Clock Solitaire

Clock Solitaire deals one deck into a clock. Twelve piles mark the hours, and four cards sit in the center. A king returns you to the center, and the fourth king ends the deal. You never choose a card: the shuffle has already decided it. The same game is called clock patience.

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Rules and help

One deck is dealt face down into a clock. Each card goes to one pile, and the fourth king ends the deal.

How to play

  • Layout. Thirteen piles of four face-down cards. Twelve are the hours: ace on 1, jack on 11, queen on 12, and each other rank on its number. Kings use the center.
  • Turn. Start at the center. Tuck the card face up under the pile of its rank, then turn the top card of that pile. The gold outline marks that pile. Tap it, or press Turn. A king returns you to the center.
  • The fourth king. The center has four cards. One starts the deal, and each of the first three kings sends you back for another. The fourth king finds no face-down card left there, so the chain stops. You win only when every other card is already face up. Any card still face down can never be reached.
  • No choices. Play out turns the rest of this shuffle. Stop pauses it, and so does leaving the page. Undo steps back one card. New deal shuffles again.

Tips

  • The outlined card is the only one that moves, and its rank picks the pile.
  • Play out runs the rest of the shuffle. Stop to turn the last cards yourself.
  • One deal in thirteen comes out, on average. Cards left face down are the usual ending.
  • Ace is 1, jack is 11, queen is 12, and kings use the center.

Playing on a phone or tablet

Tap Turn, or tap the outlined pile, to reveal the next card. Play out runs the rest of the deal. The clock fits the width of the screen.

Frequently asked questions

How do you play clock solitaire?
Deal the deck face down into twelve hour piles of four and a center pile of four. Turn the center card, tuck it under the pile of its rank, and turn the next card of that pile. Aces go to 1, jacks to 11, queens to 12, and kings to the center. Continue until the fourth king appears.
Why does the fourth king end the game?
The center has four cards. One is turned to start, and each of the first three kings sends you back to turn another. The fourth king would send you back again, but no face-down card is left in the center. Cards still face down on the hours can never be reached. You win only when that king is the last face-down card in the deck.
Are there any choices in clock solitaire?
No. Clock patience is pure luck. Every card belongs to one pile, and nothing you tap changes the shuffle. On average, one deal in thirteen comes out.

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