Three Blind Mice Solitaire

What is Three Blind Mice?

Three Blind Mice is a ten-column variant in the Scorpion family. Like Scorpion and Wasp, it uses same-suit group moves and a completion goal of assembling four King-to-Ace same-suit runs in the tableau. The key difference is scale: Three Blind Mice uses ten columns instead of seven, giving more room to maneuver but also requiring the same four suit runs across a wider, more complex tableau. The name references the three-card reserve, dealt one to each of three columns to continue play when stuck.

Full rules

The 52-card deck is dealt face-up into ten columns (varying counts per column). Three cards remain as a reserve, dealt one to each of three designated columns when the player chooses. Any face-up card moves along with all cards above it, provided the destination is one rank higher and the same suit. Empty columns accept only a King or King-headed group. Complete all four K–A same-suit runs in the tableau to win.

How it differs from Scorpion and Wasp

Scorpion uses seven columns with empty columns accepting only Kings. Wasp uses seven columns with empty columns accepting any card. Three Blind Mice uses ten columns with the same King-only empty column rule as Scorpion.

The ten-column layout changes the strategic calculus. More columns mean more suit-run candidates in play simultaneously, which can lead to more cross-suit contamination if moves are not evaluated carefully. On the other hand, the extra columns give more staging room for large suit-separation operations.

Read the Three Blind Mice strategy guide →

Suit contamination at larger scale

With ten columns and four suit runs to assemble, the risk of suit contamination — placing a card of one suit on top of a different-suit card — is higher than in Scorpion. More columns mean more possible moves per turn, which means more opportunities to make a legally valid but strategically harmful cross-suit placement.

The standard Scorpion principle applies: before every move, ask which suit run it serves and whether it creates any cross-suit dependency. Moves that cannot answer the first question positively should be deferred.

Scorpion family variants

• Scorpion — seven columns; empty columns accept only Kings
• Wasp — seven columns; empty columns accept any card
• Yukon — alternating-color group moves; foundations instead of in-tableau runs

Related games and reference

• Three Blind Mice strategy guide
• Scorpion strategy guide
• Solitaire glossary
• All solitaire games