Gaps

Gaps is a solitaire card game where the arrangement of cards from Deuce (a Two card) to King is the object. The game is also called "Spaces."

The game starts with all cards dealt on the tableau into four rows of thirteen. The aces removed and discarded from further play. The gaps that they leave behind are filled by cards that are the same suit and a rank higher than the card on the left of the gap. (For example, 4♣ can be placed beside 3♣.) However, when any gap at the right of a King is considered dead and no card can fill it.

Any gap on the left hand side of the row should be placed by a deuce and the row should be built up by suit beside the deuce (i. e. 2-3-4-5, etc.). It is the descretion of the player on which suit would occupy which row.

When no more possible moves, the cards that are not in order are gathered, making sure to leave any suit sequence (e.g., ♥2-3-4-5) behind. Once the cards are reshuffled, they are redealt, making sure there is a gap in each row at the immediate right of each suit sequence or at the extreme left of the row if no suit sequence is formed in that row. This reshuffling and redealing of cards can only be done three times.

The game is won when all 48 cards are arranged in numerical order and in suits, with the gaps of each row beside the Kings at the extreme right hand of the row. But the game is mostly by chance and the probability of winning is low.

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There are two variants of this game.

One variant is called Addiction Solitare, a game developed by GameHouse for Yahoo! Games. This game is played exactly as Gaps except that there are three reshuffles rather than two and the aces can be used in each reshuffle and redeal to create any gaps. The game is so-called probably because of the addiction that can be brought out by the low chance of winning the game.

Another variant is called Spaces and Aces, invented by Robert Harbin. The aces in this game are placed at one side of each row. Any gap that is immediately at the right of the ace must be placed with a deuce of the same suit as the ace and the suit sequence would be built up from there. Any other gaps are filled by cards that are the same suit and at least a rank higher than cards at the left of the gaps. There are no redeals in this variant.