Idiot / Aces High
A simple elimination solitaire also known as Aces Up in some circles.
Setup
Deal four cards face-up.
How to Play
- Discard lower cards of a suit when multiple cards of that suit are showing.
- Deal four more cards when stuck.
- Use empty spaces to move exposed cards.
How to Win
End with only aces if fortune and choices cooperate.
Fast enough to play several deals and chase a cleaner finish.
Is Idiot / Aces High Right for You?
Idiot, often called Aces High, is a quick single-player patience game where you deal four piles and try to clear the deck down to just the four aces. It is an ideal solo time-filler when you have a real deck and a couple of minutes.
Maybe skip it if: If you want a patience game with deep decisions, this is mostly luck with only occasional real choices.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Forgetting you only compare the top cards of the four piles; you discard lower cards of a matching suit before moving cards into gaps.
- Leaving a column empty when you should slide a top card over to expose what is buried beneath it.
Strategy Tips
- Always fill an empty column from another pile's top card to dig down and free trapped cards.
- When two top cards share a suit, discard the lower one promptly so the higher card can keep working for you.
Popular Variations
Deal four vs deal one
The standard game deals four cards at a time across the piles; a slower variant deals one card per pile per pass, giving you more frequent decision points.
Our Take
We think of Idiot as the coin-flip of solitaire games: it is fast, mostly fated, and oddly satisfying when the aces line up. It will not test your brain like Klondike, but it is a fine way to kill five idle minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you win at Idiot?
Work through the whole deck until only the four aces remain as the top cards of your four piles.
Is Idiot the same as Aces High?
Yes, Aces High is the same single-player game; the goal is to discard everything except the four aces.