Montana – Rules
Play Montana against the computer
1. Quick overview
| Name | Montana (also: Addiction, Gaps, Spaces) |
| Game type | Patience for one person |
| Players | 1 |
| Recommended age | 8 and up |
| Duration | one game 5–15 minutes |
| Material | 52 cards |
| Goal | Arrange each of the four rows in one suit from 2 to King. |
| Difficulty | medium |
What is it about? All cards lie in a grid of four rows. The Aces are removed – you slide fitting cards into the gaps until every row is neatly ordered.
2. Cards and material
- Deck: 52 French cards; the Aces are removed after laying out.
- Ranking: 2, 3 … 10, J, Q, K.
3. Setup and start
- Shuffle and lay out all cards face up in four rows of 13.
- Remove the four Aces – four gaps appear.
4. Goal and winning
- Won: Each row holds one suit from 2 to King in the right order.
- Lost: Nothing works after the last redeal.
5. Play in detail
- A gap may only be filled with the card of the same suit that is exactly one rank higher than the card to the left of the gap.
- Any 2 may go into a gap at the far left.
- A gap to the right of a King stays blocked.
- Redeal: When stuck, the cards lying in correct order from the left of each row stay put. All others are shuffled and laid out again – with one gap directly after each finished part.
- You may redeal twice.
Example. To the left of a gap lies the 6 of diamonds. The 7 of diamonds belongs in the gap – it leaves a new gap where it was.
6. Scoring
- Won or not; if you like, count the cards in the right place.
7. Special rules and important situations
- All gaps behind Kings: The game is blocked – time to redeal.
- Which suit in which row? The first 2 you place in a row decides.
8. Variants
| Variant | What changes? | For whom? |
|---|---|---|
| Blue Moon | Aces/twos placed at the start of the rows straight away. | Beginners |
| Unlimited redeals | Redeal as often as you like. | Relaxed play |
On cardgames.zone you simply tap the card that fits a gap – or the gap itself if only one card fits. The “Redeal” button shows how many are left.
9. Tips for beginners
- Plan the twos: Prefer placing a 2 in the row where many cards of its suit already lie.
- Avoid Kings: A gap behind a King is lost – fill it before a King slides in front.
- Use chains: Every card you place opens a new gap.
10. Summary in 10 steps
- Shuffle 52 cards.
- Lay out four rows of 13 face up.
- Remove the Aces.
- Into a gap: same suit, one higher than the card on the left.
- Far left: any 2.
- Gap behind a King: blocked.
- No move: redeal.
- Finished parts stay put.
- Two redeals allowed.
- Four rows from 2 to King: won.
11. Frequently asked questions
Why is the game also called Addiction?
Because after one game you usually want to play the next.
Can I move a card to the left?
Only into a gap, and only if it fits the card to its left.
Origin & history
Montana is known under many names – Gaps, Spaces, Addiction. Its origin is unclear. The charm lies in the gaps: instead of piles there is a grid in which the cards move into place square by square.