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.
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