Helena, named after how Napoleon would play the game on the island of Saint Helena when he was exiled there. The very popular Thieves of Egypt begins with a pyramid shaped tableau.īusy Aces is a straight forward game in the style of Forty Thieves that is at the head of its own family, which includes the much simpler Fortune's Favor, a simple game ideal for beginners.įor a terrific overview of all the Forty Thieves related games and their different nuances, consult Thomas Warfield's excellent complete guide to Forty Thieves types games.Play Forty Thieves Solitaire Online for Freeįorty Thieves is a Solitaire game that uses two decks or 104 cards. In Interchange (more difficult), Breakwater, and Alternations, the initial tableau includes face-down and face-up cards. Many other games take the Forty Thieves style concept and adjust it in more significant ways. Games with just 6 piles ( Blind Alleys, Pas Seul) or 5 piles ( Double Rail) begin to feel much like Klondike. Instead of 10 tableau piles, some variations increase this to 12 piles ( Blockade, Napoleon's Square, Corona) or 13 piles ( Lucas, Waning Moon) or decrease it to 9 piles ( Maria) or 8 piles ( Forty and Eight, Congress, Parliament, Diplomat, Red and Black), each with different combinations of rules for tableau building. This usually proves most satisfying when playing with one of the variants that makes the game slightly easier, to increase your chances of pulling out a win.Įven with these variants, you'll have to play skillfully, making the Forty Thieves family of solitaire games one of the more popular choices for those who like a longer experience that is thoughtful, challenging, and yet solvable, and where skill plays even more of a role than luck. Unused stock typically ends up into an increasingly large face-up discard pile, but in the latter parts of the game skilful play often makes it possible to dig back through this and complete the game. As a result, careful planning and consideration is needed. You also need to pay close attention to duplicates, since two decks are in play. It's not always a good idea to play a card just because you can, because you may block cards within the tableau that you need. Game-play is very tight in the strict form of the game. In other variations, multiple redeals of the stock are permitted. Some variations allow entire sequences of cards to be moved ( Josephine, Forty Bandits, Ali Baba), or combine this with having tableau building in alternating colours ( Number Ten, Rank and File, Emperor) or tableau building in any suit ( Little Forty). Streets), or by any suit other than its matching one ( Indian). In other variants, the tableau is not built down by cards of the same suit but by alternating colours (e.g. In some of these, the Aces begin as starting foundations ( San Juan Hill). In its strict and classic form, even with good play Forty Thieves is difficult to win, so many variants exist that seek to make the game easier. The goal is to get all the cards onto the eight foundations from Ace through King in each suit. The remaining stock of 64 cards is turned up one card at a time, with no redeals. Strict tableau building rules apply, because only the single top card of each column may be moved, and only onto a card that is the next highest rank of the same suit any card can be placed into a space that becomes available in the tableau. Carefully working through the stock pile and manipulating the discard pile are a big element of successful play.Ī tableau is dealt with ten columns, each with four overlapping and face-up cards. Its simple rules means that many variations exist, many of which are among the more strategic and satisfying versions of solitaire games that you'll find anywhere. The game also goes under other names, including Roosevelt at San Juan. Tradition says that this is the solitaire game Napoleon played while in exile on the island of St Helena. It also goes under the alternate name Napoleon at St Helena (not to be confused with a different solitaire game called "Saint Helena" or "Napoleon's Favorite"). Forty Thieves Solitaire is a popular and classic game played with two decks, and is also included in most books with patience games.
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