Napoleon at St Helena

Napoleon at St Helena
Screenshot of a game
Alternative namesBig Forty, Le Cadran, Forty Thieves, Roosevelt at San Juan
Named variantssee article
FamilyNapoleon at St Helena[1]
DeckDouble 52-card
Playing time20 min[2]
Odds of winning1 in 10[2]
This article is about the single-player card game. For the 1929 film, see Napoleon at Saint Helena.

Napoleon at St Helena is a 2-deck patience or solitaire card game for one player. It is quite difficult to win, and luck-of-the-draw is a significant factor. The emperor Napoleon often played patience during his final exile to the island of St Helena, and this is said to be the version he probably played.[3] Along with its variants, it is one of the most popular two-deck patiences or solitaires. The winning chances have been estimated as 1 in 10 games,[4] with success typically dependent on the player's ability to clear one or more columns.[5] The game is the progenitor of a large family of similar games, mostly with variations designed to make it easier to get out.

Alternative names include Le Cadran ("The Dial") and, in the US, Forty Thieves, Big Forty and Roosevelt at San Juan.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Coops was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference MMS was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Kansil (1999), p. 310.
  4. ^ Morehead (2001), p.203.
  5. ^ Galt (1999), p. 83.