Uses one deck of standard playing cards. As in Clock, Aces represent one, Jacks 11, Queens 12, and Kings 13.
Deal out 13 sets of four cards each, in the same configuration as Clock, but all cards are face-up. So, there will be 12 piles forming a circle, each representing an hour on an analog clock, and a thirteenth pile in the center.
Start with the first pile that does not have a top card matching the correct clock hour for that position (normally, this will be the pile at One O' Clock, unless it already is showing an Ace). Remove the top card and put it under the next available plie (normally at Two O' Clock, unless it shows a Two on top). Continue removing the top card of each pile and putting it under the next pile, skipping any piles that already have the correct hour showing. After the pile at the 12 O' Clock position, continue to the pile in the center (unless it has a King on top), and then on to the pile at One O' Clock, etc.
As play progresses, there will tend to be more piles showing the correct hour, which means fewer piles still in play. If you reach a position in which all 13 piles show the correct card on top (as shown above), there will be nowhere to put the most recently removed card. In this case, set that card aside, and collect the top card from all 13 piles, and discard them. Then, put the card that was set aside under the pile that corresponds to the correct hour for that card (or the next available pile if that pile already has a card on top with the same rank), and continue playing as before.
The game is won if you can complete three sets of discards. The odds of winning are only 1-in-107. The remainder of the time you will eventually encounter an endlessly repeating cycle instead.
There is no skill in this game.
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Last modified April 30, 2022
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