Curds and Whey

Curds and Whey

A Patience game
Family	Spider
Deck	Single 52-card

Curds and Whey is a solitaire card game which uses a deck of 52 playing cards. Invented by David Parlett, this game belongs to the family of solitaire games that includes Spider and Scorpion.

Rules

The cards are dealt into 13 piles (or columns) of four cards each. The top card of each pile is available for play.

There are no foundations in this game; the object is to form four suit sequences each running from King down to Ace.

A card can be built in only two ways:

• Over a card that is of the same suit and of a higher rank, or
• Over a card that is of the same rank but of a different suit.

For example, the 8♣ can be built over the 9♣ or any other 8 (such as the 8♠).

One card can be moved at a time unless a sequence has been made. If a sequence of cards follows either one of the following two guidelines:

• Sequences that are built down by suit
• Sequences of cards with the same rank

...it can be moved as a unit in part or in whole. However, a sequence that follows both guidelines at once must be rearranged to follow only one guideline before moving as a unit.

When a column becomes empty, it can only be filled by a King or a sequence starting with a King.

The game is won when the object above is fulfilled, forming four suit sequences each running from King down to Ace.

• Curds and Whey rules