Gaps Solitaire

Gaps solitaire — also known as Montana, Spaces, Blue Moon, and Addiction in some digital versions — is one of the most puzzle-like games in the solitaire family. Where most solitaire games feel like card management, Gaps feels like solving a sliding tile puzzle, with suits and ranks adding logical constraint.

The setup is striking. Fifty-two cards are laid out in four rows of thirteen, then all four Aces are removed, leaving four gaps scattered across the grid. These gaps are the engine of the game. A card can slide into a gap only if the card to the gap's left is one rank lower and the same suit — so if the 5 of Hearts is left of a gap, only the 6 of Hearts may fill it. Only 2s may fill leftmost-position gaps, since each row must start with a 2 and build rightward to the King.

The puzzle feeling is immediate. Players scan the four gaps and the cards that could fill each one, then decide which placement advances the most rows at once. A good move slides the 6 of Clubs into a gap, which reveals a new gap perfectly positioned for the 7 of Clubs. The chain of consequences from a single move gives Gaps a rhythm unlike any other solitaire game.

When progress stalls — and it will — the redeal offers a second chance. Cards not yet in their correct position are gathered, reshuffled, and redealt into the empty spaces, leaving correct sequences intact. A redeal might improve the position dramatically, or it might scatter hard-won sequences and force you to rebuild.

Gaps rewards systematic thinkers who enjoy constraint-based puzzles. If you enjoy sliding puzzles or logic grids, Gaps is the solitaire game that comes closest to that experience while remaining a card game at heart.

1. Shuffle a standard 52-card deck and deal all 52 cards face-up in four rows of 13 cards each. Remove all four Aces from the layout, creating four gaps. These gaps may appear anywhere in the rows.
2. A card may fill a gap only if the card immediately to the left of the gap is the same suit and one rank lower. For example, if the 7 of Diamonds is left of a gap, only the 8 of Diamonds may fill it. The leftmost position of each row has a special rule: only a 2 of any suit may fill a leftmost gap, since each row must start with a 2.
3. Kings cannot move into a gap. A gap to the right of a King is a dead gap — it cannot be filled under normal rules. Dead gaps are resolved during the redeal.
4. Move cards one at a time into valid gaps. Each move creates a new gap where the card came from. Build four rows, each starting with a 2 and continuing in ascending rank within the same suit: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K.
5. When no more valid moves exist, perform a redeal: collect all cards not in their correct position, shuffle them, and redeal into the vacated positions. Set the four Aces aside again to create four new gaps. You may redeal up to two more times (three redeals total, including the initial deal). The game is won when all four rows are completed in suit sequence from 2 to King.

Gaps appears in card game literature under its Montana name from the mid-20th century, though the sliding-gap mechanic likely predates formal documentation. The game belongs to a small family of solitaire games that use empty spaces as movement tools rather than storage — a design approach that creates distinctive puzzle-like gameplay.

The name Montana evokes the wide-open spaces of the American West — a poetic description of the empty grid positions that make the game possible. Blue Moon and Spaces are more literal names used in British patience collections. The name Addiction, used in some digital versions, reflects players' reported tendency to play compulsively in pursuit of the satisfying resolved layout.

Digital versions of Gaps became popular in the early 2000s when puzzle-game audiences discovered its sliding-puzzle mechanics. Several dedicated Gaps/Montana apps reached significant download numbers in the mid-2010s, particularly among players who preferred logic-puzzle aesthetics over card-matching gameplay. The game remains a staple in comprehensive solitaire collections and is often cited by enthusiasts as an underappreciated gem.

• Place 2s first. A row without a 2 at the left edge cannot be built at all. Before other moves, survey how many 2s are already in leftmost positions and plan how to move the remaining 2s there using the available gaps.
• Extend existing sequences. When choosing which card to move, prefer moves that continue an existing run. An isolated card in the middle of a row contributes nothing until the sequence builds from the left to reach it.
• Avoid dead gaps. A gap to the right of a King cannot be filled. Each dead gap wastes a redeal opportunity. Maneuver Kings toward the right side of rows, where they belong as the final card in each completed sequence.
• Maximize locked cards before each redeal. Cards in correct position are preserved across a redeal. Make a few more moves to lock in additional correct cards before redrawing — this compresses the remaining puzzle.
• Conserve redeals. Using a redeal too early wastes the chance to find moves the current position still contains. Save redeals for genuine stalemates.