Anyone play Freecell?

[crosscountry]

I've been playing it more often lately and been getting better. I know it's an old game, but it requires more thought than Spider (if you want to win) and doesn't take so long that I have to dedicate time to it.

[Doodler]

Every now and again, I brush up on it.

[jkmccrann]

Last time I played it, I bludgeoned the game out of my consciousness and desirability to play area by playing for probably 5-6 hours, and ended up on a 50 game winning streak.

After that, kinda didn't seem much point playing it given I'd figured out how to complete it every time.

[ToSeek]

I used to play it a lot, but my company purged all games from their machines, so that was that. (At home, I've got a Mac - actually, I think I've got freecell on there, too, along with a bunch of other solitaire games, but I've gotten out of the habit of playing computer games, amazingly enough.)

[crosscountry]

Last time I played it, I bludgeoned the game out of my consciousness and desirability to play area by playing for probably 5-6 hours, and ended up on a 50 game winning streak.

After that, kinda didn't seem much point playing it given I'd figured out how to complete it every time.

I lose on occasion, but the blame lies with distractions:D

50 beats my longest streak though by almost double: 28. I can't sit for that long and usually play 1-3 at a time.

[Trebuchet]

I used to play a lot but lately have been playing Spider. I don't really know why -- FreeCell is all skill and thought but Spider is at least 50% luck. I run about 80% wins on FreeCell, longest streak in the mid-twenties. If I lose, I play the same game over and usually win about 60% of those. Very few I don't get on the third try.

I even play FreeCell with real cards from time to time.

I've found a glass or two of wine dramatically decreases my success rate at FreeCell.

[Spacewriter]

Used to. Now I'm hooked on spider solitaire.

[crosscountry]

Spider? I hope everyone tries to win in less than 100 moves... I'm not the only one?

[mugaliens]

The solution to winning all the time is much more difficult than Tic-Tac-Toe, but once I had that, I got bored rather quick. Sounds lik you, JMCCKRANN hit upon a similar or the same approach.

[mercury728]

Hi...My mom originally introduced me to freecell & I now love doing it for the same reasons you stated, it takes more "little grey cells" and don't have to set aside a huge chunk of time to do it. I started a rule for myself, I won't go to a new game until I have won the one I am on, even if I have to restart the game. Do you play on the format where the games are numbered? I think mine is with Windows 2000. Anyway, I have always been able to eventually beat the game, until THIS WEEK!! I have run into a game, #25656 that I haven't beaten yet. Highly unusual. :-)

[crosscountry]

try 310, that's a tough one

http://photos.crosscountryadventures.us/albums/userpics/10001/thumb_freecell.JPG (http://photos.crosscountryadventures.us/albums/userpics/10001/freecell.JPG)

[crosscountry]

try 310, that's a tough one

http://photos.crosscountryadventures.us/albums/userpics/10001/thumb_freecell.JPG (http://photos.crosscountryadventures.us/albums/userpics/10001/freecell.JPG)



oh, and I blew a big winning streak on this one, so I didn't beat it the first time.

[galacsi]

Hi...My mom originally introduced me to freecell & I now love doing it for the same reasons you stated, it takes more "little grey cells" and don't have to set aside a huge chunk of time to do it. I started a rule for myself, I won't go to a new game until I have won the one I am on, even if I have to restart the game. Do you play on the format where the games are numbered? I think mine is with Windows 2000. Anyway, I have always been able to eventually beat the game, until THIS WEEK!! I have run into a game, #25656 that I haven't beaten yet. Highly unusual. :-)
Hi

Are you sure of your number ? Because i did it at the first try and in 2mn no more .
But i know there is one very tough about this number , i dont remember which exactly.

[mercury728]

There must be different numbering systems.....I just did #310 fairly quickly also. It was "unusual" in that all four aces were in the same column. It that the same version as yours? Ironically, #25656 had 3 aces in the same column.

[mercury728]

[QUOTE=crosscountry;884372]try 310, that's a tough one

Our numbering systems must be different, I just did 310 in a fairly short time. Did your #310 have all 4 aces in the same column?

Sorry about the repeat....am new here.

[crosscountry]

no, it was a joke. That one is so easy I try to beat it without putting any cards up in the 4 free cells... haven't done it yet. LOL



I can do it with only putting up cards at the very beginning and only for 2 times of 1 round each. it's that easy.

[galacsi]

There must be different numbering systems.....I just did #310 fairly quickly also. It was "unusual" in that all four aces were in the same column. It that the same version as yours? Ironically, #25656 had 3 aces in the same column.

Yes Crosscountry i think my #310 game was the same as yours 4 as in the same columns , piece of cake.

[mercury728]

At least everyone agrees 310 is a piece of cake...Mmmmmmm. Now, what about 25656? Not quite as sweet or what?

[mercury728]

[
I even play FreeCell with real cards from time to time.

Sounds like fun...and the evil square "Sorry you have no moves left..." would never be present!

[Eta C]

My record winning streak was around 80. Definite time sink.

OK, for a hard one try 6182. I finally solved it after many tries.

[Strider1974]

From Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freecell

When Microsoft FreeCell became very popular during the 1990s it was not clear which of the 32,000 deals in the program were solvable. To clarify the situation, Dave Ring started The Internet FreeCell Project, took on the problem to try to solve all the deals using human solvers. Ring assigned 100 consecutive games chunks across volunteering human solvers and collected the games that they reported to be unsolvable, and assigned them to other people. This project used the power of multiprocessing, where the processors were human brains, to quickly converge on the answer. The project was finished in October 1995, and only one game defied every human player's attempt: #11,982.

(1) Dave Ring's original list of hard deals from the Internet FreeCell Project (solutions to all of these are in the catalog): 169, 178, 258, 454, 617, 718, 1689, 1941, 2021, 2350, 2577, 2607, 2670, 2772, 3285, 3342, 3349, 3685, 3772, 3788, 3801, 3973, 4257, 4368, 4540, 4591, 4714, 4946, 5179, 5374, 5453, 5482, 5490, 5548, 5557, 6343, 6673, 6745, 6751, 6768, 7107, 7160, 7600, 7700, 8005, 8323, 8534, 8591, 8652, 8678, 8749, 8820, 9250, 9385, 9538, 9617, 9700, 10589, 11281, 11386, 11409, 11430, 11677, 11854, 12211, 12313, 13015, 14051, 14188, 14676, 14795, 14879, 14965, 14977, 15023, 15099, 15130, 15133, 15164, 15227, 15238, 15710, 15746, 15905, 15939, 16191, 16575, 16576, 17277, 17524, 17764, 17768, 18623, 18992, 19410, 19484, 19633, 19763, 19861, 20055, 20251, 20589, 20715, 20912, 21051, 21185, 21278, 21785, 21896, 21899, 22332, 24063, 24457, 24549, 24735, 25123, 25155, 25450, 25599, 25602, 25790, 25856, 25995, 26093, 26183, 26197, 26369, 26421, 26576, 26693, 26694, 26710, 27188, 29001, 29154, 29198, 29345, 29704, 30000, 30108, 30394, 30615, 30712, 30801, 31044, 31266, 31465, 31601, 31647, 31729, 31918, 31945.

[mercury728]

Thanks for the great statistics Strider. Can't wait to try some of those! THis thread inspired me, and I just finished winning 25656, which looks easy but is very deceptive.

[Mellow]

Late agree-er here, but 310 piece of cake etc.... 25656 not as difficult as I expected..... but I did play it slowly...... :-)

[crosscountry]

Oh man, 310 was a joke, easiest I ever played!

[Eta C]

Oh explative deleted! I was hoping to get some work done tomorrow. Now I'll have to start working through that list.

[mercury728]

Me too! But I have to start with 6182!

[Ozzy]

I like free cell and spider solitaire. I used to play a game called double deal or double deck but havent been able to find it on the net.

Any suggestions?

[mercury728]

Oh explative deleted! I was hoping to get some work done tomorrow. Now I'll have to start working through that list.

Let's not (work through that list) and say we did!;)

[clyde4s]

I have been a FreeCell fan for years. The best version of it I have found is AcidFreeCell from www.red-mercury.com. I have it on my Treo 650, I don't know what other versions they have. The few times I play the MS Windows version of the game, it seems like absolutely ancient technology when I'm used to the Acid version of it!

My records on this particular piece of hardware, on this day:
Total Win/Loss: 922/17
Win Percentage: 98.18%
Current Win Streak: 139
Best Win Streak: 216
Best Lose Streak: 2
Minutes Played: 9487
Minutes Today: 55
Best Slack Day Hours: 2.95
Fastest Games Seconds: 132
Best Games Total Moves: 85

One of the things I like about this version - other than the great graphics - is the full set of stats, including speed, that it keeps track of. Being on the Palm computer, it is something to do when waiting in offices, or riding the bus or whatever - just to keep the mind busy, of course! It is fun going for speed records on each game, while keeping the Win Percentage acceptable.

[crosscountry]

98% is better than acceptable.


Of course I still have the original stats from when I bought this computer and wasn't as good at Freecell. Lately I've won a lot more than the 80% it says.

[crosscountry]

I'm been playing more these last two days. It seems the semester being out and finals coming up makes me less motivated to do anything.


Anyway. I came across one I consider very difficult: 19146

It took me more than a few tries. Of course I'm more than a little tired. Anyway, good luck.

[galacsi]

I'm been playing more these last two days. It seems the semester being out and finals coming up makes me less motivated to do anything.


Anyway. I came across one I consider very difficult: 19146

It took me more than a few tries. Of course I'm more than a little tired. Anyway, good luck.

Four tries , then victory !

[crosscountry]

28118

I had to play this one in a manner inconsitent with my common winning technique to make it work out. Took me a couple tries.

[crosscountry]

and another. if anyone is still following this thread #23587 took me some reverse thinking to finish.

[crosscountry]

3152 is another

no one is stopping me from posting these, but no one is telling me if I'm the only one who can't figure them out either.

I did beat it though