How to play Aces Up
Aces Up, also called Idiot’s Delight, is a one-player solitaire game played with a standard 52-card deck. You deal four piles and discard any top card when another pile shows a higher card of the same suit. You win by clearing all 48 cards except the four aces.
- Players
- 1 (solitaire)
- Deck
- One standard 52-card deck, aces high
- Deals
- 12 deals of four cards from the stock
- Goal
- Discard everything except the four aces
Setup
Deal four cards face up in a row, one per pile. The rest of the deck is the stock. Aces are high, so an ace can never be discarded.
How to play
- Only the top card of each pile counts.
- Discard a top card if another pile’s top card has the same suit and a higher rank. A 5 of hearts goes when another pile shows a higher heart.
- If a pile is empty, move the top card from a pile with two or more cards into it. A pile’s only card can’t be moved.
- When you’re out of moves, deal one card from the stock onto each pile. You can deal any time.
Winning
You win when you’ve cleared 48 cards, leaving only the four aces. If the stock is empty and nothing else can move, the game is over. Your score is the number of cards you cleared.
Playing it in Deckhand
Aces Up is one of Deckhand’s solo games, so there is no lobby: the cards are dealt as soon as you start. Tap a top card to discard it. To fill an empty pile, tap a top card and then the empty pile. Tap the stock to deal. When nothing can move and the stock is empty, the game ends with “No moves” and shows how many cards you cleared.
Deckhand is free on the App Store and Google Play. One phone starts a table and everyone else joins with the code, so nobody needs a physical deck.
FAQ
Is Aces Up the same as Idiot’s Delight?
Yes. Idiot’s Delight is another name for Aces Up.
Can you discard an ace in Aces Up?
No. Aces are high, so no card of the same suit can ever beat one. The four aces are what’s left when you win.
What goes in an empty pile in Aces Up?
The top card of any pile that has two or more cards. Moving a card into the empty pile uncovers the card under it, which can set up the next discard.
How many times do you deal in Aces Up?
12 times. After the first four cards are laid out, the stock holds 48 cards, and each deal puts one card on each of the four piles.