There won’t be many people who haven’t played the game of solitaire. The popularity this traditional card game has garnered is huge. Whether it is the nostalgia this game brings about or its challenging gameplay – there is something about solitaire that keeps everyone hooked. And with smartphones and online gaming bringing free solitaire apps to everyone’s fingertips, it’s no surprise that this age-old game is played by so many people every day. With online gaming platforms like Solitaire Gold introducing the real money gaming (RMG) format, the popularity of the game just keeps on surging.
If you are new to solitaire or really cannot understand what the fuss is all about or you are a seasoned player who thinks they know everything there is to know about solitaire, keep reading. Here are 5 fascinating facts about solitaire that will leave you amazed.
- Solitaire, the most used Microsoft program, was developed by an intern
The fact that solitaire was forever immortalized by Microsoft by incorporating the game into their Windows 3.0 interface is pretty well known. But did you know that it was an intern who developed this insanely viral game for Microsoft? Wes Cherry developed it while he was interning for Microsoft around 1988. Another fun fact, he developed it in a fit of procrastination while he was supposed to be preparing for his final exams. To think this Microsoft’s most popular application was born out of procrastination! However, a bigger shock is the fact that Wes Cherry never received any royalties for his creation which surpassed the popularity of Microsoft Excel and Word combined.
- Microsoft incorporated solitaire into Windows to teach people how to use the mouse
When Windows 3.0 was introduced in the 1990s, desktop computers were just starting to be introduced to homes and offices. People had nothing to fall back on to learn how to use the computer. One of the reasons for Microsoft to introduce the solitaire game was to help new users learn how to use the mouse and to familiarize them with features like dragging, dropping and the overall graphic interface of a PC. Little did they know their little ‘training module’ was going to catch on like wildfire to the extent of it affecting office productivity in the 90s. From a game introduced to train people to now being played by millions online for entertainment, the evolution of online solitaire is nothing short of amazing.
- Microsoft’s Solitaire has a cheat code
Wes Cherry, the developer of Microsoft Solitaire, says that he introduced a cheat code for the game. When playing Draw Three, holding down Ctrl-Shift-Alt and clicking on the deck will get you one card. This makes most games winnable. What a sleight of hand!
Now there is no room for cheating your way out while playing online solitaire, which is what makes the gameplay more challenging and exciting. When you download solitaire card games from a trusted platform like Solitaire Gold, you can be assured that the only way you will be winning is by using your skills and strategies. With an air-tight fair play policy in place, platforms like Solitaire Gold are the best place to really test out your solitaire skills.
- The odds of winning a solitaire game are 80%
It is interesting to know that till 2019 mathematicians couldn’t calculate the probability of winning a game of solitaire. This surprisingly tricky equation called the ‘embarrassment of mathematics’ was finally solved by a computer program called Solvitaire.
The probability of winning for 45 different versions of the game has finally been deciphered. The most popular format klondike has a success rate of 81.96%. However, players do not win 80% of the games they play, because bad moves make the game unwinnable. Allowing the cards from the last pile to be brought back to the table to produce new moves increases the odds to between 82 and 92 percent. These outcomes are totally dependent on a player’s knowledge of all 52 cards and their locations, which is impossible to know.
- The highest score possible in classic solitaire is 24,113
When you play a game of classic solitaire, every time you add a card to the ace pile, you earn ten points and another five when you move a card to a column. With time bonuses added to games beyond 30 seconds, the highest score you can ever get in classic solitaire is 24,113. Without bonus points, the highest score possible is 745.
Conclusion
Enjoyed these 5 mind-boggling facts about solitaire? This just scratches the surface in terms of the rich history of solitaire. With so many variations of the game in addition to the challenging gameplay, the history of solitaire is truly fascinating. You can download a solitaire app now and enjoy your favorite game of solitaire on your mobile phone.
