Boardwalk Games Glossary

Boardwalk Solitaire Games -
Concepts and Terms as a Glossary

Everything happens.

In movement, balance may be obtained.

Board: All rows, including the hand. The total playing area.

Starting Five, Starting Nine (The nine): The cards face up at the beginning of the game.

Source Stack: (tableau) A stack location that is dealt and produces flips.

Flip: (Source) A face-up card on a source stack, to be used as source for further play.

Landing: (foundation) A column's scoring, destination location.

Slot: 1) An available, undeclared landing. 2) A slide opening (source slot). 3) A hand card position (hand slot).

The Family Stone: The row 1 stacks. The five columns on the upper walk, named from the left as; Annie, Bobby, Charlie, Deidra and Elsie. Where there is a sixth, it is named Fred.

Stone: (setting stone) A flip which must decidedly file, but which presently cannot, and which has been decidedly chosen by the player to sit atop the source stack where it is, such as to be temporarily held out of the way. Primarily in reference to a full row 1 stack.

Spike: A member of a set of cards on row 3 that cannot flip, since they are the cards required (as flips) to turn themselves over. Where only spikes remain, the player is awarded one point for each of them.

Lead Stack: 1) The upper walk source stack currently being cleared. 2) Single lead, double lead, triple lead: Indicates the number of simultaneous lead stacks.

Lead Trump (Sqatsi, Cheshire) In accordance with the player's current running strategy, this is the face value selected to file next.

Steps: As in 4/4 musical time, a step is one card in a stack, such as on row 1 at the start, or when declaring on row 2. For example, if there is one-of-a-kind on row 2 when declaring there, it is a one-step or single-step. When there are two-of-a-kind, it is a two-step, double-step, or half-step. For three-of-a-kind, it is a three-step, triple-step or short-stack. When there are four-of-a-kind, it is a four-step or whole-step.

Bullpen: The upper walk source stack to follow the current lead stack.

Debris: (dead cards) Unplayable flips, generally where destined for filing and presently blocked.

Posse: An abundance of source cards that will play (primarily of live plays).

Spread: 1) Simple Spread: The number of face values showing thus far (as many as thirteen). 2) Calculated Spread: A calculated figure drawn from the number of face values showing per value-instance depth, as to be taken with the current number of cards showing. "A spread of 12 on 26 up"

Blockade: A set of lower walk columns that are blocked by each other.

Preempting: A play made specifically to avoid the creation of a blockade. For example, where on the lower walk there are Aces and Eights columns, and where the Eights column is blocked by an Ace, and the current lead upper walk source stack is topped by an Ace, one might preempt a blockade by playing the Ace blocking the Eights column first, to avoid an Aces-and-Eights blockade.

Pole Position: The selection amongst a group of live play possibilities that is least likely to produce a blockade. In preempting amidst a posse of live plays on the lower walk, the pole position is firstly the column played to which has the tallest source stack, and secondly (within that target) it is the column played from which has the tallest source stack. Columns with the shortest source stacks are the least likely to become blocked.

Pandora: Where a single lead stack (from row 1) produces cards that will not play live as a result of their collective values. For example. from Annie, a 3 is led to column 2 of the live walk, followed by a 2 and and Ace. Since the 2 will play in the only available slot left of the 3, the Ace to follow will not play live.

Kansas: This is where you land when you play your first point to the last column.

Detroit: (Detroit landing) Coming very close to a winning game, but not quite getting it.

Bottleneck: In the middle of the game there is often a definite bottleneck, where continuing play is most difficult.

Breaking Through: Coming out of a bottleneck, and entering the end game.

End Game: After the bottleneck, where it is often easier to proceed.

Playing Pixies (Pick up sticks) During the end game, this is the matter of sometimes having to clean up the last few cards, so that each ends in just the right place.

Safety: In declaring, setting aside a column for a value that has not yet appeared.

14 Up: As the game matures, where a column has been set aside for a value that has not yet appeared.

Full House: (Row's Garden) 1) Where every column on the lower walk is blocked. 2) Three-of-a-kind and one pair. :-)

In the Weeds: Somewhere in the middle of a game, where it seems that sight of its success is cloudy and distant. In the context of Kansas or Detroit, this is outer Mongolia, the long, dark tunnel, or no end in sight.

Up Cards: Strategy based upon the cards which have been seen.

Down Cards: Strategy based upon the cards which have not been seen (arguably best reserved for the end game).

Up/Down: The number of cards face-up and face-down.

Information: Collectively, that which has been seen.

Playability: The range of motion a player has in directing the course of the game. In the beginning, one has the whole world in front of them, and great playability. At the other end of this spectrum, there is hopscotching through a series of only one or two play-possibilities per play (such as going left versus going right), as most frequently occurring in the game's bottleneck.

Vertical: (Progressive cycling) Tactically progressive cycling through row one stacks without other plays between (pure vertical). Vertical play leans toward the creation of new openings for filing as directly as possible, such as by maintaining a single lead.

Active, Activity: (lateral play) As opposed to vertical, with other plays between. Play shifts from directly cycling through upper walk source stacks to the mixing in of other plays. Greater activity supports the creation of slide openings, and possibly more blocked columns as a result.

Perfect Lead: (Perfect vertical lead) At the beginning of the game, where two row 1 stacks have been cleared to their ends (such as in a double lead), having blocked the entire lower walk. In Hopscotch, this means playing out two row 1 stacks, blocking 8 columns. Where there is a 7-column lower walk, such as in Lucky Seven and Sqatsi, a single flip remains in the completion of a double lead.

Split Walks: (parting of the seas, dead calm seas) A game ending where there are flips and unblocked columns, but nothing available for live play. This end occurs where the only flips showing are all dead, but will not play.

Elf: Fortune, in the form of a card. A card may represent a turnover in one's fortune. Angels and assassins may represent turnovers in the game.

Angel: (good elf) Where only (the remaining instances of) one value will do, it flips.

Assassin: (nasty elf, killer) Where only (the remaining instances of) one value will not do, it flips.

Tossing: (low road) Cannibalizing the board for a greater end point score than what is conceived along a perfect-game path.

Tossing the Hand: (Polluting) The hand is used as a buffer to absorb a motley variety of unplayable cards. The purity of the hand is abandoned in the process.

Tossing the Board: In Sqatsi or Cheshire, declaring on the upper walk in such a way as to preclude the possibility of a perfect ending game. In all variations, declaring the same value on both walks (which is legal).

Saintly Play: (high road) 1) No tossing of points, no tossing of the hand, and God forbid, no tossing of the board... All plays supporting the perfect end game, regardless of the odds against pulling it off. 2) Saintly Consideration: Toward a divergence from a perfect-game path as its own detriment to the future of the game, such as where some of the playable cards become unplayable.

Invert, Inversion (playing up, playing down): Electing to file the face values that are most frequently occurring as opposed to playing them live, or vice versa. For a given game, reversing the tendency in declarations for frequently occurring values from one walk to the other. For example, where it is expected that a player is looking to dig as deeply into the row 3 as possible, to clear row 1 early in the game.

Forced Lead: Where the top card of an upper walk source stack will file on another upper walk column, its lead has been forced.

Cascade, Cascading: Selecting an upper walk source card as eventually filing upon another upper walk column, such that by clearing one column, cards from others will then cascade (or file) upon it. These would also individually be forced leads.

Charging: Tactically directing oneself towards the creation of slide openings. Where row one is abandoned in its entirety, a slide opening is absolutely necessary for a win (The Charge of the Light Brigade).

Peck, Piffling: A strategy that begins and ends in a single play. A nimbly executed play, made presumably for the purpose of gathering information, and which does not contribute to any other (larger) strategy.

Convert, Conversion: (Sqatsi, Cheshire) Converting a hand card (slot) from one capacity to another, such as from trump to power.

Round Robin: Where a hand slot is used to conduct a trump play and a power play in succession, leaving the hand slot unconverted in the end.

Juggling: Making a high trump play that does not produce a flip, and which therefore makes another high trump play available. The card juggled cannot be juggled back into the hand until at least one more flip on the board has occurred.

Loaded for Bear: (Sqatsi, Cheshire) Four trump in the hand. Finesse mixes in activity because you can't see the other side of a four-card shotgun blast, or all of the flips that go with it (collateral damage).

Collateral Damage: Where the immediate goal is to play a set of cards that are seen, the problem of the flips produced by doing so constitute its associated collateral damage.

Occam: A play that would generally be expected next.

Hat Trick: A play that generally would not be expected next.

Hedge, Hedging: In declaring the columns of primarily the lower walk, to maintain a hedge is to maintain that any face-value may still be played (or declared).

Displacement: When one value is declared upon a column, there is the displacement of the undeclared face values, such that no displaced value may go there. Prior to the declaration, there was a possible home for more than one value, but afterwards, there was only one. Values not declared upon the column have been pushed out of it.

Ordered Declarations: Declarations in accordance with a centralized, blind probability-based declaration set. Where there is a seven column lower walk, declaring it as Aces, 3s, 5s, 7s, 9s, Jacks, and Kings, with 2s, 4s, 6s, 8s, 10s, and Queens between the upper walk and the hand. Where there is an eight-column lower walk, declaring it as Aces, 3s, 5s (three of five), 6s and 8s (two of three), and 9s, Jacks and Kings (three of five), and filing 2s, 4s, 7s, 10s and Queens is in accordance.

Corner Cards: On the deal, the primary corner cards are Fours and Tens. On the left, Fours don't align so well with the 2nd or 3rd column, but where declared on the live walk, they will generally have to play to one or the other, establishing a corner for the remaining "boxes for ranks" on either side. For Tens, it is between the 2nd and 3rd columns from right. 2s, 6s, 8s and Qs may function as mini-corner cards (inside and outside corner cards).

Bending the Walks: (Push, pull) Electing to push most of the face values in a specific range directly to one walk. In Sqatsi and Cheshire, Pushing on one walk means pulling on the other, and vice versa.

Blueprinting: (contingencies) Charting potential values for each column (on paper).

Vanishing Point: Consideration towards a point at which farther calculations will be overwhelmed by nearer luck, and therefore as beyond significance.

Lock: (gold) A hand position (hand slot) consumed by a specific card for the remainder of the game for the purpose of scoring a point.

Single Flip Play: A play where one card flips up.

Double Flip Play: A play where two cards flip up. This produces twice as many possibilities and twice as much information as in a single-flip.

Bundling the Walks: (Sqatsi, Cheshire) (banding) Like the band which wraps a bundle of newspapers, first declaring upon the upper walk columns, where the upper walk must be declared in ascending order, and where it is then known as to which side of the declaration, or band, that the value to play to the hand must lie.

Unfolding: Watching the deal turn naturally into its end game, such as where there is the notion of a seeded result played flawlessly to its own end.

Devils: Instances of potentially game-defining matching face-values on row one. Strategically, they may seem nice, because matching values reduce the spread. However, in order to capitalize on this, the player will be forced into a multi-stack lead, and which may be worse. Conversely, turning one devil into a setting stone turns them all into setting stones, and which may also be worse. In either case, for what the player does with one of them, they must do so for all, and as such, its name is its face-value (i.e. conspiring devils).

Four devils as four-of-a-kind (i.e. seen devils) crosses a line into potentially winning results for the player, such as by converting, in time, a four-stack lead into an opening for slides, or by being cascaded into a four-stack lead (weather permitting). Where occurring on and beyond row one, four-of-a-kind is easier for the player to capitalize upon, as if it were downright nice.

Nipping it in the Bud: Anticipating a trend in a game's information at the earliest possible moment. Smelling the flowers along the way, such as to see and incorporate all information that is presently available prior to making the next play.

Snug and Smack: (and snap and easy 52) The cards that need to play might not fit in the playable area. If they do fit, then they're snug. If they don't, then the player might get smacked. The snap is a reference to where the cards do not fit (and the player is being smacked).

The smack is most directly evidenced in Hopscotch, as the player has no hand, which makes the game more unforgiving in the face of a bad card. Smack is an effect of a specific card combination having exceeding what the player would allow, often producing appearances of remarkably bad luck, but which in fact have only themselves exceeded what would have been snug When the deal is more snug than snug it is an easy 52.

Job's Hand: Where when smacked the player experiences a 1 in 20 chance opposing their success, in Job's hand, the player experiences 100 times greater odds against the cards opposing their success, such as by way of a large number of cards positioned ever so precisely in defiance of masterful strategy. Where smack may knock the wind out of a player and their game, Job's Hand may occur where a great deal is known, and it may be infuriating.

Set-Up: Where a player is set up, they are masterfully commanding very nearly every possible eventuality, with great control over the deal. Set up is arguably the necessary precursor to the impact of the likes of smack and Job's hand.

Neti Neti: An ancient philosophy which holds the position that Any concept regarding the truth is how far away from the truth one is. In Boardwalk Solitaire, it is arguable that the randomness of the deal will eventually or inevitably defy any premeditated approach.

Vertigo: Strategic disorientation. A knock-out. A condition characterized by a player with a developed strategy who is making unsound plays. Conceivably, disorientation is made possible by a lack of consistency in the game environment - all elements are transient. Vertigo may be brought about by a bad mix between the player and the deal, but this must be considered as most likely brought on with a player who is inexperienced with the current arrangement, or with the game itself. (Opposite: In the Groove)

Knock-down: Continued play following a perceived strategic error.

Knock-out: (TKO) Continued play following a perceived loss of strategy itself. Does every strategy have a deal that will knock it down? Neti Neti argues that it does.

Give-Me: For a given point in play, the choice considered to be clearly and inarguably the best of all possible choices. A give-me is an inarguable Occam.

Procrastination and Deliberation: Where it seems that any choice the player may make will further reduce their options. Examples of procrastination and deliberation include enjoying the view and balking.

Enjoying the View (gilded cage): This is procrastination, where the player's sense of the current board arrangement is that it has a perfection to it, such that this perfection will be lost if any further play is conducted.

Perfect balance at the present moment would seem to imply that movement can no longer occur. This is the paradox of movement and balance. The big picture has to combine with a continuous stream of plays. First in movement, balance may then be obtained.

Balking: This is deliberation, where the player's sense of the appearance of what must happen next, such as with a give-me or an occam, brings with it a sense of impending doom. To balk is to seek an alternate route.

Jumping: Moving from one Boardwalk variation to another. Jumping may be argued as an insurmountable cause of vertigo, directly pursuant to the jump.

Paradox: Seemingly, the nature of any aspect or approach to these games. Here are some examples:

Shuffling the deck for the purpose of arranging it
Safety Vs 14 Up
Spikes
blockades
The cards don't fit in the playing area.
Vertical Vs activity
Vertical Vs preempting
Tossing Vs saintly play.
A win Vs a perfect game
A premeditated approach Vs a randomized calling
The easier the variation is to play, the harder it is to win.
The more situations you handle, the worse they are that get you.
Hedging Vs Displacement
Ordered Declarations Vs Bending the Walks
Blueprinting Vs the vanishing point
In competition: Honors Vs points
For two players: Playing cooperatively to achieve a win, while withholding hands.
Polyparadox: (The Hand). To hold gold, or to have power. To absorb debris, or try for a perfect game. For each of the four capacities of a hand card, the grass may be greener on the other three sides.

Par: The score of a specific deal of the cards as played using a generic programming algorithm. The par algorithm implements the idea of cycling through every potential path of plays starting with each current play possibility, multiplied by every possible arrangement of cards yet to face. The number of paths ending at each possible ending score for each initial play possibility is then tallied. The highest tally indicates the next play.

Weight: (reference) For a Boardwalk Solitaire game type, the number of cards in the deck minus the par average, or roughly, the ease of winning. From Hopscotch to Lucky Seven to Sqatsi to Cheshire, the weight, or reference continuously decreases.

Count: Akin to weight, but in this case a present positional evaluation within a single game. For example, the number of lower walk columns minus the number of live plays from the upper walk plus the number of filings from the lower walk. (and the following have ranges) minus the size of the next upper walk stack to clear plus the number of cards which can presently be filed.

Beginner: One who has learned how to play.

Intermediate: One who has learned the concepts and terms.

Advanced: When you feel you have been before where you are now, know that you have not, and that there is no such thing as an obvious play. The cards are always random, but your strategies are preconceived. Root your strategy in the random cards, and not the other way around. One may have made plays, but now it is time to play the board. Find harmony and balance in all of the cards that you see... And play.

Master: One who plays consistently well over the course of many rounds.

Corral: The notion of a corralling effect is the notion of a generally fixed scoring potential for a given deal, regardless of how it is legitimately played. This effect is supported by the extent to which a given spread runs throughout a given deal such that it cannot, by variation in strategy, be circumvented.

Bending the Board: Gaining greater points or position than the general probabilities of the deal will allow. This arguably leads more greatly to snap, such as where there is a corral effect.

Master-Random: A winning player with no discernible strategy. The rank of a player for whom all strategy is contained in the cards and not in the player.

Master-Random Play Personality: Unique expression within the range of play possibilities at the master-random level of play.

Lucky Seven for Two: A variation of Lucky Seven for two players, played cooperatively to achieve a win. A lower walk column is taken as the second player's hand, leaving a six-column lower walk. Each player plays in turn, or may say "pass" instead. Neither player may reveal the contents of their hand to the other, with exception to what they will naturally see as taken into the hand from the board when that happens. The game is ended when the players pass consecutively.

Surfing: 1) For the analogy of "staying on top of the wave" during play. When one is nipping it in the bud.

2) Playing off of sets of three deals, where at the start each player sees each deal, or "wave", and then they each pick their favorite one. Any favorites picked are played by all in competition rounds, which then contribute to actual match set scores.

Kingdom: A metaphor for Sqatsi. Two kingdoms are entwined - that of the deal and that of the player. When the game is won, it is the kingdom of the player. Inclusive of the following parts:

Castle Walls: Row one is the wall of the enemy castle, and row two is the wall of the player's castle.
Behind the Lines: Internal organization and enemy resistance on row three. Homesteads being built on row four.
Hand: The King's hand.
Gold: A hand point (lock)
Sword: A hand card that will play the upper walk. (Knight)
Food: A hand card that will play the lower walk. (Civilian)
Splinter: A hand card that will neither score nor play (dead, debris)

Design Goal: To create a game where the boat of all of mindful skill swims in an ocean of infinite possibilities. To create a game where the players will not be able to (absolutely) know if their game-playing results are determined by luck or by skill, and to use it in competition.

Competition Ideas

Leftmost Play Rule: In competition, the purpose of this rule is to help keep players from losing identical paths of play, where variations in strategy have not occurred, and to remove its own set of needlessly random game deviations. Where two or more currently available play options are deemed to be strategically identical in value, if either is to be played then it must be the leftmost of the set, starting with the leftmost source card, then its leftmost destination, and lastly where applicable, the leftmost return card to the hand, amongst options deemed to be strategically identical in value.

Example: With 3 Aces on the deal in Hopscotch, the leftmost must be selected where the player chooses one of the Aces.

A Leftmost Judge is most left, and therefore exercises supreme authority when applying the leftmost play rule to a given set of play options. A player can render an appeal to the Leftmost Judge, but the judge's decision will be final.

Game, Round: (Hand) In competition, each player plays the same deals. For each game played the highest amongst varying scores counts as one win.

Set: Three rounds, scored by highest honors (wins), and a breadwinner (points).

Honor: (Win, Game) In a competition round, one win, a.k.a. honor is awarded for each instance of the highest point score, where scores vary.

Breadwinner: In competition, the player who scores the most points. It is likely that the honors champion will be the breadwinner, but not necessarily so. For example, by way of one win by 25 points, and two losses by 1 point each, honors and points victories will have diverged.

Match A match is first defined as its length in sets. Match sets are then numbered and named inversely, such that for example in a 5-set match, the first set played is the five game set, and the last set played is the one game set. The number in the name is how many more wins a player needs to end the match at the end of the current set (assisting with scoring-system hysteresis).

Any set may end early, by way of a player exceeding its requirements for a win. Where there is no leader by one game after the one game set, then an additional points set can be played, which can be ended by the first win, or at its end by the highest total point score.

PPGs: A series of sets played (by all candidates) for the purpose of establishing tournament-qualifying points-per-game averages, and to produce ranked players.

Deals: 1) Arrangements of the deck. 2) Deals have to be created for competition that meet certain requirements, such as being purely random and secured.

Timeout: There may be a time limit for each play for each player in each game. Each player can start with two red cards and throw one up each time they wish to exercise a timeout. A timeout will stop the clock and allow for additional minutes of deliberation.

Boardwalk Solitaire Games - Concepts and Terms as a Glossary

Competition Ideas

Boardwalk Solitaire Games -
Concepts and Terms as a Glossary