Gaps Solitaire Rules and Strategy: The Card Arrangement Puzzle

Quick Answer: Gaps Solitaire (also called Spaces or Montana) deals all 52 cards in 4 rows of 13. Aces are removed, creating 4 gaps. You move cards into gaps: a card can fill a gap if the card to the left of the gap is the same suit and one rank lower. The goal is to arrange all cards in four suit sequences from 2 to King in each row. Win rate is approximately 20–30% with optimal play over multiple redeals.

Gaps Solitaire is a uniquely spatial patience game — rather than building on foundations or stacking in columns, you're sliding cards into positions using empty spaces as conduits. It's closer to a sliding-tile puzzle than traditional solitaire, making it appealing to players who enjoy spatial reasoning and arrangement challenges.

What Is Gaps Solitaire?

Gaps (also known as Spaces, Montana, or Blue Moon) is a patience game where the entire 52-card deck is dealt face-up in four rows of 13 cards. The four Aces are then removed, creating four gaps (empty spaces). Players shift cards into these gaps according to the placement rule, trying to arrange all four rows into ordered sequences by suit.

The game appears on Pagat's Gaps page and is well-documented as one of the most intellectually demanding patience variants, combining spatial thinking with long-range planning.

Gaps Solitaire Setup

Cards needed: One standard 52-card deck.

Initial deal:

1. Deal all 52 cards face-up in 4 rows of 13 cards each
2. Remove the four Aces from wherever they appear, creating four gaps (empty spaces)
3. The remaining 48 cards stay in their positions
4. The 4 gaps are distributed across the rows wherever the Aces were

Goal: Arrange each row so that it runs 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K — all in the same suit — from left to right. Each row will end with a gap (since there are 4 rows × 13 cards but only 12 usable cards per row after the Aces are removed, leaving one gap per row).

How to Play Gaps Solitaire

The placement rule: A card can be moved into a gap if the card immediately to the left of that gap is the same suit and exactly one rank lower.

Examples:

• If the gap has a 5 of Spades to its left, you can move any 6 of Spades into that gap
• If the gap is at the far left of a row (first position), you can move any 2 into that gap (any suit)
• If the gap has a King to its left, nothing can fill it — Kings are the highest rank and no card is higher

Kings block gaps: When a King is to the left of a gap, that gap is "dead" — nothing can legally fill it. This is a significant constraint, and managing King positions is a major strategic challenge.

Moving cards: Any card on the layout (not already in a completed sequence) can be moved into a legal gap. The card's original position becomes a new gap.

Completed sequences: Cards that are in the correct position in a completed sequence (correctly placed in their suit row from 2 through King or as far as the sequence goes) are considered "frozen" — they cannot be moved.

Redeals in Gaps Solitaire

When no more legal moves are possible, use the redeal:

1. Collect all cards that are NOT in a completed left-to-right sequence at the start of their row
2. Shuffle these cards
3. Redeal them into the non-completed positions
4. Remove any Aces that reappear in the redeal (they create new gaps)

Standard rules: 2 redeals allowed (3 total passes). Some variants allow only 1 redeal.

Gaps Solitaire Strategy

Prioritize row starts: The leftmost gap in each row can receive any 2. Getting the correct suit's 2 into the leftmost position "anchors" that row's sequence. Prioritize placing 2s at row starts whenever possible.

Avoid King traps: If a King is placed in a row such that a gap falls to its right, that gap becomes permanently dead. This reduces your available gaps and dramatically lowers your chances. Try to position Kings at the far right of rows (their natural end position) or in the middle of rows only when a subsequent move will unlock the gap.

Think in chains: Every card you move creates a new gap at its source. That new gap may enable another move. Think "if I move the 7 of Hearts here, the gap at position X then has a 6 of Hearts to its left — that enables the 7 of Clubs move" etc.

Save redeals: Don't give up and redeal the moment you get stuck. Carefully check for any remaining legal moves — sometimes a non-obvious move remains. Each redeal randomizes the non-placed cards, introducing new uncertainty.

Maximize locked sequences before redealing: Before a redeal, push as many cards as possible into their correct positions. Cards in completed sequences are preserved across redeals — every card you lock in before the redeal stays locked.

Gaps vs. Other Arrangement Games

| Feature | Gaps | Klondike | FreeCell | |---------|------|----------|---------| | Layout type | Flat grid | Tableau columns | Tableau columns | | Information | Complete (all visible) | Partial (hidden cards) | Complete | | Movement rule | Left-neighbor constraint | Alternating color, descending | Single card, any legal spot | | Win rate | ~20–30% | ~15–25% | ~99% | | Skill type | Spatial planning | Probability + sequencing | Pure logic |

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you win Gaps solitaire?

You win Gaps solitaire when each of the four rows is arranged in a complete suit sequence from 2 through King, with one gap remaining at the right end of each row. The gap at the end serves as the placeholder for the removed Ace (which would be at the far right in a full A-2-3...K sequence, but Aces aren't placed in standard Gaps).

What happens when a King blocks a gap in Gaps solitaire?

When a King is immediately to the left of a gap, nothing can fill that gap — no card ranks above King. The gap becomes unusable until a redeal. This is called a "dead gap" or "King trap." Avoiding King traps (by placing Kings at the right end of rows) is a central strategic concern.

How many redeals are allowed in Gaps solitaire?

Standard Gaps solitaire allows 2 redeals (3 passes through the deck). Each redeal shuffles and redeals the cards not yet in completed sequences, preserving what's already locked. Some variations allow only 1 redeal (2 total passes), which significantly reduces win rate.

Is Gaps solitaire the same as Montana solitaire?

Yes. Montana, Spaces, and Blue Moon are all names for essentially the same game with minor rule variations (mostly around how redeals work and whether partial sequences are preserved). Pagat.com lists them together as variants of the same game family.

What is the win rate for Gaps solitaire?

With optimal play and 2 redeals, the estimated win rate is approximately 20–30%. The game is genuinely difficult because King trap avoidance requires long-range planning, and the redeal introduces randomness that can undo carefully planned positions.

For other spatially interesting patience games, see our Calculation Solitaire guide and solitaire game variations overview.