THE blank spaces show where the foundation cards should be played during the deal. When they are taken from the pack to form part of the original tableau the proper cards are painted.

Available cards. Those that are not "blocked" by other cards, i. e. not forbidden by the particular rules of each game, to be used. Released cards. Those which, by the removal of the cards that blocked them, have now become available.

Suitable cards. Those whose value and suit fit them to be played or placed in the tableaux.

Foundation cards. Those on which the Patience is formed, These are generally aces and kings.

Marriage. The placing a card of the same suit on the next one above or below it in value. Any number may be placed on each other in this way.

Sequence. The regular succession of cards ascending from ace to king, or descending from king to ace; a sequence need not be of one suit.

Value. The figures of the court cards, and the number of points of the minor ones.

Suit. Either hearts, spades, diamonds, or clubs.

Lane. An empty space in the tableau, which has been formed by the removal of an entire row of cards.

Talon. Cards which, being unsuitable at the moment, are laid aside in one or more packets till they can come into use.

To play cards. The placing them on the foundations in contradistinction to placing them elsewhere.

Re-deal. These are always in addition to the original deal.

I. THE uppermost card of each packet is alone available, until by its removal it releases the one beneath.

II. The foundations must follow suit.

Deal out the entire pack in packets of three cards dealt together and placed as in tableau. The last packet, however, will contain but one card.

The four aces form the foundation cards, and are to ascend in sequence to kings.

Having placed the tableau, take any aces that may appear on the surface of the packets and play them in their allotted spaces, and upon them any other suitable cards, subject to Rule I.

When all available cards have been played, you proceed to release others, by forming marriages in a descending line on the tableau; but great care is requisite, lest in releasing one card another still more necessary to success should be blocked. The whole tableau should be carefully examined, and the combinations arranged so as to release the greatest number of suitable cards.

When this has been done, and that there are no more available cards to play, the entire tableau may be taken up, shuffled and re-dealt (if necessary twice), then played again as before.

This game can also be played with two packs, the eight aces forming the foundation cards, and double the number of packets being dealt for the tableau. It is then called "THE HOUSE IN THE WOOD."

There is also another way of playing it with two packs. The foundation cards to be four aces, and four kings of different suits, and marriages made both in ascending and descending lines. The name of this game is "THE HOUSE ON THE HILL."

I. ONLY cards in the lowest row are available, until a card in any other row is released by the removal of those below it, the principle being that no card can be used that has another below it.

II. The foundations must follow suit.

Deal out from left to right four rows of ten cards.

The eight aces, when they can be placed, form the foundation cards, and are to ascend in sequence to kings.

Should any aces appear in the lowest row, play them in their allotted spaces, and upon them any suitable cards to continue the foundations (Rule I.)

You must now examine the tableau and endeavour by forming marriages (in descending line, and always subject to Rule I.) to release other suitable cards. This, however, must be done with care, lest a sequence in a lower row may block a card above it which is much wanted, and might soon have been released.

If by these changes you can make a vacancy in the uppermost row (thus forming a perpendicular lane), it is of the greatest use. The vacancy may be re-filled with any available card from the tableau or from the talon, but you are not obliged to re-fill it until a favourable opportunity occurs.

Note. — Some players only allow the vacancy to be filled from the talon. The card so placed has all the privileges of the original card whose place it fills, and is treated in the same manner. When there are no more available cards to play, proceed to deal out the remainder of the pack, turning the cards one by one, playing all suitable ones on the foundations, or placing them on the sequences of the tableau. The cards that cannot be so employed are laid aside in one packet forming the talon.

There is no re-deal.

I. ONLY cards in the seventh or lowest row are available, until by their removal those above them are released. No card can at any time be used that has any other below it.

Note. — There is one exception to this rule, in case the game cannot be opened. See below.

II. Each foundation must follow suit.

PLAY.

Deal out the entire pack from left to right, in horizontal rows, fifteen cards in each, excepting the last one, which can only contain fourteen. Each row should partly cover over the preceding one; four aces and four kings form the foundation cards, the aces ascending in sequence to kings, the kings descending in sequence to aces. When the deal is complete, if any foundation cards should appear in the lowest row (Rule I.) play them at once on the spaces reserved, and also any other suitable cards — then marry, both in ascending and in descending lines, subject to Rule I.; but if, after these changes, no foundation card is available, so that the patience cannot even begin, you may withdraw from the sixth row one ace and one king, if any are to be found (see note to Rule I.) immediately filling the spaces so made with the cards below which had previously blocked them. If even this resource is unavailing, the patience has already failed, there being no re-deal, and no further infringement of rules allowed.

When one or more foundations are established, examine the tableau carefully, marry all available cards, and endeavour by these changes to release the greatest number of suitable cards for the foundations, and to open out one or more perpendicular lanes. These are of the greatest use; you may select any available card and place it at the top of the lane, and below it any others in sequence of the same suit, each card partly concealing the preceding one, as in the original deal.

You may also use the lane for reversing any sequences previously made. Thus, supposing there is a sequence beginning with a ten and ending with a three (the ten being required for one of the foundations), place the three at the top of the lane, the other cards following until the ten becomes the lowest or available card.

In theory this patience is simple, but it is very difficult to play. The combinations are endless, from the constant reversing of sequences, and require great attention. As the success principally depends on the lanes, it is more prudent, when you have only one, not to re-fill it until by some fresh combination you can open out another one.

There is no re-deal.

I. ONLY the cards on the surface of the king packets are available, until their removal as usual releases those beneath, but all the cards in each packet may be examined.

II. The foundations do not follow suit.

Take from the pack and place one-king to begin the line of eight kings, that are to be successively placed in a horizontal row as they appear in the deal. On this first king you place all the cards as you deal them until the next king appears. You now place the cards as you deal them upon this second king, and you continue thus to deal out the whole pack, always heaping upon the last king that has appeared all the cards as they are dealt.

The eight aces are to form the foundation cards, and are to ascend in sequence to knaves (Rule II.) When in the course of the deal any aces appear, they are to be immediately placed in a line above the king packets, and upon them any suitable cards (Rule I.), and when the queens appear they are to be placed in a row above the foundations. The queens are merely placed to complete the final tableau, which if the patience succeeds, consists of the eight queens above, the eight knaves finishing the foundations in the centre, and the eight kings below. You must continually examine the surface of the king packets to play any suitable cards on the foundations, and in so doing endeavour to free some of the kings entirely, for when the deal is ended you are allowed to place one card from any of the other packets (Rule I.) on each king, and you must of course choose those cards that will release the greatest number of suitable cards for the foundations, for which purpose the whole packets may be examined. In this consists the entire play.

There is no re-deal.

I. AFTER the deal is completed, the uppermost card of each packet is available and may be placed on any of the foundations, the cards underneath being released as usual by the removal of those that covered them.

II. Each foundation must follow suit.

Deal out twelve cards as in tableau, beginning on the left. Place the top corner card, then the four side cards, lastly the lower corner card; repeat this process on the right hand, beginning with the top corner, and leaving space in the centre for the foundation cards. These will consist of four aces and four kings of different suits, the aces ascending in sequence to kings, and the kings descending in sequence to aces.

Having dealt the first round of twelve cards, proceed to deal out the entire pack in successive rounds covering the first one, but in dealing each several round the following method must be strictly observed.

The eight foundation cards as they appear in the deal (whether they fall on the corner or on the side packets) are to be at once played in the space reserved for them, and on these may be played any suitable cards which in dealing fall on either of the four corner packets; but when a card (otherwise suitable) falls on either of the side packets it may not be played unless the foundation to which it belongs happens to be the one immediately adjoining the side packet on which that card fell in dealing.

Note. — Whenever in dealing a card is withdrawn, to place on one of the foundations, the next card in the pack is placed in its stead.

After the entire deal is completed these restrictions cease, all suitable cards may now be played, subject to Rule I., and marriages, both in ascending and descending lines, may be made with cards on the surface of the twelve packets; great care must, however, be taken in making these marriages, lest in releasing one card you block another that is equally required. The contents of each packet should be carefully examined, and only those marriages made which release the greatest number of suitable cards.

Note. — The sequences thus made may be reversed if required, viz. if one of the packets contained a sequence, beginning with deuce and ascending to eight (this being of course the top card) and one of the other packets had at the top a nine of the same suit, the eight might be placed on the nine, the rest of the sequence following, till the deuce became the top (or available card).

When all possible combinations have been made, and further pro­gress is impossible, the twelve packets may be taken up in order, beginning on the left, re-dealt, and played exactly as before. If neces­sary, there may be two re-deals.

I. ALL cards in the wings are available.

II. The five foundations do not follow suit.

Take from the pack one ace and place it in the centre before you; next deal out eight cards, grouping them round the ace to represent the wings of a windmill. The first four kings that appear in dealing are to be played in the four angles (see tableau). These, with the centre ace, form the five foundation cards. Each of the four kings is to descend in sequence to ace, while upon the centre ace four entire families are to be piled in sequences (Rule II.).

Having placed the centre ace and the wings, take from the latter any kings for the foundations, or other suitable cards to play on them, or on the centre ace, filling up the spaces so made from the cards in your hand. Then proceed to deal out the remaining cards, turning them one by one, playing all whose value admit of it on the foundations. The cards that cannot be so used are placed aside in one packet forming the talon.

Note. — The four families on the centre ace each begin with ace and end with king.

It is better to play cards from the talon rather than from the wings.

Vacancies in the wings must be immediately re-filled from the pack or talon.

In forming the foundations, the uppermost card of either of the king packets may be transferred, if suitable, to the ace packet; but this privilege is limited to one card of each at a time, and may only be resorted to when the playing of that card would bring into immediate use any other available card of the wings or of the talon.

There is no re-deal.

I. DURING the deal cards in each circle of the star are available until another circle blocks them. After the deal is completed only cards in the third (or outer) circle are available until, as usual, their removal releases the inner circles.

II. Marriages are limited to cards in the third circle; cards in the inner circles, even when released, can only be played, but not married.

III. The foundations must follow suit.

Take from the pack the eight aces and the eight kings. Throw aside seven of the kings and place the remaining one in the centre, with the eight aces surrounding it in a circle.

The king is called The Shah, and remains alone. The aces are the foundation cards, and are to ascend in sequence to queens.

Next deal out a circle of eight cards, beginning at the top and continuing from left to right. If any of these are suitable, play them, filling the spaces at once from the cards in your hand. Then deal out a second circle, blocking the first one (Rule I.), and treat it in the same manner, then a third circle, which completes the rays of the star.

Note — In the pattern tableau the third circle is omitted for want of space.

You should now examine the star to see if there are any available cards which it would be advantageous to marry, or to play (Rules I. and II.), but you are not obliged to do either until a favourable opportunity occurs. Marriages can only be made in descending line.

Note. — It is often better to wait until, in dealing, a card turns up likely to be soon required, and then by playing or marrying, you make a vacant space in which to place it.

When you have played or married all the cards you wish, the spaces so made must be re-filled from the talon or pack, beginning with the inner circles, and proceeding from left to right as before.

The remaining cards are dealt out in the usual way, those not required for the foundations, or for marrying, or for re-filling spaces, forming the talon.

When a lane, i. e. one entire ray of the star, is opened out, the place of the inner card may be filled by one card from the third circle. This is sometimes of great use, and is a kind of "grace," as this patience seldom succeeds. The other two spaces are re-filled from the talon, and this must be done at once, as each ray must always be complete.

There is no re-deal.