Whether you prefer realistic bowling games or arcade fun, we have the perfect game for you. Play on lifelike levels with accurate physics, or bowl outside in exotic environments! You can play in the snow, on special ice courses, or even on lawns! Bowling is an original solitaire game designed by Warren Schwader. A similar version of the game was included in the Hoyle Solitaire collection in 1988 (also designed by Warren Schwader.) Solitaire Network's version of Bowling Solitaire has been improved from the original! Bowling Solitaire follows the same format as a game of tenpin bowling. Players will play ten frames, bowling up to two balls in each frame, attempting to knock over as many pins as possible. After the completion of a frame, the score is tallied and all the cards are re-shuffled in order to set up the ten pins and ball decks anew. Strike Solitaire 2 is a unique fusion of bowling and solitaire set in a lush country hotel. Featuring 120 levels of entertaining gameplay, unique gold card-pins that add exciting variety to the game, a fun, jaunty soundtrack and gorgeous, bright, sun-drenced graphics, Strike Solitaire 2 is sure to appeal to fans of both solitaire and bowling!

Goal

Try to fill in all 10 spaces (pins) on each of the 10 shuffles (frames) to score 150 points or more.

The Deal

Using one deck, cards are automatically dealt one at a time to the single Discard Pile.

The 10 Pins

Move the card next to the Stock to one of the 10 'Pin' spaces. Each pin may hold only one card.

To place a card on a Pin, the rank of the card must be equal to or higher than all cards on lower numbered pins. See the screenshot above for the Pin numbers.

For example, if there is a 7 on the 5-Pin, then you may only play cards equal to or lower than a 7 on Pins 1 through 4. Similarly, only cards equal to or higher than a 7 may be played on Pins 6 through 10.

It is not necessary, and usually not desirable to match the card rank to the Pin number. Also, it is not necessary to place sequential ranks on sequential Pin numbers. There may be gaps in rank from one Pin to the next (see screenshot below.)

Ball 1 and Ball 2 Columns

When it is impossible to place a card because it doesn't follow the rules set out above, you must place the card in the Ball 1 or Ball 2 Columns. You are allowed to place up to 3 cards in each Ball. (Cards are always placed into Ball 1 before Ball 2.)

If you fill up all 10 Pins before missing 3 times, you earn a Strike. If you don't get a Strike but are able to fill up all 10 Pins before missing 6 times, you get a Spare. Otherwise, you have an Open Frame and the frame ends.

Scoring

The scoring for Bowling Solitaire is identical to the way real bowling is scored, however, it is not necessary to know how Bowling is scored in order to enjoy Bowling Solitaire. Just remember that a Strike is better than a Spare, and a Spare is better than an Open Frame.

A Strike scores 10 points plus the actual number of pins knocked over on the next 2 balls thrown. For example, if the next 2 balls are a 7 and 2, the the Strike scores 19. If the next 2 balls are another Strike and a 9, then the first Strike scores 29.

A Spare scores 10 points plus the actual number of pins knocked over on the next 1 ball thrown. For example, if the next ball is an 8 then the Spare scores 18. If the next ball thrown is a Strike then the Spare scores 20.

When there is an Open frame (no Spare or Strike) then the total pins knocked down for both balls are scored.

Since a Strike and Spare cannot be scored until more balls have been thrown, the latest Frame will not show an accumulated score until more balls are thrown. In the 10th frame, you may have to bowl extra frames in order to satisfy the scoring requirements for Strikes and Spares.

Scoring Example

1st Frame

The Strike in the 1st frame could not be scored until 2 more balls were thrown. The Strike in the 2nd frame only required 1 Ball to be thrown and so we still could not score the 1st frame yet. Finally, in the 3rd frame we have the 2nd Ball needed to score the Strike in the 1st frame. So the 1st frame scores 10 for it's own Strike, plus 10 for the Strike in the 2nd Frame, plus 7 for the 1st ball in the 3rd frame or 27 points.

2nd Frame

The Strike in the second frame can be scored as soon as the 3rd frame is over since 2 balls were thrown in the 3rd frame. It scores 10 for the Strike, plus 7 for the next ball plus 1 more for the next ball after that, or 18 points. When 18 is added to the 1st frame we have 45 points total in the 2nd frame.

3rd Frame

Since no Strike or Spare was thrown in the 3rd frame, it can be scored right away. 8 points are added to the previous total for a new total score of 53 in the 3rd frame.

4th Frame

The Spare in the 4th frame requires 1 more ball to be thrown before it can be scored. The first ball in the next frame knocked down 9 pins and so the Spare in Frame 4 scores 10 for the Spare plus 9 more for the first ball in Frame 5 for 19 more points.

10th Frame

There is a Spare in the 10th Frame. Since Spares cannot be scored until one more ball is thrown, one extra ball must be thrown in order to arrive at a score for the 10th Frame.

Strategy

In the example below, a 2 must be played. To follow the rules, it must be placed before the 4 onto either Pin 1 or 2.

It is better to place the 2 on the 1-Pin. That way, any of three different cards will work for the 2-Pin (a 2, 3, or 4 may then go there.) If you place the 2 on the 2-Pin, then only an Ace or another 2 may be placed on the 1-Pin. So you've increased your odds by playing the 2 on the 1-Pin.

Game Notes

Bowling is an original solitaire game designed by Warren Schwader. A similar version of the game was included in the Hoyle Solitaire collection in 1988 (also designed by Warren Schwader.) Solitaire Network's version of Bowling Solitaire has been improved from the original!

Bowling Solitaire Card Game

Another solitaire game called 'Bowling' was created by Sid Sackson in the 1970's. It is a completely different game using rules that are not at all similar to Bowling solitaire on Solitaire Network. The wikipedia page and other references on the internet do a poor job of differentiating these two very different solitaire games. The only things they have in common is that both games are solitaire games and both are bowling themed.

OBJECTIVE OF ELEVENS: The objective of this game is to use all of the cards in the deck to create pairs that add up to 11 in total.
NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 1+
NUMBER OF CARDS: A standard 52-card deck.
RANK OF CARDS: Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, All royals are removed together as a trio to create their “pair”.
TYPE OF GAME: Puzzle
AUDIENCE: Solo players, family, friends

HOW TO PLAY ELEVENS

The Deal

Shuffle your cards and deal three rows of three cards each. All 9 of these cards should be facing upwards so that they are visible. The remaining cards become the Deck for the duration of the game.

Elevens is extremely similar to Bowling Solitaire, except that the layout is a little different and the goal is to make matching pairs that add up to 11 rather than adding matching pairs up to 10.
Empty spaces in the 9-card formation are automatically filled by placing a card from the Deck in the free space. Once you run out of cards in the Deck, do not fill the empty spaces in the card formation with any other cards.
To play this game, look at your 9-card formation and see if any cards can be matched that add up to 11 in total. If you have a matching pair that can create this sum, then you may remove them from place. Once you’ve done so, remember to fill in the gaps left by these two cards with two cards from the Deck.
Only cards in the 9-card formation are available to play with, and you may not build any cards on top of each other during the game. Cards cannot be removed from the Deck unless they are being placed in the table layout, and you should not look at the cards in the Deck before moving them into play. They must remain unknown until they are flipped over to be placed in the 9-card formation.
The ranking of cards matches their face value i.e. the two of clubs is equal to two. Aces hold a value of one and Jacks, Queens, and Kings equal eleven only when they are removed together. For example, if you have a Jack and King on your board you can’t remove either until a Queen appears. Once all three cards are present on the board they can be removed together to make “11”. They are the only cards in the game that are moved as a trio, rather than being matched as a pair.

HOW TO WIN:

To win at a round of Elevens, you must remove absolutely all cards from play – including those from the Deck. Once you have matched all cards in the Deck, then you have won the round.
It is possible to play this game with more than one player. To do so, you could create a scoring system by having each player keep their matched pairs and making each set worth 1 point. The player with the highest number of points would win the game. Typically, this is a solo player game, but it’s extremely easy to make into a family-friendly or party game.

SIMILAR GAMES

There are a few games that are quite similar to Elevens.

Bowling Solitaire Card Game

Suit Elevens – is a variation of this game where you can only match a pair of cards that are the same suit.
Tens – allows you to remove cards from play that add up to 10. It’s similar to Bowling Solitaire and Simple Pairs.
Fourteen Out – is a game where you match pairs of cards which add up to 14.

Bowling Solitaire Game

OTHER NAMES

This game is also known as “Block Eleven” and “Number Eleven”.