Local man beats FreeCell game

By Tracy Farr
Editor, The Daily Spittoon

It took Michael Ranns 11 years, five months, 37 days, 15 hours, and 29 minutes to do what no other human being has ever done before -- to win all 1 million game variations of FreeCell.

Unfortunately during that 11 years, five months, 37 days, 15 hours and 29 minutes he lost his house, his cars, his wife and his job.

"Some may argue that I lost more than I gained, but I don't agree," Ranns said.  "I've accomplished something that nobody else on this planet has ever tried, and that is something nobody can ever take away from me."

Ranns began his quest to beat FreeCell back in 1997. The game is found on most Windows-based computers.

"I would play FreeCell, solitaire and Hearts just for fun, just to pass the time, but then I noticed how many variations of FreeCell the game offered," Ranns said. "One day I was just curious to see how many of the variations I could play, and that's how it began. I started on game number 1 and kept going until I finished."

Ranns played FreeCell during every free moment that he had, sacrificing time away from family and friends. At first he didn't play it at work, but then the game totally consumed him and he played it whenever nobody else was looking.

"I'd be playing the game and if someone walked by I'd minimize it so they couldn't see what I was doing," Ranns said. "At first everything was okay, but then I started to miss deadlines and my quality of work went downhill. That's how I lost my job."

Deciding to stay home and live off his wife's income, Ranns played FreeCell all day long instead of looking for more work, and that's why his wife left him.

"I should have been doing more around the house, or at least have been looking for a job, but I wasn't," Ranns said. "I don't blame Shirley for leaving me. I had it coming."

Without an income, Ranns soon lost his house, his cars and everything else he owned -- except for his computer.

"I had to keep the computer," he said, "or I would have never beaten the game. And that's what it was all about -- beating the game."

Now that he has played all the variations of FreeCell, Ranns is hoping to put his life back together again. He's starting by looking for a new job.