Alaska

Game Objective:

The primary goal in Alaska Solitaire is to move all 52 cards from the tableau into the four foundation piles, building each foundation by suit in ascending order from Ace to King.

Setup & Layout:

• Deck: Use a standard 52-card deck.
• Tableau: Arrange seven columns as follows:
• Column 1: 1 card (face-up).
• Column 2: 6 cards (first card face-down, remaining 5 face-up).
• Column 3: 7 cards (first 2 cards face-down, remaining 5 face-up).
• Continue this pattern, increasing the number of face-down cards by one in each subsequent column.
• Column 7: 11 cards (first 6 cards face-down, remaining 5 face-up).
• Foundations: Four piles, each representing one suit. All start empty.
• Face-up/Face-down: Only the bottom cards in each tableau column are face-up; all others above them are face-down as described above.
• Other Areas: There is no stock, reserve, or cell in Alaska Solitaire.

Alaska Solitaire Rules:

• Foundation Building: Cards are moved to the foundation piles by suit, in ascending order (Ace to King).
• Tableau Building: Cards in the tableau are built either up or down by suit (e.g., a 7 of Diamonds may be placed on an 8 or 6 of Diamonds).
• Group Moves: You may move a group of face-up cards within a tableau column, regardless of their internal order, provided the bottom card of the group is one rank higher or lower and of the same suit as the card it is being placed upon.
• Empty Tableau Columns: Only a King or a group of cards starting with a King may be placed into an empty tableau column.
• Face-down Card Access: When a face-down card is uncovered (i.e., no cards are above it in its column), it is immediately turned face-up and becomes playable.

Gameplay:

• Typical Turn Sequence:
• Move any available Aces to the foundations as soon as possible.
• Build tableau columns by moving cards or groups of cards up or down by suit.
• Uncover face-down cards by moving cards/groups above them.
• Move cards to the foundations whenever possible.
• Fill empty tableau columns only with Kings or groups starting with a King.
• No Stock: There is no draw pile; all cards are dealt at the start.
• No Reserve: There are no reserve or auxiliary piles.
• No Legal Moves: If no further moves are possible, the game ends in a loss.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Winning: The game is won when all 52 cards have been moved to the foundation piles, each built up by suit from Ace to King.
• Losing/Unwinnable: The game is lost or unwinnable if no legal moves remain and not all cards have been moved to the foundations.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Filling Empty Spaces: Only Kings or groups of cards starting with a King may be placed into empty tableau columns.
• Group Moves: Groups of cards can be moved regardless of their internal sequence, as long as the bottom card of the group matches the suit and is one rank higher or lower than the card it is placed upon.
• Face-down Card Access: Whenever a face-down card is exposed (i.e., no cards above it in its column), it must be turned face-up and becomes immediately playable.
• No Alternating Colors: Unlike some solitaire variants, Alaska Solitaire requires building strictly by suit, not by alternating color.
• No Stock/Draw Pile: All cards are dealt at the start; there is no mechanism to introduce new cards during play.

Definitions:

• Tableau: The main play area consisting of seven columns where cards are arranged and manipulated.
• Foundation: The four piles where cards are ultimately moved, built by suit from Ace to King.
• Face-up/Face-down: Cards that are visible and playable (face-up) versus those that are hidden until uncovered (face-down).

This guide provides all essential mechanics and rules for playing Alaska Solitaire, ensuring precise understanding for both new and experienced players.