GAMES AT CARDS FOR ONE PLAYER.

Clutha Leader, Volume I, Issue 37, 25 March 1875, Page 7

GAMES AT CARDS FOR ONE PLAYER.

' Macmillan' contains one article peculiarly suited to a holiday season. The subject is " Games at Cards for One Player," and Mr W. Pole, F.R.S., is the author. Mr Pole is a great inventor or expounder of card games. "In an article, some, years ago," he says, "we commented on the noble and profound game for four players, which, by common consent, is allotted the highest rank among intellectual diversions. Last Christmas we endeavored to revive a game almost as good for three —classical a century ago In December, 1860, we described some excellent games for two (one of which Besique then introduced for the first time to England, has since become so popular); and now we propose to continue the series by treating of card games for one player." Mr Pole gives us 17 specimens of such games, dividing them into series —games of chance and games combining chance and skill. The preliminary on which he most strongly insists is that the cards should always be thoroughly shuffled before a game is begun. We quote a description from each of the series of games: — THE CLOCK. This is a pretty game, and though it gives no scope for skill, it requires close attention. Conceive a clock-face placed on the table before.you. Select the following cards from the pack, and place them face upwards, in a circle, their positions corresponding with the twelve clock figures. Thus : — - In the place of I put Ten of Spades „ II „ Knave of Hearts „ ' 111 „ Queen of Clubs „ IV „ Ace of Diamonds „ V „ Two of Spades „ VI „ Three Hearts „ VII „ Four of Clubs „ VIII „ Five of Diamonds „ IX „ Six of Spades „ X . „ Seven of Hearts „ XI „ Eight of Clubs „ XII „ Nine of Diamonds And place the king of diamonds in the Centre of the circle. .Then put twelve groups of three cards each, face upwards, in an outer circle round the above-named cards, one group opposite each card, and place the three remaining cards, also face upwards, on the king of diamonds. The top .cards only of each group, for the time being, are available for play. The twelve cards of the inner circle have how" to be filled up, in ascending sequences of the. same suit (the ace following the king), until each arrives at the clock-figure it represents, Thus, the ten of. spadei must have placed upon it the knave, queen, king," and ace of the same suit, stopping atthe last; the three of hearts must have on it the four, five, and six ; the five of diamonds the six, seven, and eight; and so on. XI will be represented by the knave of clubs, and XII by the queen jof diamonds. To perform the fillingrup, you must, in the first place, use any suitable top cards of the group in the outer circle or the centre which may present themselves, and when any. top card has been removed the card left visible below it;become available. When .you cannot proceed further, you may relieve; lower cards of the group, by forming descending suit "sequences oh the groups themselves Thus,, if the eight and nine of. spades are, the. top 'cards of different groups^ you may put the eight on the nine*, which will dis-. close and render available the card below v.thetfOrrnefc- ;IfubyJfhese linearis you succeed in disposing of all the .g^Pf^^ezcejit^one^^e^tpp^, .card,;of which will not come in, you are allowed], as an act •■''of lppßce;!id remove tem!pprarily that top card, disclosing tho one beldw?;;, When fthesgame^sucoeeds l,, the cards in "the circle represent the' - hour • figures j of; >th.Q' pipck-fase/£afl#thie king;! .of diamonds to. form thje: centre! r f lierWis ariout 1 an erjua! chance^ bfithis;game;su^ceedi£g^£ r-: f;j^. j-*

". P .fTHBfFEOWJBR GASBBN;K& *$*' . -.. Thjsris^one sf the bes^ sditaiylgames .we h^aye seen, e ,as.|»ringmg u into "exercise; ; the ; "menf af- j qhalithVs s iff tfWgh^degre?.* : ;LayJoat^^sisr-^Tdups>pfi'Six^^'B'eacn, all;f;acei. up^ar^/ah^y^t^^e^ards'" of each" group '"BiighVfy^/to^rjaiti&j;''-- fajf shape, so that they may Wsfen. Thes& ; g^r6nps T l&rih^iß^_^_ii^S9_i_, arid thje top cards only, of each. group are avail-, able for play*;* •^Thg^remaining sixteen! cards you retain in your handi -Thes^ fbrMfclfebdiit^el^ is available. ;; Withdraw cffroin the the garden, v a%;ac^J^ ;s puf''th^' ;i fe a row ; the object ; of the game being m nil tnem up m sequence or the same suit; np v to< kings. • > Whenf you^have? <te%n;i©i#the»^n^ 1 . Any top •or availapljß^nrd of ja group in the^lprdeS may be removed,

and placed oh^ahyf others top card with 1 which it forms anadescendihg*sequehce, without regard to suit^ Thus the six of hearts may be place ,on the seven of spades, or the queen of spades on the king of clubs, both of course being previously at the top of their respective

groups. l I 2. Further any number of cards in sequence, lying at any time during the game on the top of a group, maybe removed en masse, and placed on any other available card, which will add to the sequence in proper order. Thus, if the three upper cards of the group are^ the ten, nine, and eight, they may all three be removed and placed on a knave,

3. To aid in the process of liberation, you may take at any time a card or cards, from the bouquet to make up a temporary sequence. Thus, suppose an eight is at the top of one group, and a five at the top of another, you may take a seven and a six from the bouquet, placing them on the eight, after which you may add the. five.

4. When any group becomes exhausted, either by tranter of the cards to other groups or by playing them on their suit sequences, you may, upon the blank space thus left in the garden, form a new group, by transferring there any available card or sequence from another group, or any card from the bouquet. By liberating . cards in the garden groups as above described, and by using cards from the bouquet (the whole of whicli are available for this purpose), you will gradually fill up the four suit sequences, scheming your process of liberation according to the cards you want for the purpose. A few trials will show the care and contrivance required to play this game successfully. In careless hands it will seldom succeed, and with all care it sometimes proves impracticable ; but it is possible in the majority of cases, and it is curious how often, when the game appears hopeless, a bright idea of liberation will occur which, when carried out, will make all easy.