Montana solitaire, also called gaps solitaire or spaces solitaire, is a grid-and-gaps patience game that works nothing like Klondike or FreeCell. No alternating colors. No descending ranks. You deal all 52 cards face up in four rows of 13, remove the four aces, and get four empty gaps. The goal: arrange each row so it runs from 2 to King in a single suit, left to right.
The Setup and the Goal
Deal all 52 cards face up in four rows of 13. No hidden stock, no waste pile. Every card is visible from the start. Remove the four aces from their positions. Those four empty gaps are the heart of the game.
The objective: end with four rows, each containing one suit in ascending order from 2 through King, left to right. The first row might be 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King of hearts. Aces stay out. They never join the final rows.
How to Fill a Gap
The only legal move is sliding a card into an empty gap. You cannot place just any card there. A gap accepts only the card one rank higher than the card immediately to its left, and it must match the suit. If the card left of a gap is the 7 of clubs, the 8 of clubs goes in. That enforces the sequential, suit-specific ordering you are building.
Two Exceptions That Drive the Game
Two exceptions override the basic rule:
- A gap to the right of a King cannot be filled. No card ranks higher than a King in that suit. The gap stays empty until you redeal.
- A gap in the first column, the leftmost position of any row, accepts any 2 regardless of suit. This is the only time you ignore the immediate-left rule.
These two exceptions define how Montana flows.
The Redeal Procedure
The initial deal rarely yields a complete solution. Montana grants a limited number of redeals. The standard rule: two redeals, giving you three deals total. When you are stuck, with no legal move available, follow these steps:
- Pick up every card not already in its correct sequence from the left of its row. If the first three cards of a row are 2, 3, 4 of spades, leave them. Pick up the rest of that row.
- Collect all the picked-up cards plus the four aces set aside.
- Shuffle them together.
- Redeal them face up into the empty spaces, filling gaps left to right, top to bottom.
- Remove the four aces again. Four new gaps appear.
This gives you a fresh chance to build the correct sequences. After the second redeal, the third deal, you cannot shuffle again. Play out the hand to its conclusion.
Alternative Names and Variations
Montana goes by several names in the patience community. It is called gaps solitaire because of the empty spaces you manipulate, or spaces solitaire for the same reason. Some know it as addiction solitaire, a nod to its grip on players. The core rules stay consistent, but a few variations exist:
- Some versions allow only one redeal instead of two.
- Others drop the "any 2 in the first column" rule, making the game significantly harder.
- A few rule sets let you move a sequence of cards together if they are already in order. This is not standard.
For the most common play, stick with the two-redeal, any-2 rule.
Strategy Tips for Montana Solitaire
Montana is a game of chance, but a few practical strategies improve your odds. Prioritize filling gaps to the right of a King. Those gaps become dead ends. If you face a choice between moving a card into a gap and creating a new gap elsewhere, think ahead. Which move opens up more possibilities?
Use the First Column
Exploit the first-column rule. Placing a 2 in the first column starts a row correctly, but do not block a needed move. Before you redeal, move every possible card into its correct sequence from the left. The redeal shuffles only cards not in place. A well-played first deal saves you work.
Aces never belong in the final rows. Do not try to place them. They exist only for the redeal shuffle.
How Montana Compares to Other Patience Games
Montana occupies a unique spot in the solitaire family. Klondike and Spider use a tableau where you build down in alternating colors. Montana uses a fixed grid with no build-down at all. Movement is into gaps only, and the goal is purely sequential by suit. The redeal mechanic adds a layer of planning.
All cards are face up. No hidden information. Success depends on your ability to visualize sequences and manage gaps. It is a different challenge from the more common patience games.
Playing Montana Online
Play Montana solitaire free online at free-solitaire.co. No download, no signup. Start a hand immediately. The site offers a clean interface that makes it easy to see the gaps and plan your moves. Whether you call it Montana, gaps solitaire, spaces solitaire, or addiction solitaire, the rules stay the same. Deal the cards, remove the aces, and fill the gaps in order.