Game rules - 40 Thieves Solitaire for Everyone

As in any card game, luck counts; the layout of cards you start with is also of great importance. Planning skills and perceptiveness also play an important role in it.

Where did the 40 Thieves Solitaire come from?

The name of the game 40 Thieves Solitaire is derived from the initial set of cards. Of the two full decks of 104, exactly 40 start the game face up. You put the remaining 64 cards aside and pull them out one by one. This is also one of the reasons why 40 Thieves Solitaire is considered such a difficult game; the pile is not turned face down again after all cards have been revealed. On the contrary - each successive one covers the preceding one, so you may often find it difficult to return to the one you just need.

What does the 40 thieves solitaire board look like?

The starting 40 Thieves Solitaire layout is not complicated. You place 40 cards face up, 4 of them in 10 columns. This allows you to see almost half of all cards at a glance, so you can plan your moves. In addition, there are 8 fields where you have to sort the colors, starting with the Ace each time and ending with the King. You put the remaining 64 cards aside and face one at a time, making a pile from which you can only use the top one.

How to play 40 Thieves Solitaire?

Although the basic assumptions of the game do not differ significantly from those of other solitaires, the game of 40 Thieves owes its difficulty level to several interesting nuances in the rules. First of all, the 40 cards dealt in their 10 columns in any order, but once you start the game, the possibilities for shuffling them are very limited. You can only place each card on the higher one of the same suit - three of spades for four of spades, nine of hearts for ten of hearts, and so on.

These are not the strictest requirements for the 40 Thieves Solitaire yet. The rules prohibit, unlike in other variants, carrying more than one card at a time. So, if you've managed to put together a pile of values, e.g. from eight to four on the playing field, you will get to everything underneath it only when you manage to move them (one at a time!) Into one of the eight stacks of structured cards.

If there is no more movement on your board, you draw a card. The rules of the 40 Highwaymen solitaire then provide for three possibilities. You can play the revealed card on the playing field, put it on a pile of the appropriate color or discarded. Remember, however, that the latter will only increase, and you will get to the discarded card only after you manage to get rid of all those lying on it.

Are there certain ways to win 40 Thieves Solitaire?

40 Thieves Solitaire is a challenging game. You need a lot of luck, a bit of experience, but most of all self-denial. Even unsuccessful games encourage you to try again, thanks to which hours of addictive fun pass unnoticed.

You will increase your chances of winning by remembering a few tips. First of all, pay attention to the empty columns from which you managed to move all the cards into ordered piles - the more there are, the better, as they make it easier to move cards from one column to another. Without a doubt, carrying their longer chains will make winning 40 Thieves closer to your fingertips!

Also, try to play lower cards first. Creating a string of high value ones makes it much more difficult to add new cards and put them into a tidy pile. Also, remember to always use the cards in the layout first, not the draw cards. 40 Thieves Solitaire is also a lot of planning, so decide which cards to move based on what lies beneath them.