Canfield (solitaire)

This article is about the British game, Demon, called Canfield in the US. For the US game known as Canfield in Britain, see Klondike (solitaire).
Canfield
A Patience game
OriginEngland
Alternative namesDemon
Named variantsChameleon, Rainbow, Selective Canfield, Storehouse, Superior Canfield
TypeReserved packer
FamilyDemon
DeckSingle 52-card
Odds of winning1 in 30[1]

Canfield (US) or Demon (UK) is a patience or solitaire card game with a very low probability of winning. It is an English game first called Demon Patience and described as "the best game for one pack that has yet been invented". It was popularised in the United States in the early 20th century as a result of a story that casino owner Richard A. Canfield had turned it into a gambling game,[2][3] although it may actually have been Klondike and not Demon that was played at his casino.[4] As a result, it became known as Canfield in the United States, while continuing to be called Demon Patience in the United Kingdom and elsewhere.[5] It is closely related to Klondike, and is one of the most popular games of its type.[6]

  1. ^ Morehead & Mott-Smith (2001), p. 25.
  2. ^ Craze (1995), p.137.
  3. ^ Bathe (2004), p. 10.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Keller was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Little Giant Encyclopedia of Games for One or Two (1998), p. 32.
  6. ^ Kansil (1999), p.307