Monte Carlo Solitaire

How to Play Monte Carlo Solitaire?

Monte Carlo Solitaire is an entertaining yet visually stimulating card game that combines simplicity with a dash of strategy. This variation of solitaire is played with a standard 52-card deck and involves the player's challenge of removing all cards in pairs of the same rank. Its simplicity in rules and speed in playing makes it apt for beginners and seasoned solitaire players alike.

To set up the game, the deck is shuffled and 25 cards are dealt face-up into a 5x5 grid. The remaining cards form a stockpile, which will be used later in the game. The goal is to remove pairs of cards of the same rank, two 7s or two Queens for example, as long as they are adjacent horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. Removed pairs leave gaps in the grid, which are filled by moving cards around.

If no more pairs can be removed, the cards remaining in the grid are gathered in and the layout reformed by dealing cards left to right and top to bottom from the stockpile. Any cards remaining in the stockpile are dealt into the blank spaces of the grid. The game continues like this until all the cards are paired and taken away or no more moves can be made.

Monte Carlo Solitaire is a wonderful amalgamation of chance and strategy. Although the shuffle dictates the first layout, one must really think over the grid in order to decide which pairs can be taken away. Quick-moving and absorbing, it provides the right blend for those who take shorter breaks or indulge in casual games. This would therefore provide the required level of challenge a person seeks to engage his observing and planning skills. Try Monte Carlo Solitaire and see if you can remove the grid and defeat the odds!