Montana Solitaire is a unique non-builder card game. You use a deck of 52 cards, divide them into 4 rows of 13 cards, and remove all the Aces, creating 4 gaps.
Montana Solitaire thumbnail
Rearrange the cards into 4 rows, each in the correct order from 2 to K and by suit.
The space at the end of the row after the K card is always dead (no card can be filled in).
A card can only be moved into a gap if:
It is of the same suit as the card to the left of the gap
The order increases by exactly 1
If the gap is the first space in the row, only 2 can be placed
If you cannot move any more, you will use the shuffle function to reshuffle the cards that are not in the correct position and deal them again, keeping the completed rows at the beginning of each row.
The number of times you shuffle depends on the version, usually 2-6 times.
Prioritize completing the rows from the beginning of the row to keep the space available for flexible use.
Do not leave a gap to the right of the last K card in the row because that gap is dead and cannot be filled.
Shuffle only when there are no more moves.
This game is one of the most difficult variations of solitaire, unlike Double Klondike. Players cannot stack cards but must create rows in the correct order and of the same suit, which requires high strategic thinking and the ability to plan multiple steps.
Using the spaces wisely is the key to winning. Even with the shuffle mechanism, the winning rate still fluctuates around 15–30%, depending on the number of shuffles allowed. Without shuffling, the winning rate is almost below 10%, making the game challenging.
Montana Solitaire is a great way to practice patience and step-by-step planning. Although it is not easy to win, the rewards of successfully arranging the game are very satisfying.
