Will o' the Wisp

A miniature version of Spider that uses a single deck and seven tableau piles instead of ten. Invented by Albert H. Morehead and Geoffrey Mott-Smith, Will o’ the Wisp is considerably easier to win than Spider or Spiderette.

The Deal#

Three cards are dealt to each of the seven tableau piles. All cards are face-down except the top card of each pile. The remaining 31 cards are kept in the stock.

The Layout#

• Tableau: Seven piles of cards where you build descending sequences.
• Stock: The remaining 31 cards, dealt to the tableaus when you need more options.
• Foundation: Four piles where completed King-to-Ace same-suit sequences are discarded.

Rules#

1. Building Sequences: Stack cards in descending order regardless of suit. For example, any 6 can be placed on any 7. However, only same-suit sequences can be moved as a group.
2. Moving Cards: The top card of any pile is always available. Face-up cards in sequence by the same suit can be moved together. You can also move partial sequences.
3. Revealing Cards: When all face-up cards are removed from a pile, the top face-down card is turned face-up.
4. Empty Columns: Any available card or build may be moved to an empty column. Note that Kings can only be played into empty spaces since there is no higher rank to build them on.
5. Dealing from Stock: You may deal at any time, provided no tableau piles are empty. Seven cards are dealt face-up from the stock, one to each tableau. The final deal has only three cards, which go on the first three piles.
6. Completing Sequences: When you build a complete sequence from King to Ace in the same suit, it is automatically removed from play.

Variants#

• Standard: Only same-suit sequences can be moved as a group.
• Relaxed: Any descending group can be moved regardless of suit, making the game considerably easier.

Strategy Tips#

• Build in suit whenever possible. Mixed-suit builds cannot be moved as a group, so same-suit sequences give you much more flexibility.
• Uncover face-down cards as a priority. The more cards you can see, the better your decisions will be.
• Empty piles are precious. The more empty piles you can create and maintain, the better your chances of winning.
• Build on higher-ranked cards before lower ones. This keeps your options open longer.
• One or two long, tangled piles are acceptable if they help you empty out other piles.