Barely coherent ramblings about Poker Squares

 When I was writing up Solatro, I figured there had to already be ways to play Poker solitaire. And the first thing that popped up when I started poking around was Poker Squares. Also known as Poker Solitaire and Poker Patience. I am willing to bet that there are other games that use those names as well.

Basic idea: deal out cards in a 5 x 5 grid. Try to make the best hand possible you can with each column and row.

The game dates back to at least 1949. I understand that there have been many computer versions of it, including one by Sega. In other words, the game isn’t that obscure. It’s just obscure in the circles I run in.

Other tidbits that I find interesting. I have also seen that it can be played on a smaller grid with people just writing in notation, which definitely saves space. And I have read that it can be played as a multiplayer solitaire.

And that last bit really interests me. Before looking at Poker Squares, the earliest multiplayer solitaire I was familiar with was Take It Easy from 1983. It certainly has done a lot to popularize the mechanic. And, obviously, Poker Squares can be played that way.

What I wonder, and reading those 1949 rules might answer it, did people play Poker Squares as a multiplayer solitaire before 1983? Wouldn’t surprise me if they did. And if you were just writing down card names in a grid, you’d only need one deck of cards.

Now, it goes without saying, Poker Squares really reminded me of Wurfel Bingo. Now it’s from 2007 but I learned it in 2011 so a long time before I discovered Poker Squares existed. In fact, a friend of mine at the time came up with the Poker Squares as a card variant with none of knowing he’d reinvented the wheel :D

And, honestly, I prefer Wurfel Bingo. With just two dice and the bell shaped curve of the odds, it feels cleaner to me. But that’s me. Cards gave their own odds and appeal and I can see how that would work better for some folks.

I also learned that Cribbage Squares exist. I haven’t actually played cribbage and I don’t think playing Cribbage Squares would teach me how to play. Still curious about it.