Play Four of a Kind Solitaire Online for Free (All Fours Patience)
Four of a Kind is the outlier in the clock-family cluster because it does not follow a single chain. Instead, it cycles through piles in order, which turns a brutally low-win mechanic into one of the easiest automatic solitaires in the whole family.
Why Four of a Kind feels different
Most shuttling games live or die on one continuous reveal path. Four of a Kind breaks that pattern. You visit pile 1, then pile 2, then pile 3, and keep cycling whether or not the last move was helpful. That single rules change is why the win rate is so much higher than Clock or Travellers.
How the sequential cycle works
- Deal 52 cards face-down into 13 piles of four, arranged in a 2x5 plus 1x3 grid.
- Number the piles 1 through 13, Ace through King.
- Flip the top card of pile 1 and move it under the pile matching its rank.
- Move to pile 2 next, then pile 3, and continue in numeric order.
- Skip any pile that is already complete with four correct cards.
- After pile 13, return to pile 1 and keep cycling until every pile is complete.
Rules and setup
| Element | Detail |
|---|---|
| Deck | Standard 52 cards |
| Layout | 13 piles in a rectangular grid |
| Starting point | Pile 1, the Ace pile |
| Card flow | Sequential pile visits instead of a single chain |
| King rule | Kings simply belong to pile 13 |
| Win condition | Four cards of the correct rank in every pile |
| Player decisions | None after the deal |
Difficulty and win rate
Four of a Kind is easy by shuttler standards. The sequential pass keeps every pile in circulation, so one awkward card cannot terminate the whole deal the way a fourth King can in Clock.
The estimated win rate is about 95%. It is a great fit if you enjoy automatic patience games but do not want a near-certain loss.
What is the difference between Four of a Kind and Clock Solitaire?
The important difference is not cosmetic. Clock uses chain shuttling, so one blocked path can end the run immediately. Four of a Kind keeps moving through the whole grid in order, which is why the games sit at opposite ends of the family on win probability.
| Feature | Four of a Kind | Clock |
|---|---|---|
| Layout | Rectangular grid | Clock-face circle |
| Card flow | Sequential pile cycling | Continuous chain shuttling |
| King handling | Normal rank pile | Centre pile stopper |
| Failure mode | Rare unresolved loops | Fourth King ends play |
| Win rate | About 95% | About 7.69% |
Background
Four of a Kind appeared in Foster's Hoyle in 1897 and is also listed as All Fours Patience. Its historical role inside the family is simple: it shows what happens when you keep the shuttling idea but remove the fragile one-chain structure.
Why I come back to Four of a Kind
I come back to Four of a Kind because it is the easiest game in this family to relax into. The sequence keeps moving, and bad turns do not feel final right away.
The downside is that it does not hit as hard as Clock. Clock gives you sharper endings, while Four of a Kind is steadier and less memorable.
Other solitaire games I recommend
If you want a harsher version of the same family, try Clock Solitaire. If you want another tough branch with a different opening, try Hide and Seek.