Games - Double or Quits

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	Games - Double or Quits

Double or Quits is a solitaire card game using a deck of 52 playing cards. The game is so called because the cards are built in a pattern where the value doubles and decreases by 13 if necessary.

The game starts with eight cards dealt in a 3x3 grid with a hollow center. The middle card of the bottom row becomes the foundation and all other cards form the reserve. The illustration below shows the layout:

R	R	R
R		R
R	F	R

(F is for the foundation and R are for the reserves)

The foundation is built regardless of suit using a sequence in which the value doubles: A-2-4-8-3-6-Q-J-9-5-10-7-A-2, etc. For instance, if the card on the foundation is a 4, an 8 should be placed over it. Cards in the reserve are available for play and any gaps on the reserve are immediately filled by cards from the wastepile, or from the stock in case the wastepile is empty.

If play is not possible from the reserve, the cards from the stock are dealt one at a time into the wastepile. When the stock runs out, the wastepile is picked up and becomes the new stock. This can be done only twice in the game.

One can notice that kings are not involved in the sequence above. There are two ways these cards are handled in the game: they are either discarded whenever each of them appears or left alone in the deck. Leaving the kings in the deck (which is the more prevalent rule) makes the game more difficult because a king on the wastepile effectively blocks the cards below and a king in the reserve limits the number of spaces in the reserve available for play. Discarding the kings makes the game easier as it gives the opposite.

The game is won when all 48 cards are put in the foundation, with the kings, if left in the game, end up in the reserve.

The sequence above is formed as follows: Let 1=A, 11=J, 12=Q

A * 2 = 2

2 * 2 = 4

4 * 2 = 8

8 * 2 = 16; 16 - 13 = 3

3 * 2 = 6

6 * 2 = 12 = Q

Q * 2 = 24; 24 - 13 = 11 = J

J * 2 = 22; 22 - 13 = 9

9 * 2 = 18; 18 - 13 = 5

5 * 2 = 10

10 * 2 = 20; 20 - 13 = 7

7 * 2 = 14; 14 - 13 = 1 = A

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Double or Quits ]

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