Puzzle 128 - Kings and Queens


 On a table, three normal playing cards are placed face down. To the right of a king, there is a queen or queens. To the left of a queen there is a queen or queens. To the left of a heart, there is a spade or spades. To the right of a spade, there is a spade or spades. 

Which three cards are on the table?

(Borrowed from the book "The colossal book of short puzzles and problems" by Martin Gardner) 

The first rule says that there is one king. Second rule says that there are two queens. (KQQ,QKQ) Third rule says that there is a heart and a spade. And the fourth rule says that there are two spades. (HSS,SHS,SSH)
So the four possibilities are  
KS, QS, QH
KS, QH, QS
QS, KS, QH
QS, KH, QS
The fourth is an impossible option as there can't be two queen of spades in a deck. So the three possible answers are 
  • King of spades, Queen of Spades and Queen of hearts
  • King of spades, Queen of hearts and queen of spades
  • Queen of spades, king of spades and queen of hearts. 
  

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