Algerian (card game)
playing card game
Algerian or Algerian Patience is a unique and difficult patience or card solitaire using two decks of playing cards. The object of the game is to build 8 foundations down from King to Ace or up from Ace to King in suit.
History
Algerian is first recorded by "Tarbart" in 1905; subsequent sources are few and far between, although Parlett includes it in his 1979 anthology.
Rules
The following rules are based on "Tarbart" supplemented by Parlett where he differs:
Algerian has a tableau comprising a row of eight depots (positions for placing cards). In addition there is a reserve of six reserve piles of four cards each. Tarbart places them in two columns of three piles to the left and right of the tableau; Parlett is unspecific. Above the tableau row is another row of eight foundations.
Only the topmost cards from the reserve and tableau piles are available for play. These "exposed cards" may be moved to the foundations or onto other depots in the tableau, but not to reserve piles. Cards may only be moved singly and not in sequences.
“Algerian (card game)” enters the record as playing card game. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Algerian, card and game can confirm, complicate or overturn.
Why this record matters
“Algerian (card game)” is worth following because a concise public description often conceals a longer documentary argument. Here, Algerian, card and game provides the most credible route into that argument.
Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated Oct 13, 2025. The linked authority identifier is Q17042252. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1905 and 1979.
Overview language is designed for orientation and should not be treated as a substitute for the evidence cited beneath it. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Algerian (card game)”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Algerian (card game) primary sources, Algerian (card game) archive and Algerian research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Algerian (card game)”?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
- Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Algerian (card game)” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.