Clock Solitaire

Clock Solitaire is a mechanical patience game recorded in nineteenth-century card collections. A standard deck becomes thirteen piles arranged like a clock, and each revealed rank determines the next pile. That makes every round a small probability experiment: the fourth King must appear only after the other cards have surfaced. There are no choices to calculate. Start a free deal below and watch the chain unfold one card at a time.

1. Shuffle one standard 52-card deck and deal four cards into each of thirteen piles. Place twelve piles around a circle for the hours and one King pile in the center.
2. Reveal the top card of the center pile to begin. Read its rank and move to the matching pile: Ace uses 1 o'clock, 2 uses 2 o'clock, and Queen uses 12 o'clock.
3. Turn over the top face-down card of that destination pile. Keep following the new rank. Place every King in the center pile.
4. Continue until all cards are face up or the fourth King appears. The online board highlights the next pile so the automatic chain stays easy to follow.
5. Start a new deal when the chain ends. Clock Solitaire is designed for quick rounds, so comparing several shuffles is part of the appeal.

• The game uses one 52-card deck and thirteen piles of four cards.
• The twelve outside piles represent Ace through Queen. The center pile represents Kings.
• A revealed card always goes to its rank pile. Suits do not affect placement.
• A win requires the fourth King to be revealed after every other card. If face-down cards remain when the fourth King appears, the deal loses.
• The standard game offers no player decisions. The initial shuffle controls the result, with commonly cited win estimates near one in thirteen.

• Treat the round as a probability exercise rather than a skill test. There is no tactical move that changes the chain.
• Follow the next pile carefully. A missed rank breaks the physical version of the game, while the browser board keeps the destination visible.
• Count face-down cards when you want to estimate how close the chain is to its ending. The fourth King is the key event.
• Use several fresh deals to see how different shuffles create short or long chains. This gives the game a useful lesson in random processes.
• For a teaching activity, record the first pile visited and the number of reveals before the first King. Compare the results across ten rounds.

• Watch: A common variation lets play continue after the fourth King to inspect the remaining chain, even though the standard win condition has already failed.
• Travellers: Travellers and Sundial are related shuttling patience games with different layouts or placement details.
• Klondike Solitaire: Choose Klondike when you want a solitaire game with visible decisions and tableau strategy.

• The clock layout makes a hidden deck easy to read.
• A round takes only a few minutes.
• The rules are simple enough for a first card game.
• Each reveal creates a small moment of suspense.
• The game works well for comparing random deals.

Play Clock Solitaire online for free on Clasica Games. Tap Reveal next card, follow the rank around the dial, and start another deal whenever the chain ends. No account or download is needed.

Clock Solitaire offers a quick, transparent patience round. The deck determines the story, and the clock layout makes that story visible. Start a free deal and see whether your fourth King arrives at the right moment.

• Clock (card game), rules and history
• Clock Solitaire rules and win-rate discussion