Bowling Solitaire

Full rules

1. Overview
2. Card values
3. Setup
4. Knocking down pins
5. Bowling a frame
6. Scoring
7. Strategy tips

Overview

Bowling Solitaire is an ingenious card game for one player designed by the legendary game designer Sid Sackson and first published in his 1969 book A Gamut of Games. Using just 20 cards from a standard deck, it simulates ten-pin bowling with remarkable tactical depth and authentic scoring.

You play through ten frames, aiming to knock down triangular pin layouts by matching ball cards to individual pins or adjacent combinations. Clear all ten pins with your first roll for a strike, or mop up the rest with your second roll for a spare. A perfect game scores 300 points.

• Players: 1
• You need: 20 cards (Ace through 10 of any two suits, for example all Hearts and Spades). Paper and pencil to keep score across ten frames.

Card values

Only the numbers matter; suits have no gameplay effect:

• Ace: 1
• 2 to 9: Face value (2 to 9)
• 10: 0 (or 10)

Setup

For each frame, shuffle all 20 cards and deal:

1. The pins (10 cards): Deal ten cards face up into a triangular formation representing bowling pins: - Row 4 (back row): 4 cards - Row 3: 3 cards (the middle card is the centre pin) - Row 2: 2 cards - Row 1 (front): 1 card (the headpin, closest to the bowler)
2. The bowling balls (10 cards): Deal the remaining ten cards face down into three separate piles: - Pile 1: 5 cards - Pile 2: 3 cards - Pile 3: 2 cards
3. Flip the top card of each ball pile face up.

Knocking down pins

On each turn, you choose one face-up ball card from the top of any pile to knock down pins. The ball card and the pin cards it downs are removed from play:

• Single pin: The ball card's number must match the pin's number exactly (for example, a 6 takes a 6; a 10 takes a 10).
• Two or three pins: You may remove two or three mutually adjacent pins if their numbers sum to a total whose last digit equals the ball card's number (the sum modulo 10). For example, a 7 ball card can knock down an adjacent 3 and 4 (3 + 4 = 7), an adjacent 8 and 9 (8 + 9 = 17), or an adjacent 1, 2 and 4 (1 + 2 + 4 = 7). A 10 (value 0) can take an adjacent 3 and 7 (3 + 7 = 10), or 4, 1 and 5 (4 + 1 + 5 = 10).

Two pins are adjacent if their cards touch horizontally or diagonally in the triangle.

Special restrictions

1. First shot restriction: On the very first play of a frame, you cannot take any pin from the back row (Row 4), and you cannot take the centre pin (middle of Row 3) by itself. (You may take the centre pin on the first play only if it is part of a combination with an adjacent pin from Row 2).
2. Chain restriction: After the first play in a frame, every subsequent play with a ball card must take at least one pin adjacent to an already-cleared space. You must bowl into the opening you have made.

When you use a ball card, turn over the next card of that pile (if any remain).

Bowling a frame

Each frame gives you up to two "balls" (bowling rolls):

Ball 1 (First roll)

Play visible ball cards one after another to knock down pins as long as you have legal moves and wish to continue.

• Strike (X): If you clear all ten pins during Ball 1, you have bowled a strike! The frame ends immediately. Record an X on your scoresheet.

Ball 2 (Second roll)

If you cannot make any more plays on Ball 1, or if you choose to stop to preserve better combinations:

1. Burn the top cards: Remove and discard the current face-up card from all three ball piles (or whatever piles still have cards).
2. Reveal new cards: Turn the next card face up on each remaining pile. Any pile that has run out of cards stays empty.
3. Continue bowling: Use the newly revealed ball cards under the same rules (every play must still touch a cleared pin space).

• Spare (/): If you clear all remaining pins during Ball 2, you have bowled a spare! Record a / on your scoresheet.
• Open frame: If you run out of moves or cards on Ball 2 with pins still standing, the frame is open. Count the total number of pins knocked down (0 to 9) and record that number for the frame.

Scoring

A game consists of ten frames, scored exactly like standard ten-pin bowling:

• Open frame: Scores the number of pins knocked down in that frame.
• Spare (/): Scores 10 points plus the number of pins knocked down on the next single roll (the first ball of the following frame).
• Strike (X): Scores 10 points plus the number of pins knocked down on the next two rolls. If followed by another strike, it adds 10 from the next frame plus the first roll of the frame after that.
• Tenth frame: If you bowl a strike in the 10th frame, you receive two bonus balls (deal fresh pins and balls as needed) to complete your score. If you bowl a spare in the 10th frame, you receive one bonus ball.
• Maximum score: 300 points (12 consecutive strikes: a perfect game).

After each frame, gather all 20 cards, shuffle thoroughly, and deal the pins and ball piles afresh for the next frame.

Strategy tips

• Clear the headpin early: The front pin (Row 1) touches both Row 2 pins, opening up diagonal lanes into the heart of the triangle.
• Save key sums: Look ahead at the ball piles. If you see a card that can clear a tricky corner pin (such as a 7 or 10 on the back row), leave an adjacent route open so you can reach it.
• Know when to stop Ball 1: If your exposed ball cards cannot make an effective multi-pin clear, stopping early and burning top cards may reveal the exact numbers you need to clean up a spare.