Clock solitaire is a card game that’s suitable for anyone, from young children to adults. It acts as a good way of introducing the different cards and suits in a deck of cards to someone who’s not familiar with them, especially kids. And of course, it can also help children learn about telling the time and the numbers on a clock too.

Plus, it’s an enjoyable way of passing the time, when you’ve no-one else to play cards with. So how do you play clock solitaire?

Clock Solitaire Rules

The rules to clock solitaire are quite simple to understand – it’s a quick and easy game to play:

  1. Firstly, you need to shuffle the deck of cards. A good shuffle is needed to make sure the cards are well mixed up.
    Initial single card layout for the clock solitaire patience game

    First row of cards laid out for clock solitaire

  2. Next, place the top card from the deck face down directly in front of you but leave space between yourself and the card for other cards. This first card is in the number 12 position on a clock face.
  3. Now place the next card from the deck face down to the right of the first card and slightly lower – this is the number 1 position on the clock.
  4. Continue working your way around the clock face placing one card face down where each number on the clock face would be.
  5. You should now have placed 12 cards face down in a circle. Place the 13th card in the center of the circle you’ve just made.
  6. Now place the next card from the deck in the number 12 position directly on top of the first card you put down.
  7. Continue around the clock face again, putting one card on each number, and then another card in the center on top of the first card you placed here. You should now have 2 cards on each number of the clock face, and 2 cards on the pile in the middle.
  8. Repeat this process 2 more times. All the cards from the deck should now have been placed face down, with 4 cards on each number of the clock face and four cards in a pile in the middle.
  9. You’re now ready to start playing the game. Turn over the top card from the pile in the middle of the clock and place it face up next to the appropriate number on the clock face. For example, if you turn over a 2, place it next to the pile of 4 cards in the number 2 position of the clock face. For the purpose of clock solitaire, aces count as ones so if you turn over an ace, place it next to the pile of cards in the number 1 position. If you turn over a King, you must place it next to the pile in the middle of the clock face.
  10. A game of clock solitaire mid-game with cards turned over

    First few cards turned over in a game of clock solitaire

  11. After placing the first card next to the appropriate number on the clock face, turn over the top card from the pile representing that number (or from the pile in the middle if the card you turned over was a King) and place it next to its appropriate number. Now turn over the top card from that number’s pile in the same way.
  12. Continue placing the cards in the right place on the clock face and turning over the next card from its pile. Remember, if you turn over a King, place it in the middle of the clock face and turn over the top card from the pile in the middle.
  13. The object of the game is to turn over all the cards on the clock face before you turn over all 4 Kings. Once you’ve turned over all the Kings, the game is over.