The key to the best Solitaire Games is that they should be simple card games to learn, one person can play, and they require patience, some skill, and not a little bit of luck to get them out.  Sir Tommy Patience is a form of solitaire which is less well known than other solitiare and patience card games such as Demon or Clock Patience.  It looks very simple, but it can be very obstinate at times.

It requires one pack of ordinary playing cards.

 The object of the game of Sir Tommy Patience is to build up ascending sequences of cards (from Ace up to King), irrespective of what suit the cards are. 

The cards are dealt face up into four piles and as you deal the cards out you do not have to deal in sequence on to each one of the four piles in turm - instead you can place each card as it is dealt on to any of the piles.

As the Aces appear dring the deal they are placed in a row below the piles, called the Foundations, and whenever a card appears which can build on them (i.e. the next in number sequence) it is put there rather than on the piles, unless there is some advantage in doing otherwise.

The challenge lies in deciding where you should put the cards which will not go on the Foundations, because of course the top card of each pile is always available to be built on to the sequnce on the Foundations.  If you put a high card on to a pile above a low one, you run the risk of 'blocking' it in.

 Try as mch as you can to keep the piles of cards specifically for cards of a particular value - for example a pile for high cards, a pile for low cards, a pile for picture cards, a pile for medim cards etc.

You may not move cards form one pile to another.

The game is lost if the sequences on the Foundations are not completed before you deal all of your cards out of the pack onto the piles.

Good Luck and have patience!