Uncle William's Solitaire

I've been wanting to share this two-deck solitaire for a while, just because it's a good way to relax at the end of the day. I learned it from my best friend, Cathy (accidentally called her my cousin in the video below!) who learned it from her cousin, the daughter of Cathy's great-uncle William. Uncle William was a physician, and every night he would play this game, perhaps to unwind -- his daughter remembers falling asleep to the sound of the cards slapping the table. 

Unlike the solitaire games played on computer/online that take the tedium of laying the cards out of our hands, here it's part of the fun -- getting the right numbered card on the right pile is its own pleasure and reward (you may notice that I miss a six of clubs on the six pile in the video -- I was moving fast for the sake of the video being shorter, and that six didn't register!) 

Uncle William's Solitaire is probably the neatest solitaire I know, and I'm not sure how well-known it might be -- perhaps Cathy and her family are the only people on earth who know how to play it. I've shared it with a few in my family, and now I share it with you, just because I don't want it to be lost in the mists of antiquity. It's rare that all the cards come up in the right order for all eight suits, but it does happen, I promise.

Find yourself two decks of cards, and play for yourself. It's a great way to relax, but be warned... it can be addictive!