Sultan Solitaire

Game Description: The goal of the Sultan Solitaire card game is to end the game with the Sultan (King of Hearts) surrounded by his eight Queens. The cards in the foundation piles must be built up by suit in order.

How to Play Sultan Solitaire:

• Sultan Solitaire consists of 2 full decks of cards, minus the jokers.
• The cards are dealt with the King of Hearts (the Sultan) in the middle, and 8 foundation cards surrounding the Sultan. There are also 6 cards placed face-up around the main layout to make up the reserve. The remaining 88 cards remain face-down and form the deck, with one card face-up immediately to the right of the deck. That card is the first card in the waste pile.
• The foundation cards consist of 7 Kings plus the Ace of Hearts.
• The goal is build each foundation by suit and in order up to Queen (so the sultan ends up surrounded by his 8 Queens!)
• For the Ace of Hearts foundation you would build 2 of Hearts, 3 of Hearts, etc.
• On the Kings, the order is Ace, 2, 3, etc, of the appropriate suit.
• No cards may be placed on the Sultan.
• Once the cards are dealt the player can make moves by clicking with his mouse.
• Click the deck to move the top card from the face-down deck and place it in the face-up waste pile.
• Click the top card in the waste pile to move it to one of the foundations.
• Click a reserve card to move it to one of the foundations.
• Click an empty reserve space to move the top card on the waste pile to the empty space.
• When there are no more cards in the deck, the player may redeal. This will shuffle the cards in the waste pile and put them face-down in the deck.
• Only 2 redeals are allowed per game. (This means you go through the pack 3 times. First, with the original deal, and then the 2 redeals.) At that point the game ends, and you will have either won or lost.
• Your final score depends on the combination of two factors: your skill of how fast you are, and the total number of cards added to the foundation cards. Please note, a lower score is better! (As a personal note, I don't really bother with the score. I play in a relaxed manner and simply enjoy winning the game!)

Sultan Solitaire Game Options:

• The music may be turned on or off by clicking the Music on/off button located at the lower left corner of the game screen.
• The game sounds may be turned on or off by clicking the Sound on/off button also located at the lower left corner of the game screen.

Sultan Solitaire Playing Tips:

• Stay alert! Try not to miss any moves when a card is eligible to be moved to a foundation pile (either from the waste pile or from the reserve cards.)
• Always move a card to a foundation pile as soon as possible. The less cards remaining in the deck, the better.
• Use strategy when moving a card from the waste pile to an empty reserve space. This is where the game will be won or lost. Do not simply move a card from the waste pile to an empty reserve space simply because that card happens to be the top card on the waste pile. It is better to wait until you find a card that will help you. Generally, you want to place cards in the reserve spaces when you believe there is a good chance that you will be able to soon play that card to one of the foundation piles. For instance, if the top card in one of the foundation piles shows an 8 of clubs, the 10 of clubs may be a good choice to put in a reserve space because as soon as the 9 of clubs comes up you can then immediately play the 10. (This would be especially true if you have noticed that the 9 of clubs has not yet come up in the deal. You may also be able to look at the face-up cards in the waste pile if it is still early in the deal. If you can clearly see all of the overlapping cards in the waste pile and do not see the 9 of clubs then you know for sure it is still in the deck. Later in the deal, as more cards overlap, you may not be able to do a visual check because the cards get too closely bunched.)
• Sometimes it may be to your advantage to leave several reserve spaces blank at the same time until you can find some good cards that you think will help you the most. Only then, should you fill the reserve spaces. Of course, you don't want to wait an unreasonable amont time to fill the reserve spaces. This is where judgment and strategy comes in.
• Remember, you go through the deck 3 times. On the final deal try to position cards of the same suit so the lower ranked cards are on top of the higher ranked cards in the waste pile. For example you would want the 7 of diamonds to be closer to the top of the waste pile, and the 8 of diamonds to be buried further down in the waste pile. And the 9 of diamonds to be buried even further down than the 8 of diamonds. (You can somewhat manipulate the waste pile by your choice of the cards you choose to place in the six reserve spaces.) You will not have to be perfect to win. But do this as much as possible to increase your chances.

Richard's Rating: 4 out of 5.

Comments: This very winnable, yet challenging, game starts off slowly... then builds. With the first deal you may not be able to make too many moves. The second deal allows you to make more moves. And, if you have played your cards right, the third and final deal will be a flurry of decisions and moves. With a little practice, you should be able to overcome even a bad hand and still win. Large, and easily readable, cards enhance the experience. Overall, Sultan Solitaire is a super game to play!