Demon is a single-pack solitaire game (we use the word "patience" in the UK, but I'll stick to "solitaire" for the convenience of US readers!) that, as its name would suggest, is fiendishly difficult to get out.

Start by counting out 13 cards (don't cheat by looking at them as you do so!)and place them, face up, as a pack to the left of your board. This is known as the "stock" pile. Then deal out four cards to the right of the pack, which will be top cards of "columns", and one card immediately above the first of the four. The top picture shows the starting layout, with the nine of clubs being the topmost card of the stock, and the three of clubs being the first "foundation card".

As the first foundation card is a three, the same must apply to the other three foundations. In our example, we already have the three of spades visible, so this can be played immediately as a foundation card.

The object is to build four complete suits on the foundations, so the final card on each foundation will, in this case, be a two. Cards can be played to foundations from the stock, from the lowest cards of the columns that you will soon create, and from the reserve cards that you still have in your hand.

The columns are built in descending order of number, alternating red and black suits. Aces are regarded as being both "low" and "high", so that a king can be placed on an ace of the alternate colour.

Columns can be moved, as a whole or partially, provided that the top card can be placed legitimally on the bottom card of the receiving column. If a space is created because a whole column has disappeared, it can be filled from the top of the stock pile, but from nowhere else. If the stock becomes exhausted, the blank column must stay that way. (If you want to play a slightly easier game, you can amend this rule so that blanks can be filled from the reserve cards).

You play the reserve cards in threes, so that the top of the three cards you turn over can be played, and the card then exposed is available for play. At the end of the pack you may find that you only have two cards left, in which case you can deal them singly. When finished, you turn the remaining cards over and start again. You carry on dealing until you either win, run out of cards, or get completely stuck!

The second picture shows the game in progress. All four foundation cards have been found and played, and at least one card from the stock pile has been played (the nine of spades is now in the third column, on the ten of diamonds). You can also see the reserve cards with some of them turned up (there's nowhere for the jack of clubs to go, so it's time to turn over the next trio of cards). The eight of clubs cannot yet be played from stock - it is waiting either for the nine of hearts to turn up so that it can go on the ten of clubs (the nine of diamonds is already in play), or for the six of hearts to move so that the seven of clubs can be played to its foundation followed by the eight.

A few things to watch out for:

You cannot play a card from a foundation stack back to a column (with one exception, see below). It is not always in your best interest to play cards to foundations as soon as they appear, as you might need to use a card to go on a column and thus make other moves possible. In the second picture above, the nine of diamonds would probably have been more useful on the ten of clubs, so that the eight of clubs could move from the stock - but it's too late now!

You should try to get cards out of the stack as soon as possible. There could be a foundation card trapped at the bottom, and you will not get far until it is released.

When dealing cards from your hand, remember that if you play no cards during a deal, they will come up in exactly the same order next time. If you play one card from the first trio you turn up, but nothing else, you will get different cards turning up every time during the next deal. The same applies if you play two cards from a trio, but not if you play all three! If you are desperate to release a certain card, this is worth bearing in mind.

It is usually a good idea to play to a column when you can, although you may trap other cards that could soon become playable to a foundation. This is sometimes a chance that you have to take!

A final "help"

Games of solitaire are notorious for not "coming out" and Demon is one of the most difficult from this point of view. If essential cards get trapped beneath other cards in the stock pile, for example, you may be stymied from the outset. However, you are allowed one "grace" in this game. You can take a top card from a foundation pile and play it to a column, either at the head or the foot, provided that it will fit according to the rules. You should make this choice very carefully, because this is definitely your last chance unless you are determined to cheat, and where's the fun in that?

Have fun, and keep an eye open for more Solitaire hubs from me!

By the way, the game in the pictures did NOT come out!