This solitiaire card game is an attractive version of patience, which is less frequently played than some others such as Demon or Clock Patience. It involves an element of luck, as well as some skill. For those who prefer skill only patience, a variety such as Tower of Hanoy may be preferable.

As a solitaire game it can be played by only one player and uses one ordinary pack of cards.

The deal for this solitaire game is a little more fiddly than some, but is worth persevering with. The method of play is very different from many other versions of Solitaire and patience, and so is an interesting change from the more regularly played ones.  Add it to your arsenal of rainy day games!

Other unusal forms of solitaire patience include Sir Tommy and Tower of Hanoy.

 To play this form of Solitaire:

Deal the pack a single card at a time, to form six rows of eight cards.

You will have 4 cards left over which you use as your stock.

As you are dealing you must apply the following rule - No downward column may contain two cards of the same face value.

If you deal a card in the same column, below another card of the same value (whether immediately below or several rows below) the latest card to be dealt must be removed, placed to the bottom of the dealing pack and replaced with another card.  Take care with this process of dealing.  It is important!

Once you have achieved a successful deal, with no cards of the same value in the same column, you are ready to play.

When playing vertical patience you can only play with the cards in your stock and the cards at the bottom of each column - ie those which have no other card beneath them.

First of all look at the bottom row of cards.  If there are any pairs of the same value, pair them up and throw them out onto a waste pile.

If there are no such pairs immediately obvious turn over a card from your stock of four cards.  pair if you can and throw away.

If the first card from the stock does not help, put it to the bottom and carry on to the next card in the stock. You may not pair two cards from the stock with one another.

If you manage to make a pair, the removal of one or two cards form the bottom row exposes a fresh card that can be used for pairing. Some people find it easier at this stage to move cards down so that the bottom of each column is in line for easier pairing.  If you choose not to do this you must look at and match up the bottom card of each column even if they are no longer alligned on the same row.

At any stage of the game you can play a card form the stock (if you have any left) to try to help.

The game is usccessfully completed if you pair up all the cards until none remain.