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HOW TO PLAY THE CARD GAME GAPS

(1 deck)

Deal out the whole deck face up, in 4 rows of 13 cards each. Pick out the four Aces and discard them, thereby leaving gaps in the rows. Examine the card at the left of each gap. The next-higher card of the same suit may be moved into the gap. For example, if the 8 of diamonds is at the left of a gap, it may be filled by the 9 of diamonds. Moving the 9 of diamonds leaves a gap which you may then fill in the same way with the card next higher than the card at the left of the gap.

Whenever a gap is created at the left end of a row, fill it with any 2 you please.

To Win the Game you must get all four suits in order, one on each row, from 2 to K going left to right.

When a King lies at the left of a gap, that gap is dead— you cannot fill it. Usually all four gaps become dead after some play. Then gather up all the cards except the Aces and the cards which are in proper sequence with a 2 at the left end of a row. Shuffle the cards well and deal them again so as to re-make the 4 rows of 13, but leave a gap in each row just to right of the cards that were not gathered up. That allows you to bring one additional card into its proper place on each row, to start you on a new series of plays.

When play again becomes blocked, gather and redeal the cards in the same way. You are allowed three deals in all.

Make the most of what choice you have in play. Choice often arises in the order of moving cards, and in the selection of a 2 to fill a left-end gap. It is surprising how often a good choice will open up many more plays than a poor choice.

Related terms include rook card game and fantasy card game.