Click two cards of the same rank that touch (side by
side, one above the other, or corner to corner) to remove them. Then
click Close up & deal: the cards slide together,
left to right and row by row, and new cards fill the gaps. Remove all
52 cards to win.
Stock: 27 · Pairs removed: 0 of 26
How to play Monte Carlo Solitaire
Monte Carlo is a pairing solitaire played on a 5×5 grid of 25 cards. You remove two cards of the same rank when they touch, then close up the gaps and deal fresh cards from the stock into the empty spots at the end. You win when all 52 cards are gone. Suit plays no part, there is no time limit and every move can be undone.
The rules in short
One 52-card deck: 25 cards face up in five rows of five, the other 27 face down in the stock.
Select two cards of the same rank that touch: side by side, one above the other, or corner to corner. Both are removed. Suits don't matter, so the 7 of hearts pairs with the 7 of clubs.
Cards at the end of one row do not touch the start of the next row. Only the eight cards around a card are its neighbours.
Select Close up & deal when you are ready. The cards left on the grid slide together in reading order, left to right and row by row, so all the gaps end up at the bottom; the stock then fills those spots. Once the stock is empty, the gaps simply stay at the end.
The game ends when no two touching cards share a rank and there is nothing to close up. You win by removing all 26 pairs; otherwise the cards still in play are your score, and fewer is better.
Tips
Before you take a pair, look at what it does to the order. Closing up moves every later card back by the gaps in front of it, so cards that were far apart can end up touching. Taking a different pair first can put two separated cards side by side.
If a rank appears three times close together, think about which two to take. The third card stays behind, and you want it next to a card it can pair with after the close-up, not stranded in a corner.
You don't have to close up as soon as you see a gap. Remove every pair you are happy with first, then close up once. Use Hint if you're unsure: it shows a pair, or tells you to close up when no pairs are left.
Questions
What are the odds of winning Monte Carlo?
Luck decides a lot, because you can't see the stock. When we let this board's own Hint play 2,000 deals on its own, always taking the first pair it found, it cleared about 3 deals in 10. Choosing pairs with the close-up in mind can do better, and Undo lets you try another order when a deal goes wrong.
Do the cards have to be next to each other in a straight line?
No. Diagonals count too, so each card can have up to eight neighbours: the cards to its left and right, above and below, and at its four corners. Cards on the edge have fewer. The last card of a row and the first card of the next row are not neighbours, even though they follow each other when the grid closes up.
Why is closing up a separate button?
That is how the classic game is played: you take your pairs first, then gather the cards together and deal. Keeping it as a button lets you plan, and it lets you undo a close-up if the new cards came out badly. When there are no pairs left but there are gaps, Hint points to the button.
How is Monte Carlo different from Pyramid or Aces Up?
Pyramid also removes cards in pairs, but its pairs add up to 13 and the cards must be uncovered. Aces Up discards single cards by suit from four piles. In Monte Carlo the only thing that matters is rank and position: the two cards must match and touch. Monte Carlo is also known as Weddings or Good Neighbours.
Can I make the cards bigger, and is there sound?
Yes. The A− to A+++ buttons set the card size from 90% to 200%; the default size fits the whole grid on a phone, and your choice is saved. Sound is off until you switch it on with the Sound button; then soft tones play for each move.