27 July 2012 - "Clock" Card Game

Today's Activity:  Solitaire            

Solitaire means a card game you can do alone.  This is a super-easy solitaire card game called "Clock."  First, get a deck of cards and make sure there are no Jokers in it.  Then, you are going to lay out the cards in the shape of a clock, 4 in each pile.  The top pile is like where 12:00 is, the bottom pile is a 6:00, etc.  The 4 extra cards go in the middle.   Each pile will be where you put the numbers that match with that time.  For example, if you turn over a 3, you will put it on top of the pile at 3:00.

Turn over the BOTTOM card from the pile in the middle of the clock.  Look at it, and put it on top of the pile for that time, for example a 3 goes on 3:00.  Then take the bottom card from the 3:00 pile and put it where it belongs.  Jacks go to 11:00, Queens go to 12:00, and Kings go to the middle.  The game ends either when you put the last King on the center pile and there are no uncovered cards to move (you lose), or when you have all cards showing and the last card is a King (you win!).

One thing:  When you lose, just peek under the piles that have an uncovered card.  If that card should go in the same pile, you can turn it over.  If all the remaining uncovered cards are actually in their own piles, you win after all!!

Here is a picture of a partially played game.  First of all, it is a Disney World deck of cards, so the Jacks, Queens, and Kings have pictures of rides on them instead of the figures.  As you can see, I have uncovered all the Jacks.  I already peeked under my 6 and 9 pile to make sure that the last 6 or 9 isn't under there.  I haven't found any 8s yet.  Aces are used for 1:00.  (By the way, I lost the game on the very next card, it was the last King)

I almost never win, but it's fun to have a game you can play all by yourself.  I also play this game sometimes if I have a deck of cards that I know is missing one card.  I deal out the clock and just have 1 less card in the center.  I play until I lose, then I cheat to sort out all the other cards.  At the end, I can just look at my clock to see what card I am missing

(Did you know that that is a good use for your Jokers?  If you are missing a card, just take a Joker and draw the number and suit you need on it and add it to your deck)

NO NEW POSTS UNTIL MONDAY!  See you then!