Clock Patience is a challenging card game for one person that requires patience and strategy. It is known for its unique rules and intricate gameplay, which provide a stimulating mental exercise. To begin, you will need a standard deck of 52 cards without jokers. The cards are then spread out in a specific formation, resembling the numbers on a clock. The goal of Clock Patience is to move all the cards into the foundation piles, which are located at the 12, 3, 6, and 9 o’clock positions.
The gameplay involves several key moves. You can move a card from one pile to another if it is one rank higher or lower, regardless of suit. Aces can be placed on Kings, and Kings can be placed on Queens. There is also a stock pile, where you can flip the top three cards at a time. If you find a card that can be played, you can move it to the appropriate pile. Additionally, there are two reserve piles, where you can place cards that cannot be played immediately. You can use the cards in the reserve piles later when you find a spot for them.
Clock Patience requires careful planning and strategic thinking. You need to consider the available moves and the long-term consequences of each move. As you progress through the game, the board will become more complex, and you will need to use all your skills to solve the puzzle. With patience and determination, you can master the intricacies of Clock Patience and experience the satisfaction of completing this challenging card game.
Understanding Clock Patience: An Overview
Clock Patience, also known as Patience Clock or Mystic Clock, is a captivating card game that combines elements of strategy and chance. It’s a single-player game played with a standard deck of 52 playing cards, making it readily accessible for both beginners and experienced card enthusiasts.
The game’s objective is to arrange all the cards in a specific clock-face pattern, with the Ace of Diamonds at the top representing 12 o’clock and the remaining cards placed in ascending order around the circle. The challenge lies in moving cards strategically, following a set of rules, to achieve the desired configuration.
Clock Patience offers a unique blend of patience and skill. Players must carefully consider each move, anticipating the potential consequences and working towards the ultimate goal of forming the clock face. The game’s name aptly captures its essence, requiring patience and perseverance to overcome the obstacles and reach a successful conclusion.
Before embarking on a game of Clock Patience, it’s crucial to understand the basic rules and layout. The game begins with the cards shuffled and dealt into 13 piles, each containing four cards. These piles are then arranged in a circular pattern, with the Ace of Diamonds placed at the top to symbolize 12 o’clock. The remaining 12 piles represent the hours on a clock, with the cards in each pile facing up except for the bottom card.
| Hour | Number of Cards | Orientation |
|---|---|---|
| 12 (Ace of Diamonds) | 1 | Face up |
| 1 | 4 | Face up |
| 2 | 4 | Face up |
| …. | …. | …. |
| 11 | 4 | Face up |
With these rules in mind, players embark on their journey to complete the clock face, moving cards strategically until all 52 cards are arranged in the correct order.
Preparing to Play: Gathering Materials and Setting Up the Play Area
Gathering Materials
Clock Patience is a simple game that doesn’t require much in terms of materials. Here’s what you’ll need:
- A deck of cards
- A playing surface
Setting Up the Play Area
The playing surface should be a flat, level surface large enough to accommodate the cards. You can use a table, the floor, or even a bed. Once you have a suitable playing surface, arrange the cards in a specific layout called the “clock” formation.
To create the clock formation, follow these steps:
- Place four piles of cards in a diamond shape, with each pile containing five cards.
- Place a fifth pile of cards in the center of the diamond, containing the remaining two cards.
- Arrange the piles so that they resemble the numbers on a clock face:
-
- 12 o’clock: Top of the diamond
- 3 o’clock: Right side of the diamond
- 6 o’clock: Bottom of the diamond
- 9 o’clock: Left side of the diamond
- Center: Between 12 and 6 o’clock
Once the cards are arranged in the clock formation, you’re ready to start playing Clock Patience.
Dealing Cards: Establishing the Foundations and Tableau
Begin by shuffling a standard 52-card deck and dealing out 10 cards face down to 10 tableau piles, one card per pile. The remaining cards are placed face down in a stock pile.
Establishing the Foundations
The goal of Clock Patience is to build four foundation piles, one for each suit (hearts, diamonds, clubs, and spades). The foundations start with the Ace of each suit and are built sequentially up to the King.
Establishing the Tableau
The tableau consists of 10 piles, with the cards dealt face down. The top card of each pile is turned face up and placed in the center of the pile. The remaining cards in each pile remain face down.
Tableau Pile Number of Cards 1st 1 2nd 2 3rd 3 4th 4 5th 5 6th 6 7th 7 8th 8 9th 9 10th 10 The exposed cards in the tableau are the starting point for the game. Players can move cards between tableau piles and to the foundation piles in order to build complete suits and sequences.
Building the Foundations: Creating the Four Suit Rows
The foundations are the four empty cells in the top-left corner of the tableau. The goal is to build up each foundation by placing cards in ascending order, starting with the Ace and ending with the King, all in the same suit.
Finding the Aces
To start building the foundations, you need to locate the four Aces. Look through the tableau and uncovered piles to find them. Aces can be moved directly to the foundations.
Building the Sequences
Once you have the Aces in place, you can start building sequences on top of them. To do this, find cards of the same suit and one rank higher than the last card on the foundation. For example, if you have an Ace of Hearts on the foundation, you would look for a 2 of Hearts.
You can also move cards from the tableau or uncovered piles to the foundations by dragging them over. Cards must be moved in ascending order and in the correct suit.
Uncovering Cards
As you build the foundations, you may uncover hidden cards in the tableau. These cards can then be moved to the foundations or used to build other sequences.
Card Action Ace Move to the foundation corresponding to its suit 2-10 Build sequences on the foundations in ascending order and in the correct suit Jack-King Move to the foundations in ascending order and in the correct suit Moving Cards Within the Tableau: The Rules for Play
5. Moving Multiple Cards Together
Moving multiple cards together is a crucial skill in Clock Patience. It allows you to clear large sections of the tableau, making it easier to reach the Aces. Here are the rules for moving multiple cards:
- You can only move a sequence of cards that are all in the same suit and in descending order.
- The top card of the sequence must be placed on a card that is one rank lower and of an opposite color.
- The bottom card of the sequence can be placed on any empty tableau pile.
For example, if you have a sequence of three cards: ♠J, ♣10, and ♣9, you can move them as follows:
Move Destination ♣9 Empty tableau pile ♣10 ♠J on the tableau ♠J ♣Q on the tableau Keep in mind that when moving multiple cards together, you must move the entire sequence at once. You cannot split it up or leave any cards behind.
Blocking and Unblocking Spaces: Strategies for Success
Understanding the Mechanics
Clock Patience involves flipping cards to match their pips with the matching clockface numbers. Each space on the layout represents a card, and the goal is to clear all the cards by matching and eliminating them.
Blocking Spaces
Blocking spaces occurs when your options for flipping cards are limited due to occupied spaces. To avoid this, it’s crucial to plan your moves carefully and flip cards in a way that opens up options for future flips.
Unblocking Spaces
If spaces become blocked, there are strategies to unblock them:
1. Flipping the Missing Card
Identify the missing card that would unblock the space and prioritize matching and flipping it.
2. Creating a Loop
Flip a series of cards to create a loop, allowing you to move cards around and unblock the desired space.
3. Using the Empty Space
Move a card to an empty space on the layout, which shifts the grid and potentially unblocks the blocked space.
4. Resetting the Grid
If all else fails, you can restart the game and shuffle the cards to create a new grid with more open spaces.
5. Patience and Observation
Clock Patience requires patience and keen observation of the grid. Take your time to analyze the layout and plan your moves carefully.
6. Managing Open Spaces
Type of Open Space Strategy Single Open Space Carefully consider flips to avoid blocking this space. Prioritize moves that keep it open for future use. Adjacent Open Spaces These spaces provide more flexibility. Plan flips to create chains of matches and keep these spaces accessible. Multiple Open Spaces Scattered This scenario can provide opportunities. Explore different sequences of flips to unblock blocked spaces or set up matches. Managing the Stock Cards: Drawing and Discarding Options
Drawing Options
When you draw a card from the stock, you have three options:
1. Place it on the tableau to build sequences.
2. Discard it to the waste pile.
3. Hold it in your hand for later use.Discarding Options
You can discard cards to the waste pile:
1. To remove unwanted cards from your hand.
2. To unblock sequences.
3. To set up future plays.7. Building the Tableaux
To build sequences on the tableau, you must follow these rules:
Card Rank Placement Ace Must be placed on an empty column. 2-King Must be placed on a card of the same suit, one rank higher. King Cannot be placed on any other card. Once a sequence is complete, from Ace to King, it can be moved to the foundation piles.
Troubleshooting Clock Patience: Common Challenges and Solutions
8. Identifying the Correct Card to Move
Distinguishing between different card ranks and suits can be challenging, especially when playing with a large deck or multiple decks. To address this, consider implementing the following strategies:
Breaking Down the Deck
Deck Size Recommended Strategy 52-card deck Arrange cards in columns based on rank, with two columns for Aces (one for black and one for red). 104-card deck (two 52-card decks) Create separate sections for different ranks, with two columns for each Ace. 156-card deck (three 52-card decks) Establish three sections for each rank, with three columns for each Ace. Organizing the Cards
Maintain a consistent order within each column, organizing cards from Ace (top) to King (bottom). This arrangement makes it easier to compare card ranks and identify the appropriate move.
Checking Suits
When moving cards between columns, pay attention to suit. Cards can only be placed on top of other cards of the same suit and one rank lower. For example, only a black King can be placed on a black Queen.
Scoring and Winning Clock Patience: Completing the Foundations
Completing the Foundations
The ultimate goal of Clock Patience is to successfully complete all four foundations. You accomplish this by building from Aces to Kings in suit. Once you have completed a foundation, you can remove it from the tableau. The game is won when all four foundations are complete.
To begin building a foundation, you must first expose an Ace. You can do this by flipping cards over from the stock or waste pile. Once an Ace is exposed, you can move it to the foundation of the corresponding suit. You can then continue building the foundation by adding cards in ascending order.
It’s important to note that cards in the tableau can be moved to the foundations at any time. This means that you can start building a foundation even if you don’t have the Ace yet. For example, if you have a 2 of Hearts exposed in the tableau, you can move it to the Heart foundation and start building from there. You can then move the Ace of Hearts to the foundation once it becomes available.
If you get stuck and can’t make any more moves, you can flip cards from the stock pile. You can also use the reserve piles to store cards that you can’t play immediately. However, you can only use the reserve piles twice per game. Once you have used all of the cards in the stock pile and reserve piles, the game is over.
Variations of Clock Patience: Exploring Other Versions of the Game
10. Oklahoma Clock Patience
Oklahoma Clock Patience is a variation that removes the requirement for the central card suit to match the first card placed on the clock. This variation allows for more flexibility in the selection and placement of cards on the clock, making the game more challenging and strategic. The player must carefully consider the card sequences and suit combinations to complete the clock effectively. Additionally, Oklahoma Clock Patience introduces the concept of “orphan cards,” which are cards that cannot be placed on either the clock or the discard piles. These cards add an extra level of complexity to the game, as the player must strategically manage them to minimize their impact on the game’s progression.
Table of Variations
| Variation | Key Difference |
|—|—|
| Oklahoma Clock Patience | Removes suit matching requirement for clock cards, introduces orphan cards |
| Dutch Clock Patience | Uses a 52-card deck, with 2 decks allowed |
| Joker Clock Patience | Includes 4 jokers as wild cards |
| Reverse Clock Patience | Builds the clock in reverse order, starting from 12 |
| French Clock Patience | Uses a French deck with different suit symbols |
| King and Queen Clock Patience | Requires kings and queens to be played on the clock in specific orders |
| Trianon Patience | Similar to Clock Patience, but with different rules for building the clock and moving cards |
| Albert’s Clock Patience | Uses a double deck of cards, with additional rules for the central card |
| Double Clock Patience | Two clocks are used instead of one |
| Single Clock Patience | Uses only one clock, with modified rules for card placement |Clock Patience How To Play
Clock Patience is a solitaire card game that uses a standard deck of 52 cards. The goal of the game is to arrange all of the cards in four piles, one for each suit, in ascending order from Ace to King.
To start the game, shuffle the deck and deal 13 cards into a pile face down. This pile is called the stock. The remaining cards are dealt into four piles of 13 cards each. These piles are called the tableau piles.
The top card of each tableau pile is turned face up. The object of the game is to build four piles of cards, one for each suit, in ascending order from Ace to King. To do this, you can move cards from one tableau pile to another, or from the stock pile to a tableau pile.
You can move a card from one tableau pile to another if the card is one rank higher or one rank lower than the card on top of the pile you are moving it to. For example, you can move a 7 from one pile to another if the card on top of the other pile is a 6 or an 8.
You can move a card from the stock pile to a tableau pile if the card is one rank higher or one rank lower than the card on top of the tableau pile. For example, you can move a 7 from the stock pile to a tableau pile if the card on top of the tableau pile is a 6 or an 8.
The game is won when all of the cards are arranged in four piles, one for each suit, in ascending order from Ace to King.
People Also Ask About Clock Patience How To Play
What is the best way to learn how to play Clock Patience?
The best way to learn how to play Clock Patience is to watch a video tutorial or read a step-by-step guide. There are many resources available online that can help you learn the game.
What is the most difficult part of playing Clock Patience?
The most difficult part of playing Clock Patience is building the four piles of cards in ascending order from Ace to King. This can be challenging because you need to be able to see the cards in all of the piles at once and plan your moves accordingly.
What is the average time it takes to play Clock Patience?
The average time it takes to play Clock Patience is about 30 minutes. However, the time can vary depending on how quickly you can find the cards you need and make your moves.
