Solitaire
The classic card game of patience and skill, played by one or more players.
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Solitaire, patience, or card solitaire refer to a genre of card games whose common feature is that the aim is to arrange the cards in some systematic order or, in a few cases, to pair them off in order to discard them. Most are intended for play by a single player, but there are varieties for two or more players.
Quick Facts
- Earliest recorded name
- Patience
- Common card size
- 67 x 42 mm / 1.65 in
- Primary aims
- Building sequences
- pairing
- totalling
Facts from the source article.
Background
The earliest known description of a solitaire game appeared in the 1783 edition of the German game anthology Das neue Königliche L'Hombre-Spiel, where it is called Patience and describes a game between two players playing alternately. Solitaire is probably of German or Scandinavian origin, with the earliest records appearing there in the late 1700s and early 1800s.
The game became popular in France in the early 19th century, reaching Britain and America in the latter half. The earliest book of solitaires was published in Russia in 1826. The first collection of solitaires in the English language is often attributed to Lady Adelaide Cadogan through her Illustrated Games of Patience, published about 1870, though a lost book called Patience by 'Perseverance' (William Henry Cremer) was published in London in 1860.
Did You Know?
- The word 'patience' derives from the games being seen as an exercise in patience.
- In North America, 'solitaire' is often used to refer to single-player card games, though it may also refer to peg or marble solitaire.
- Mary Whitmore Jones authored around 250 different solitaire games across multiple volumes published between 1888 and 1911.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Solitaire as a card-game genre?
Solitaire refers to a family of card games in which a player arranges or pairs cards in a set order to clear the table, most often played alone. Hundreds of distinct variants exist, though a few are designed for two or more players.
Why do some people call it 'Patience' instead of 'Solitaire'?
'Patience' is the older name, rooted in the idea that the games were a test of a player's patience. 'Solitaire' (French for 'alone') overtook it in North America during the twentieth century, but the older term still shows up in British and European usage.
What size cards do solitaire games use?
Nearly all solitaire variants are built around the standard 67 × 42 mm playing-card size, the same dimensions you find in poker and bridge decks. That means any ordinary deck you already own will work without modification.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Solitaire (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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