Split Aces

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compiled by Michael Keller, based on earlier lists by Dave Ringand Wilson Callan.
Copyright ©2010 by Michael Keller. All rights reserved.
This page was revised on May 19, 2010.
Here are a number of lists (from various sources) of hard FreeCell deals, and a couple oflists of easy ones (all numbers refer to the deal numbering scheme used by MicrosoftFreeCell, FreeCell Pro, and several other programs):
(1) Dave Ring's original list of hard deals from the Internet FreeCell Project (Solutionsto 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.

(2) Rated list of the Internet Project deals attempted by Gary K. Fromm.
1 try: 178, 2350, 2577, 2607, 2670, 2772, 3772, 5374, 5548, 5557, 6343, 6745, 6751, 6768,7600, 8749, 9250, 9617, 11409, 11677, 14965, 14977, 15099, 15133, 15164, 15238, 15746,16191, 17277, 17524, 17768, 18992, 19484, 20055, 20715, 20912, 21051, 21185, 25123, 25155,26694, 24063, 24457, 25790, 26421, 26693, 26694, 30000, 30108, 31918
2 tries: 169, 3285, 3801, 5482, 6673, 7160, 8005, 8323, 8820, 13015, 14051, 14676, 15023,16575, 21785, 21896, 24549, 26093, 29704, 30712, 31044, 31729
3 tries: 7700, 8534, 8678, 9538, 11281, 15227, 17764, 26183, 26197, 26576, 31266
4 tries: 12313, 16576, 18623, 21278, 21899
6 tries: 3342, 5490, 22332
7 tries: 3349, 8652, 9385, 26369, 29345
8 tries: 31647
9 tries: 9700, 25602
10 tries: 29198
11 tries: 25995
12 tries: 19633, 20589
13 tries: 25450
14 tries: 12211
15 tries: 7107, 8591, 11386
19 tries: 25856
(3) Adrian's list and strategy:
Difficult hands according to Adrian Ettlinger: 285, 335, 339, 463, 665, 737, 1136, 1483,1567, 1617, 1651, 2793, 2884, 3232, 3285, 3289, 3496, 3685, 3699, 4054, 4368, 4467, 4855,4941, 5087, 5222, 5514, 5624, 5964, 6053, 6501, 6607, 6834, 7303, 7346, 8182, 8436, 8591,8710, 8742, 9102, 9718, 10660, 10692, 10714, 10955, 12330, 12795, 13304, 20418, 26693
Very difficult: 454, 661, 718, 1941, 6182
'As to strategy, here's what I might say: Don't dive into posting aces immediately,but concentrate on all the moves that get the columns in order. This usually will exposeaces unexpectedly. Try to empty out at least one column. Never, unless absolutelynecessary, leave less than two open spaces (free cells plus empty columns) unless you cansee your way out of it.'
(4) Windows 95 for Dummies: 285, 27006, 31465
31465 was also one of the last to be solved in the Internet Project.
(5) requests on rec.games.playing-cards:
169, 178, 617, 718, 865, 901, 7107, 20581, 24165, 31235, 31465
on other newsgroups and elsewhere on the Internet:
277, 617, 949, 3467, 3631, 5468, 6182, 7305, 10316, 11819, 11944, 17426, 19287, 19590,26576, 27542, 29596, 31302
(5a) direct requests to Wilson Callan or Michael Keller (495) -- some of these are in the catalog:
24, 48, 57, 63, 69, 72, 86, 89, 92, 96, 114, 123, 124, 170, 178, 187, 190, 194, 205, 208,221, 237, 245, 261, 285, 315, 322, 328, 330, 336, 421, 445, 451, 463, 469, 495, 512, 518,527, 530, 579, 590, 598, 602, 612, 617, 638, 661, 665, 666, 669, 693, 694, 699, 716, 723,728, 736, 749, 752, 770, 792, 798, 804, 828, 829, 833, 846, 868, 871, 877, 912, 915, 932,949, 988, 992, 1020, 1066, 1072, 1113, 1136, 1165, 1180, 1189, 1256, 1263, 1285, 1288,1317, 1365, 1381, 1388, 1445, 1450, 1495, 1506, 1515, 1520, 1522, 1526, 1567, 1599, 1617,1632, 1635, 1637, 1647, 1651, 1652, 1656, 1673, 1676, 1689, 1691, 1734, 1767, 1857, 1924,1941, 1953, 1976, 2048, 2075, 2081, 2082, 2172, 2240, 2241, 2261, 2264, 2277, 2288, 2301,2364, 2416, 2456, 2481, 2558, 2578, 2801, 2821, 2884, 2902, 2911, 2971, 2977, 3015, 3099,3112, 3130, 3152, 3188, 3199, 3289, 3294, 3350, 3426, 3467, 3469, 3476, 3496, 3635, 3637,3699, 3900, 3901, 3925, 3975, 4023, 4034, 4074, 4089, 4118, 4267, 4321, 4420, 4538, 4603,4609, 4813, 4891, 4950, 5087, 5100, 5157, 5225, 5265, 5463, 5514, 5588, 5629, 5714, 5727,5766, 5851, 5979, 6056, 6182, 6185, 6218, 6240, 6247, 6275, 6281, 6415, 6460, 6492, 6498,6581, 6611, 6693, 6775, 6781, 6821, 6834, 6918, 7000, 7107, 7202, 7259, 7301, 7303, 7305,7339, 7346, 7354, 7382, 7385, 7660, 7941, 8122, 8168, 8182, 8377, 8390, 8413, 8431, 8454,8481, 8517, 8566, 8591, 8613, 8618, 8732, 8742, 8811, 8866, 8950, 9000, 9182, 9282, 9444,9457, 9508, 9550, 9555, 9718, 9764, 9784, 9787, 9790, 9877, 9888, 10178, 10191, 10414,10509, 10692, 10884, 11027, 11114, 11210, 11218, 11440, 11465, 11767, 11775, 11854, 11944,11967, 12006, 12056, 12158, 12161, 12166, 12286, 12366, 12442, 12467, 12635, 12753, 12773,13228, 13284, 13304, 13324, 13375, 13388, 13414, 13582, 13705, 13717, 13751, 13752, 13925,13926, 13996, 14070, 14078, 14107, 14212, 14316, 14623, 14991, 15051, 15283, 15352, 15396,15481, 15511, 15512, 15546, 15562, 15618, 15679, 15742, 15799, 16129, 16380, 16768, 16839,16845, 16849, 17015, 17021, 17355, 17356, 17467, 17503, 17536, 17680, 17683, 17752, 17803,17976, 17985, 18048, 18118, 18181, 18192, 18446, 18512, 18538, 18600, 18652, 18663, 18685,18712, 18865, 18872, 18906, 19052, 19057, 19070, 19152, 19363, 19552, 19590, 19609, 19837,19880, 20008, 20086, 20112, 20411, 20413, 20489, 20509, 20547, 20703, 20725, 20785, 20808,20810, 20823, 20830, 20865, 20888, 20931, 21042, 21151, 21322, 21365, 21454, 21491, 21587,21948, 22040, 22196, 22369, 22391, 22554, 22661, 22907, 23216, 23219, 23237, 23260, 23424,23494, 23717, 23927, 23990, 24020, 24104, 24105, 24106, 24127, 24341, 24389, 24934, 25246,25293, 25315, 25351, 25424, 25558, 25574, 25613, 25624, 25656, 25775, 25856, 25957, 25964,26048, 26053, 26061, 26194, 26478, 26576, 26693, 26766, 26889, 26903, 26916, 26947, 27117,27201, 27327, 27499, 27545, 27949, 27978, 28016, 28085, 28118, 28149, 28216, 28920, 29007,29048, 29086, 29195, 29230, 29508, 29557, 29564, 29596, 29664, 29691, 29774, 29908, 30057,30256, 30313, 30382, 30556, 30612, 30647, 30728, 30887, 30914, 31087, 31166, 31188, 31404,31465, 31631, 31772, 31938, 31951, 31963
(6) Laura Ross of Omaha, Nebraska played all 32,000 of the original deals, solving all but five of thedeals (8591, the impossible 11982, 13007, 31465, and 31938). She found617 and 1941 the most difficult of those she solved.

I’ve been married for 8 years, I have two brilliant and interesting children, I own two homes, and I work as a technical lead and split my time between the East and West Coasts. For everybody out there with high ACEs, my heart goes out to you. Kerstin Ficker was one of the leaders during the match against Xavier University for having the most aces while serving on Feb. The UC volleyball team lost to hometown rival, Xavier University at Fifth-Third Arena, Feb. Anderson also had a solo block and an assist block. Canedo had a pair of aces and an assist block. Freshman Jordan Jerome (Rawlins, Wyo.) had two kills. Sophomore Heiata Tauota (Nantes, France) had 15 assists, two kills and five aces. Janie Sommer (Maxwell) had 10 assists and an assist block. Freshman libero Eisa Mondragon (Topeka, Kan.) had 15.

NoelDingman of North Creek, New York has played all of the deals from 1 tobeyond 80000, failing to solve only numbers 11982 and 57148.
(7) Two Japanese lists mentioned on HideyukiIchihara's excellent site:
[a] 169, 322, 915, 1941, 7825, 30057, 31729
[b] 1600, 1941
1941 is cited on both lists as well as Adrian's 'very difficult' list: is thisthe hardest solvable hand?
Ichihara's site has a completerecord of his solving efforts (numbers of tries for each deal and solution hints forthe hardest); he has finished the first 32,000 deals.
(8) Michael Keller's rejects from the 2000 he was assigned by Dave Ring -- I didn't solvethese until many months later:
3342, 4074, 4540, 4591, 5490, 6589, 7046, 7047, 7057, 7426, 14051, 14188, 14580, 14759 (21tries), 14762, 14795, 15135, 19410 (24 tries), 19484, 22332, 22369 (22 tries -- last tofall), 22372, 22380, 29154, 29195, 31706, 31729, 31772. Other deals I marked as difficult,or which took a lot of tries: 21491 (26 tries), 29001, and 29198 (about ten tries).
(9) 69 very easy deals: [solvable with zero freecells, moving one card at a time as in standard FreeCell (Use FreeCell Pro to prohibit indirect FreeCell usage)]:
164, 892, 1012, 1081, 1150, 1529, 2508, 2514, 3178, 3225, 3250, 4929, 5055, 5152, 5213,5300, 5814, 5877, 5907, 6749, 6893, 7018, 7058, 7167, 7807, 8355, 8471, 8961, 9998, 10772,11863, 11987, 12392, 12411, 12676, 13214, 13464, 13532, 14014, 14624, 14826, 15140, 15196,17772, 17871, 18026, 18150, 18427, 19951, 20533, 21657, 21900, 22663, 23328, 24176, 24919,25001, 25904, 26719, 27121, 27853, 28856, 30329, 30418, 30584, 30755, 30849, 31185, and31316.

Split Aces Entertainment

Sincethese deals can be solved in standard FreeCell without using anyfreecells, even for momentary storage, they should be very easy tosolve when using the normal four freecells. They are notnecessarily easy to solve without freecells. We are confidentthat this is a comprehensive list: please do not write to me, as dozensof people have done, to tell me of deals we have left off, when theyare actually playing Relaxed FreeCell.
(10) Easy deals: Games #1 through #200 solvable with one freecell(Use FreeCell Pro to prohibit indirect FreeCell usage):
2, 5, 7, 8, 11, 26, 30, 33, 37, 38, 51, 54, 56, 58, 59, 77, 79, 85, 87, 91, 94, 97, 98,99, 103, 104, 105, 109, 113, 116, 134, 144, 150, 151, 155, 163, 164, 166, 173, 179, 180,186, 195, and 198.
(11) 199 hard deals, unsolvable with three freecells:
All of these except for 11982 can be solved with four freecells.
169, 178, 285, 454, 575, 598, 617, 657, 775, 829,
988, 1025, 1136, 1443, 1495, 1661, 1734, 1941, 2081, 2240,
2241, 2563, 2670, 2802, 3015, 3130, 3289, 3685, 3772, 4368,
4609, 4625, 4946, 5157, 5254, 5463, 5707, 5979, 6017, 6139,
6255, 6365, 6498, 6775, 6834, 6918, 7000, 7057, 7107, 7303,
7305, 7477, 7700, 8182, 8454, 8591, 8613, 8820, 8927, 9209,
9278, 9784, 9790, 9877, 10288, 10370, 10692, 11281, 11304, 11819,
11944, 11982, 12006, 12021, 12166, 12319, 12330, 12381, 12753, 12773,
12795, 13007, 13015, 13304, 13388, 13584, 13751, 13867, 13926, 14027,
14070, 14267, 14623, 14904, 15339, 15382, 15512, 15562, 15695, 15704,
15710, 16129, 16202, 16407, 17426, 17467, 17680, 17683, 17736, 17863,
17985, 18118, 18192, 18356, 18600, 18623, 18872, 18947, 19013, 19146,
19590, 19767, 19837, 19880, 20055, 20112, 20418, 20489, 20547, 20581,
20589, 20725, 20737, 20757, 20810, 20830, 21278, 21454, 21491, 21560,
21939, 22177, 22521, 22661, 22907, 23156, 23874, 24104, 24591, 24735,
25014, 25129, 25246, 25315, 25375, 25424, 25450, 25558, 25599, 25602,
25957, 25995, 26061, 26194, 26294, 26576, 26629, 26693, 27040, 27201,
27390, 27938, 28118, 28952, 29230, 29345, 29435, 29462, 29474, 29580,
29596, 29628, 29676, 30057, 30414, 30506, 30663, 30887, 30897, 30952,
31044, 31049, 31302, 31465, 31601, 31631, 31675, 31729, 31945.