Play Demon Solitaire Online - The Canfield Challenge
Demon is the British name for Canfield. It dates from the 1890s. The game uses a 13-card reserve and a random base rank. Those two rules give it a very low win rate. You can play it here for free.
How to Play Demon Solitaire
Goal: move all 52 cards to the four foundations.
The Deal
- Reserve (the demon): 13 cards in one pile. Only the top card shows its face. Only the top card can be played.
- Tableau: four piles of one face-up card.
- Foundations: four piles. One card is dealt to the first foundation at the start.
- Stock: the last 34 cards, face down.
The Base Rank
The card dealt to the first foundation sets the base rank. All four foundations start at that rank. Say the base card is a 9. Then every foundation runs 9, 10, J, Q, K, A, 2, and on to 8. The count wraps from King to Ace.
Rules of Play
- Foundations build up in suit from the base rank. The count wraps.
- The tableau builds down in alternating colours. Red goes on black, black goes on red.
- Tableau building also wraps. A King can sit on an Ace.
- A tableau pile moves as one whole unit. You cannot split it.
- Only the top card of a pile can go to a foundation.
- An empty tableau pile fills itself from the reserve. You do not choose the card.
- Once the reserve is empty, you fill spaces yourself.
- The stock deals three cards at a time to the waste. Only the top waste card is live.
- Redeals are unlimited. Turn the waste over and go again.
Strategy Tips
- Empty the reserve first. This is the main job. Every reserve card you clear buys you freedom later.
- Think before you empty a pile. The reserve refills it at once. You get whatever card is on top.
- Learn the base rank. A high base means you wrap early and reach the low cards fast.
- Move whole piles with care. The pile you leave behind becomes a space, and the reserve fills it.
- Keep the foundations level. Even foundations give you more places to send a card.
- Do not rush the stock. Cards fall in threes, so a hasty pass can bury a card you need.
- Use the redeals. They are free. Most wins need several passes.
Where the Game Comes From
Richard A. Canfield ran a casino in Saratoga Springs, New York. He sold a deck for $52 and paid $5 for each card the player moved to a foundation. Very few players broke even. The house kept the difference.
British players call the game Demon. Americans call it Canfield, after the man who sold it. The rules are the same. Our version uses the name Demon.
Reading the Reserve
The reserve drives the whole game. It refills any tableau pile you empty. So an empty pile is not always good news. Sometimes a weak card in a space is better than the unknown card underneath the reserve.
Watch the reserve count as it drops. Once it hits zero the game changes shape. Now you decide what goes into a space. That freedom is usually the moment a win becomes possible.
Common Mistakes
- Ignoring the reserve. It is the pile that wins or loses the game.
- Sending too much to the foundations. Cards in the tableau give you room to work.
- Forgetting the wrap. Both the foundations and the tableau run past the King.
- Racing through the stock. Plan each pass instead.
Difficulty
Demon is one of the harder one-deck games. Draw three, the deep reserve, and the forced refill all cut your options. Most players win a small share of deals. A win here is worth more than a win at Klondike.
Demon and Canfield
They are the same game under two names. Some sources also list a Canfield with draw one. We deal three, which is the older form and the harder one.
Related Games
- American Toad: two decks, a 20-card reserve, and building in suit.
- Duchess: four small reserve fans, and you pick the base rank yourself.
- Canfield: the American name for this same game.
Questions Players Ask
Why is Demon so hard?
Three rules stack against you. Cards come off the stock in threes. The reserve holds 13 cards you must clear. And empty piles refill on their own, so you rarely control them.
Should I always empty the reserve?
Yes. Clear it as fast as you can. Until it is gone, the reserve chooses what fills your spaces.
What if the base rank is a King?
That is a friendly deal. The foundations run K, A, 2, 3 and up. You wrap at once and the low cards leave the table early.
How many redeals do I get?
As many as you like. When the stock runs out, click it to turn the waste back over.
Can I move part of a tableau pile?
No. The pile travels whole. This is normal in the Canfield family, because each pile is already one run.
How is this different from Klondike?
Klondike has seven tableau piles and always starts the foundations at the Ace. Demon has four piles, a 13-card reserve, and a random base rank. It is the harder game.
Try a deal and see how far you get.