Squaring the Circle Solitaire

Squaring the Circle Solitaire

This is a very difficult game, and at first, until the player has learnt the order of rotation, a remarkably puzzling one, since on the same packet the sequences are alternately ascending and descending, following suit.

Two packs are required.

Withdraw from one the four Aces, and place them in a square; shuffle the remaining cards well together, and surround this square with a circle of twelve cards, as shown in the diagram (below).

If there is a King in the circle, place it on its proper Ace, and fill up the vacancy; upon the King you will place a Two; as it turns out in its course, on that again a Queen; then Three, Knave, Four, Ten, Five, Nine, Six, Eight, Seven, Seven.

Now the order changes, and becomes Eight, Six, Nine, Five, Ten, Four; Knave, Three, Queen, Two; King, Ace.

In dealing out the remainder of the cards you may make four reserve packets; and whenever you create a vacancy in the circle, fill it up from one of these. You need not deal on the packets in rotation; in fact, the success of the game generally depend upon how you arrange the cards upon them. It is best, if possible, to keep one for the Kings, Aces and Queens, and put the medium cards on the other three. You may gather up these packets, shuffle and form them once again. If by that time the circle is not squared, the game is a failure.

Originally from: Mary Withmore Jone's Games of Solitaire for one or more players.