Solitaire · Reviewed 2026-10-18
Montana card game: players, deck & rules
Move single cards into gaps until each row runs in one suit from two through king.
Version used: Solitaire Till Dawn Montana; at most two redeals
- Players
- 1
- Deck
- 52 cards; no jokers
- Learning
- Moderate
Build four suit sequences from 2 through K, with a gap at the right of each row.
Need a term explained? Suit, rank, trick, trump and meld.
Create four rows and four gaps
- Shuffle and lay all 52 cards face up in four rows of 13. Remove the four aces, leaving four gaps.
Move one card into a gap
- A card may fill a gap only when it is the same suit as the card immediately left and one rank higher.
- Only a two can fill a gap in the first column. A gap after a king or after another gap cannot be filled.
Redeal when blocked
Keep each correctly placed suit sequence that starts with a two at the far left. Gather and shuffle the other cards, then refill each unfinished row with a gap immediately after its kept sequence. Use at most two redeals.
Win or stop
You win with all four rows ordered 2 through K and their gaps at the right. If blocked after the second redeal, the attempt is lost. There is no separate point score in this version.
Worked example
A gap lies immediately after 9♠. Only 10♠ can move there. Moving Q♠ because it has the right suit would skip a rank. If the first row starts 2♥ 3♥ 4♥ before a wrong card, those first three cards stay through a redeal.
Look beyond the card you move
Before filling a gap, find where its card will come from. That move creates a new gap in the card’s old position, which may open another useful move or strand space behind a king. Trace that next gap before committing.
Rule sources and version notes
Rules checked on 2026-10-18. The named version above is the one taught here. Examples and learning suggestions are written for this guide.