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Clock Solitaire explained: short rounds and the fourth King

How Clock Solitaire works on SolitaireHot — rank piles, reveal chains, and why luck matters more than deep strategy.

Clock Solitaire explained: short rounds and the fourth King
Guides6 min read

Clock Solitaire is a quick reveal puzzle shaped like a clock face. On SolitaireHot it is ideal for short breaks: follow the chain of ranks, watch which piles still hide cards, and hope the fourth King does not end the game too early.

Twelve clock piles around a center King pile
Clock is more about following chains than building foundations.

How a round plays

Cards are dealt into twelve hour piles plus a center. You reveal cards and place them by rank. Tension comes from the Kings in the center — typically the fourth King ends the deal before everything is face up.

What to watch

Track which hour piles still contain face-down cards. There is little “clever” reordering compared with FreeCell; focus and calm tracking matter more than multi-step plans.

Who Clock is for

  • Players who want a two-minute break between harder games.
  • Anyone teaching ranks to newer players.
  • Fans of luck-forward patience without tableau building.
  • People who like SolitaireHot’s Hint/Undo even on simple boards.

Other short games

Try Clock now

Play a Clock round, then explore Monte Carlo for matching or Golf for rank chains.

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