Maze Solitaire

Maze is a solitaire card game using 48 out of a deck of 52 playing cards. Although the words maze and labyrinth are synonymous with each other, this game and the solitaire game of Labyrinth should not be confused with each other because they are different in the manner of game play and dealing. In fact, this game is more akin to another solitaire game, Gaps, though less mechanical.

First, all 52 cards are laid out into 6 rows, similar to a 6 x 9 grid. The first two rows should have 8 cards each, while the rest have 9 cards each. Then, the Kings are moved and discarded from play. This leaves six gaps, four left behind by the Kings and the two spaces formed on the first two rows.

The rule of the game are as follows:

• A gap is filled by a card that is the same suit and a rank higher than the card on the gap's left or one that is the same suit and a rank lower than the card on the gap's right, whichever is more advantageous.

• A gap to the right of a Queen can be filled with any ace or a card that is the same suit and a rank lower than the card on the gap's right, again, whichever is more advantageous. However, a gap to the left of an Ace is not filled.

• The rows are continuous. The last card of one row is connected to the first card of the next. So goes with the last card of the sixth row to the first card of the first row. Thus, a gap on the extreme left of a row can be filled with a card with the same suit and a rank lower than the card on the gap's left or a card with the same suit and a rank higher than the last card of the row above, and vice versa.

• The rows run from left to right, top to bottom.

The game is won when all 48 cards are arranged in four suit sequences from Ace to Queen with an Ace as the first card on the first row and a Queen as the last card of the sixth row; it does not matter where the gaps end up when this is achieved.