In solitaire as in life, you are likely to lose more often than you win. In my solitaire game. I win about 11% of the games that I play. Given that I have absolutely no control over the cards that I’m dealt, that’s pretty good. Its been pretty consistent for the past six months that I’ve had this game, so this is pretty much what I look for.
While I don’t win every game, I enter each as if I will win. The wins that I do score come from following a few basic guidelines.
1.) You have no control over the cards that are dealt to you. Play them as best you can. If you don’t win the hand don’t lose sleep over it, just shuffle the deck and re-deal a new hand. In solitaire as in life, it doesn’t pay to dwell on a bad hand. Don’t curse your bad luck, just reshuffle the deck and deal a new hand. Sooner or later you will win if you keep your eyes open.
2.) Stay alert and be aware of the cards that you can’t use as you deal each pass. Just because you didn’t draw the card you wanted this round, if you have a play, it will will likely come around the next time. By being aware of what’s out there you can be better prepared when it does come around. Same thing applies in life and business. While I have no control over the economy or the world in general, if I am aware of my surroundings and environment, I’ll be better prepared to capitalize on an opportunity when it suddenly appears.
3.) Be patient. This draws directly on staying aware of the cards in your deck. Sometimes, it pays to wait for the right card, even if you have one that works now. If you know what’s coming up in the next round, you can be in a better position in the long run. The very best hitters in baseball hit perhaps .300. How, by controlling the strike zone, being patient and knowing when and where to swing to make the best contact.
4.) Fold when it’s obvious the hand you have been dealt are not going to pan out. You know the situation, you’ve gone through the deck three times and can’t find a play. It’s not gonna happen after 4, 5 or 6 either. There’s no play. Cut your losses and move on to the next game.
5.) Take your time, the idea is to play the game as fully as possible. How many times have you missed a great play because you jump so quickly to the next turn of the deck. Getting to the end of a dead end game faster isn’t nearly as fun as winning a game because you were aware of every available play.
6.) Finally be consistent in how you play the game and learn from those that came before you. My great grandmother at 90+ had become a solitaire master. She taught me a few basic things about the game that help me when I need to make a tough choice. Here is Gram’s fundamental rule of solitaire. If you have a choice of two cards to move, take the nearest card. If both cards are of equal distance, take the card on the right.
I don’t know why it works, I just know that it works out far more often than not. Bottom line, when it works stick with it. When it doesn’t move on. Fortunately the masters among us are more than willing to share what they know. Take the time to listen and you greatly increase your learning curve.