Agnes Bernauer

Game Objective:

The primary goal in Agnes Bernauer Solitaire is to move all 52 cards from the tableau and reserve to the four foundation piles, building each foundation up in suit from the designated base card, wrapping from King to Ace if necessary, until each foundation contains 13 cards.

Setup & Layout:

• Deck Used: Standard 52-card deck.
• Tableau: Seven columns are dealt face up in a triangular pattern:
• 1st column: 1 card
• 2nd column: 2 cards
• 3rd column: 3 cards
• …up to the 7th column: 7 cards
• All tableau cards are dealt face up.
• Foundations: Four piles above the tableau. The first foundation pile starts with a single face-up card drawn from the remaining deck (the "base card"). The other three foundations are started as soon as their matching rank appears.
• Reserve: Seven reserve piles, initially empty. As play progresses, cards are dealt face up to each reserve pile from the stock.
• Stock: The remaining undealt cards form the stock, used to replenish the reserve piles.

Agnes Bernauer Solitaire Rules:

• Foundations:
• Build up in suit from the base card (e.g., if the base card is 7, build 7-8-9-10-J-Q-K-A-2-3-4-5-6 of that suit).
• Foundation building is continuous: after King, Ace can be played, and vice versa.
• Tableau:
• Build down in alternating colors (red on black, black on red).
• Tableau building is also continuous: King can be placed on Ace and vice versa.
• Only the top card or a properly packed sequence (descending, alternating colors) may be moved as a unit.
• Reserve:
• Only the top card of each reserve pile is available for play to the tableau or foundations.
• No cards may be built onto reserve piles.
• Stock:
• When no further moves are possible, deal one card from the stock to each reserve pile.
• There is no redeal; the stock is used only once.

Gameplay:

• Move available cards from the tableau or reserve to the foundations or to other tableau columns, following the building rules.
• Move sequences of cards within the tableau if they are in proper descending, alternating color order.
• Fill empty tableau spaces only with a single card or sequence starting with a card one rank below the base card (e.g., if the base card is 7, only 6s may fill empty spaces).
• When no further moves can be made, deal one card from the stock to each reserve pile (face up).
• Continue making moves and dealing from the stock until all cards are played or the stock is exhausted.
• When only two cards remain in the stock after the last deal, turn them up and place them directly on the first two reserve piles; they are immediately available for play.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Win: All cards are successfully built onto the four foundations in correct suit and sequence.
• Lose: The game is lost (unwinnable) if, after the stock is exhausted and no more legal moves are possible, there are still cards left in the tableau or reserve.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Filling Empty Tableau Spaces: Only a card (or sequence starting with a card) one rank below the base card may fill an empty tableau column (e.g., if the base card is 7, only a 6 or a sequence starting with a 6).
• Continuous Building: Both tableau and foundation building are continuous; after King comes Ace, and after Ace comes King.
• No Redeal: The stock is used only once. After the final deal, no further cards are added to the reserve.
• Reserve Restrictions: Cards in the reserve cannot be built upon; only the top card of each reserve pile is available at any time.
• Last Stock Cards: When only two cards remain in the stock, they are turned face up and placed on the first two reserve piles, becoming immediately available for play.

Note: Some minor variations exist in digital implementations, but the above rules reflect the classic, widely accepted ruleset for Agnes Bernauer Solitaire as documented in authoritative sources.