I’ve never really noticed anyone playing solitaire in movies before—I always thought it was just something you played on the computer! So, I’m not sure about the exact solitaire variations they’re using, but seeing all this talk about card games reminds me of a game I’ve been into lately called euchre. It’s got a bit of strategy and is pretty quick to play.
I’m not sure there’s any variants to the Solitaire game, I imagine it’s a pretty straightforward game people played throughout the centuries.
The only card game that was an integral part of the Old West from what I’ve heard and read was Faro. Faro was super popular especially in the late 1870’s through early 1890’s and was the favorite game of figures like Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday. It was also the first cheat proof game thanks to the dealing method; the current game Baccarat has a similar dealing style to Faro.
By the time Bugsy Siegel came up with Las Vegas, Faro was a forgotten about game as it favored the players over the house, which the bosses don’t want to happen too often.