible opportunity as you may not get another chance to do so.