Here is why you should probably pull off a standard deck and play a TriPeaks Solitaire card game.
Solitaire is generally a game of skill, patience, and luck. If you lack any of these traits, you’re in for a long ride. That said, people have invented enough Solitaire variations to eliminate the inherent difficulty embedded in the game. One of the easier Solitaire variants you can play is called TriPeaks Solitaire. With a typical 52-card deck and some extra floor or table space, you’ll be ready to play this game in no time. (If you don’t have physical playing cards, you can also play online.)
Today, we will primarily discuss how playing TriPeaks has wonderful mental and physical benefits. But before that, let’s briefly review TriPeaks’ objectives and gameplay.
How to Play TriPeaks Solitaire
This Solitaire variant is called “TriPeaks” because there are three peaks (pyramids) in the layout of the tableau. The game begins with the three pyramids overlapping. Each peak has four rows and a total of 28 cards.
Start by placing three cards into different piles to build your peaks or mountain ranges. These cards will connect to one another at their bases. Only the 10 cards in the last row start face-up. The rest of the cards make up the “Stock” pile.
The objective of Tripeaks Solitaire is to transfer every playing card from the peaks or pyramids to the “Waste” pile. This can be done by revealing cards from the peaks that are one number above or below the present card in the “Waste” pile.
Imagine this possible gameplay scenario:
- Suppose you take a card from the stock, flips it up, and it’s a 3 (regardless of suit). That 3-card is now transferred to the stock.
- Among the face-up cards in the last row of the tableau, the only legal card you can put above the 3 is either a 2 or a 4.
- Players have no other restrictions as long as the card being moved is one lower or higher in value. Thus, if the current card is an Ace, you can continue the order with a King, and so forth.
- Once you move the cards bordering a card, you can legally turn it over. Conversely, any pinned or bordered cards cannot be moved.
- Flip a new card from the “Stock” pile when you’ve exhausted your stock of playable cards. There is no limit to the number of times you can perform this. However, if you’ve exhausted your “Stock” deck, you’ll only be reshuffling cards repeatedly. Keep in mind that some online versions do not allow you to do this, and it’s possible to lose the game.
- If you have transferred all of the cards in the peaks to the “Waste” pile, it’s considered a win. You may also use a scoring system in case you want to see who performs better among your friends. The number of cards left after completing a game decides your score. Scores are assigned one point for each card. To win this game, you should have a zero score, meaning you should have no cards left where the pyramids were.
Benefits Of Playing TriPeaks Solitaire
Playing cards has long been entrenched as a pastime for many people in millennia. The physical and mental benefits, however, may not be so obvious. Regardless, it’s not too late to incorporate playing Solitaire to delay the inevitable, that is, to ward off the effects of chronic stress and other health problems.
- It provides the ideal “alone” time.
A little alone time is vital for anyone’s mental health. According to research, the ability to withstand alone time is associated with enhanced contentment, better life satisfaction, and better stress management. People who spend time alone are less depressed.
A vacation to Hawaii or a South African safari could have been the perfect “me time,” but sadly, it’s not realistic for many of us. Pulling up a deck of cards, however, makes the most sense. The simplicity of TriPeaks’ rules and gameplay, paired with the low mental work required, creates the ideal environment for players to disengage from the outside world.
- It enhances mental skills.
Playing TriPeaks can be likened to working out with lighter weights for an hour daily. You may not readily discern the difference it does to your physique, but your muscles will be more defined and sculpted if you consistently do it.
Likewise, playing TriPeaks Solitaire is considered a light mental activity, and research shows it puts players in a moderate meditative state. This allows you to improve analytical skills since you must carefully analyze and map out a strategy for your next move. By executing these simple tasks all at once with consistency, the players’ mental skills will noticeably increase as they perform them faster each time.
- It improves motor skills.
Whether we like it or not, our fine motor skills decline as we age. But you can always do something to delay these recessions, and one of those things is playing card games like TriPeaks Solitaire.
Playing card games necessitates the use of fine motor abilities such as grabbing, holding, and even setting cards down in an organized manner. These abilities can be difficult for elderly players, but doing something they enjoy while learning these talents can be highly beneficial.
- It imparts valuable life lessons.
Have you ever done something that could have been completely prevented if you just had more patience? We have all been there and done that. TriPeaks Solitaire is not a magic pill that suddenly turns you into someone you are not. Instead, it makes you a better person by teaching you essential traits such as being patient. This game trains you to stand your position and wait rather than act rashly, so you can reap more benefits later.
- It is fun and entertaining.
Despite being a one-player game, something about outdoing yourself breeds satisfaction. Card games like TriPeaks Solitaire keep you entertained without making you feel frustrated or defeated. This can be attributed to the fact that getting it wrong does not always imply losing the game.
Conclusion
There is a reason why Solitaire has been so popular since the 1800s and probably the game with the most variants. Even without the backing of science, card players may have readily felt the positive effects it had on them. Fast forward centuries later, and the same is true, only with better anecdotal evidence and scientific research. For that reason, you should probably include a session or two of TriPeaks Solitaire after a rough day.