Play Montana Solitaire (Gaps) Online for Free
What is Montana Solitaire?
Montana, also known as Gaps, Blue Moon, or Spaces, is a single-deck patience game played on a 4-by-13 grid. All 52 cards are dealt face-up in four rows of thirteen. The four Aces are then removed, leaving four gaps. You fill each gap by sliding a card that is one rank higher and the same suit as the card to the left of the gap. The goal is to arrange each row into a complete ascending same-suit run from 2 through King. With two redeals allowed, the win rate is approximately 20 percent.
Montana Solitaire history
Montana appears in patience anthologies from the late 19th century. It gained wider recognition as "Gaps" in digital solitaire collections because the gameplay revolves around the four empty spaces left after removing the Aces. The names Blue Moon and Spaces also appear in various sources. Despite the simple layout, the game is highly strategic because every card is visible and every move shifts a gap to a new position, creating chain-reaction possibilities.
How to play Montana Solitaire
All 52 cards are dealt into a 4-by-13 grid. The four Aces are removed, creating four gaps. Your task is to slide cards into gaps until each row forms a 2-through-King run of a single suit.
- Look for a gap that has a card to its left. The card that can fill that gap must be the same suit and one rank higher than the left neighbor.
- Tap the valid card to select it, then tap the gap to move it. The card slides into the gap, and a new gap opens where the card was.
- A gap in column 0 (the leftmost position) can only be filled by a 2 of any suit, since there is no left neighbor.
- A gap immediately to the right of a King cannot be filled because there is no card one rank higher than King. These gaps are dead ends.
- When no more moves are possible, use a redeal. All cards not locked into valid same-suit ascending runs from the left edge are collected, shuffled, and re-dealt. You get two redeals per game.
Strategies to win Montana Solitaire
- Prioritize placing 2s in column 0. Once a 2 anchors a row, every subsequent same-suit card locks permanently into place, reducing complexity and protecting your progress through redeals.
- Avoid creating dead gaps next to Kings too early. Plan your moves so that gaps end up in useful positions where valid cards can fill them.
- Think several moves ahead. Each card you slide opens a new gap elsewhere, and chaining moves efficiently lets you lock long runs before you run out of options.
- Save your redeals for when you genuinely have no productive moves. The shuffle may or may not improve your position, so exhaust all current options first.
Montana Solitaire rules and objective
Objective: arrange each of the four rows into a 2-through-King ascending run of a single suit. All 52 cards are dealt face-up. Four Aces are removed to create gaps. Fill a gap with the card that is the same suit and one rank higher than the card to its left. A gap at column 0 accepts any 2. A gap next to a King is blocked. Two redeals are allowed; during a redeal, locked runs stay and remaining cards are shuffled.
Game setup
| Element | Setup |
|---|---|
| Deck | 1 standard 52-card deck |
| Layout | 4 rows of 13 cards, all face-up |
| Gaps | 4 gaps created by removing the Aces |
| Fill rule | Same suit, one rank higher than left neighbor |
| Column 0 | Accepts any 2 |
| Blocked gap | Gap to the right of a King or at end of complete run |
| Redeals | 2 allowed; locked runs preserved |
| Win condition | Four complete 2-K same-suit rows |
Montana Solitaire variants and similar games
Some versions of Gaps allow only one redeal, making the game considerably harder. Other variants deal only 48 cards and leave four gaps from the start without removing Aces. FreeCell shares the fully-visible layout concept but uses columns and free cells instead of a grid. King Albert is another open-information game with a different spatial challenge.
How difficult is Montana Solitaire?
Montana is a difficult game. Even with two redeals, the win rate is around 20 percent. The fully visible layout means luck plays almost no role; success depends on careful planning and efficient chain moves. Dead gaps next to Kings can easily stall a game if not managed early.
What is Montana Solitaire win percentage?
Montana wins approximately 20 percent of the time with two redeals and thoughtful play. Without redeals, the win rate drops to around 5 percent. The open layout rewards strong spatial reasoning, but the gap mechanics create many potential dead ends that make consistent winning challenging.
What is the difference between Montana and Gaps Solitaire?
Montana and Gaps are the same game under different names. "Montana" appears in traditional patience books, while "Gaps" became the dominant name in digital card-game collections because the gameplay centers on four empty spaces. Both names refer to the 4-by-13 grid layout with Ace removal, same-suit ascending gap-fill rules, and two redeals. Blue Moon and Spaces are additional alternate names for the same game.
Montana Solitaire FAQ
How many redeals do you get in Montana Solitaire?
Standard Montana allows two redeals. When you redeal, all cards that are not part of a valid same-suit ascending run starting from a 2 in column 0 are collected, shuffled, and re-dealt into the remaining positions. Locked runs stay in place.
Why is the gap next to a King blocked in Montana?
A gap to the right of a King is blocked because no card is one rank higher than King. Since the fill rule requires the same suit and one rank above the left neighbor, there is simply no valid card that can occupy that space. You must work around these dead gaps or use a redeal.
What happens to locked cards during a Montana redeal?
Cards that form a continuous ascending same-suit sequence starting from a 2 in the leftmost column are considered locked. These cards remain in place during a redeal. Only unlocked cards are collected, shuffled, and re-dealt into the available positions.
Can you win Montana Solitaire without using redeals?
It is possible but very rare. Without redeals, the win rate drops to around 5 percent. Most deals require at least one redeal to unlock dead-end positions and rearrange cards that ended up in unworkable configurations after the initial deal.
Is Montana Solitaire the same as Blue Moon Solitaire?
Yes. Blue Moon is another name for the same game. The rules are identical: 4-by-13 grid, Aces removed, fill gaps with same-suit ascending cards, two redeals. The name "Blue Moon" suggests the rarity of winning, which aligns with the game's challenging 20 percent win rate.
Other solitaire games I recommend
- FreeCell - open-information game with free cell buffers
- King Albert Solitaire - fully visible staircase layout with Belgian Reserve
- La Belle Lucie - fan-based patience with limited redeals
- Canfield Solitaire - reserve-based game with wrapping foundations
- Classic Klondike Solitaire - the most popular patience game