[1] It is considered to be representative of the "fan" family of solitaire card games, and has a pleasing layout.

[3][4] Other common names and closely related variants include The Fan, Clover Leaves, Three Shuffles and a Draw, Alexander the Great, Trefoil, and Midnight Oil.

La Belle Lucie is "a classic patience game"[6] that was first published in the English language by Lady Adelaide Cadogan in 1870.

Shamrocks is a closely related variant that limits building in the tableau to three cards per fan.

Since all cards are visible after the deal, the basic strategy is to think before doing moves.