Scorpion – Rules

Play Scorpion against the computer

1. Quick overview

What is it about? Scorpion combines Spider and Yukon: you build down in the same suit, and any face-up card may be moved with everything on top of it. The goal is four complete suit sequences.

2. Cards and material

• Deck: 52 French cards.
• Ranking: A, 2 … 10, J, Q, K.

3. Setup and start

1. Shuffle and lay out seven columns of seven cards.
2. In the first four columns the bottom three cards are face down, all others face up.
3. The remaining three cards form the reserve.

4. Goal and winning

• Won: All four suits lie as King-to-Ace sequences.
• Lost: No move possible.

5. Play in detail

1. Any face-up card may be placed on the top card of a column if that card is the same suit and one rank higher.
2. Everything on top of the moved card moves along.
3. Freed face-down cards are turned up.
4. An empty column only takes a King with its stack.
5. The three reserve cards may be dealt onto the first three columns at any time – at the latest when nothing else works.
6. A complete King-to-Ace sequence in one suit is finished (on cardgames.zone it is removed).

Example. The top of column 5 is the 9 of diamonds. In the middle of column 2 lies the 8 of diamonds – you place it, together with the two cards on top of it, on the 9 of diamonds.

6. Scoring

• Won or not.

7. Special rules and important situations

• Cards from the middle: allowed as long as they are face up.
• Aces: An Ace with nothing on it cannot go anywhere – that is normal, it forms the end of a sequence.

8. Variants

On cardgames.zone you choose easy, medium or hard; solvable deals are dealt whenever the solver finds a way in time.

9. Tips for beginners

1. Free the face-down cards: The first four columns come first.
2. Expose Kings: A King at the bottom of a column is good – it never has to move again.
3. Use the reserve wisely: Deal it when it helps you – not too early.

10. Summary in 10 steps

1. Shuffle 52 cards.
2. Seven columns of seven cards.
3. First four columns: three face-down cards at the bottom.
4. Three cards as the reserve.
5. Build down in the same suit.
6. Any face-up card can be moved with its stack.
7. Turn up face-down cards.
8. Empty columns only for Kings.
9. Reserve onto the first three columns.
10. Four King-to-Ace sequences: won.

11. Frequently asked questions

What is the difference from Spider?

In Scorpion you may move any face-up card with its stack, and there is only one deck.

Is every game solvable?

No, Scorpion is one of the harder patiences.

Origin & history

Scorpion is an English patience from the early 20th century, closely related to Spider and Yukon: you build in suit as in Spider and move whole stacks as in Yukon.