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Bill King (Crow)
Junior Solitaire Player
Username: Crow

Post Number: 4
Registered: 7-2008
Posted on Saturday, November 01, 2008 - 12:29 pm:   

Concerning variations in say Klondike or Fan type games: Is it easier to win if the tableau builds down in alternate color, instead of down in suit, everything else being equal?

So in Klondike if the builds was changed to down in suit, instead of alternate colors, would it would be harder?
Ken Millar (Tpa_ken)
Master Solitaire Player
Username: Tpa_ken

Post Number: 907
Registered: 2-2006
Posted on Saturday, November 01, 2008 - 1:11 pm:   

Well, building down by alternate color gives you twice as many cards to play, but, for some reason, it's easier to get my mind wrapped around building down by suit.
Mike Bailin (Mikeb)
Master Solitaire Player
Username: Mikeb

Post Number: 137
Registered: 3-2003
Posted on Saturday, November 01, 2008 - 2:07 pm:   

Interesting point, Ken, habits we learned ages ago sure are hard to work around. I find "reverse" Klondike (and similar games), where the foundations build down from king to ace and the tableaus build up, almost impossible to play for essentially the same reason.
Gregg Seelhoff (Seelhoff)
Master Solitaire Player
Username: Seelhoff

Post Number: 333
Registered: 1-2003
Posted on Saturday, November 01, 2008 - 3:24 pm:   

>Concerning variations in say Klondike or Fan type games: Is it easier to win if the tableau builds down in alternate color, instead of down in suit, everything else being equal?

On balance, I believe that building by alternating colors is generally easier.

Building by alternating color gives one more choices, which definitely adds to the skill factor. Building by suit, however, has the advantage that whole piles can be moved to the foundations essentially at once, which means that the game can change more dramatically on the turn of a single card (or more easily get stuck waiting for it).

>So in Klondike if the builds was changed to down in suit, instead of alternate colors, would it would be harder?

Actually, it would be Trigon, so you can try it yourself. :-)

The percentages in the help file suggest that Klondike is easier than Trigon, and the online high scores (those which can be believed) seem to support that theory.
Bill King (Crow)
Junior Solitaire Player
Username: Crow

Post Number: 5
Registered: 7-2008
Posted on Saturday, November 01, 2008 - 6:25 pm:   

Thanks for pointing out Trigon, while trying it today it *was* harder than Klondike. Linus seems harder than La Belle Lucie for same reason.

I was trying to adjust Klondike to the standard 78 card Tarot deck (the Trumps have no color) so builds had to be otherwise and when trying down in suit made it seem difficult. So I expanded the layout from 7 to 10 columns to allow for extra build opportunities to make up for the difficulty,and now it wins about exactly 50% while I play. Nice!

There are six suits:

Suits 1-4: The four regular suits 1-10,Q,K (no Pages or Jacks), all four of these suits have 12 cards (Swords,Batons,Cups,Coins).

suit 5: Trumps 1-10,Short suit Page, Short suit Knight (either short suit Page or Knight will do: either Coins or Cups) = 12 cards.

Suit 6: Trumps 11-20, Long suit Page (Sword or Baton), Long suit Knight= 12 cards.

The other two Trumps 0 and 21 I reserved for games with jokers and not used in Klondike clones.

All other rules identical to Trigon, except the number of face down cards in the 10 columns are:

0,0,1,1,2,2,4,4,6,6 plus one face up card on top each of the ten columns = 36 cards in layout and 36 cards in the stockpile deck.

Wins half the time and loads of colorful fun! When the game is won the Kings and Knights are on top the foundations :-).

P.S. I use the Tarocco Piementesse deck which is 78 card Taro with none of the occult symbols.
Ken Millar (Tpa_ken)
Master Solitaire Player
Username: Tpa_ken

Post Number: 908
Registered: 2-2006
Posted on Sunday, November 02, 2008 - 8:36 am:   

Hey, Gregg, nice victory for the Spartans yesterday. Congrats!
Gregg Seelhoff (Seelhoff)
Master Solitaire Player
Username: Seelhoff

Post Number: 334
Registered: 1-2003
Posted on Sunday, November 02, 2008 - 11:16 pm:   

>Hey, Gregg, nice victory for the Spartans yesterday. Congrats!

It was certainly a great finish, topped only by the finish of the Formula One World Championship the next day. My few hours away from the computer were rewarded well. :-)
Bill King (Crow)
Junior Solitaire Player
Username: Crow

Post Number: 6
Registered: 7-2008
Posted on Monday, November 03, 2008 - 12:22 pm:   

After further review: the best columns for the Tarot Klondike above is: 0,1,1,2,2,3,3,4,4,5.

Better symmetry although a bit easier to win.

Michigan State game was the best game of the week, although everybody was watching the one in Lubbock.

Let's say Penn State gets kicked upstairs to the championship game: Rose Bowl for the Spartans might just happen!

My local team, Cal Bears, can also do that if USC plays the bigger game.

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