Sir Tommy


Sir Tommy, also called Old Patience, is a patience or solitaire card game using a single pack of 52 playing cards. It is said to be the ancestor of all patiences, hence its alternative title and is of the half-open, planner type of game in the same family of card-building games as Calculation and Strategy. It is also known as Try Again and Numerica.
Cards are dealt one at a time. When an ace turns up, it forms a foundation which builds up to King regardless of suit. Four such foundations should be built. A card that cannot yet be placed on the foundation is placed onto one of four wastepiles; once placed, it cannot be moved, but the top card of each wastepile remains available to be placed on a foundation.
The game is won if all cards are emptied from the wastepiles and built on the foundations. Strategically, to achieve a win, skilled players reserve one wastepile for Kings and for other high cards.

Literature