Alternations

Game Objective:

The primary objective in Alternations Solitaire is to build all eight foundation piles in ascending order by suit, starting with the Ace and ending with the King for each suit, using all cards from two standard 52-card decks.

Setup & Layout:

• Deck: Two standard 52-card decks (104 cards total), with Jokers removed.
• Tableau:
• Deal seven columns, each with seven cards (for a total of 49 cards).
• Cards are dealt in an alternating face-up/face-down pattern:
  • In each column, the 1st (top), 3rd, 5th, and 7th (bottom) cards are face-up.
  • The 2nd, 4th, and 6th cards are face-down.
  • This creates an "OXOXOXO" (O = face-up, X = face-down) pattern in each column.
• Foundations: Space for eight foundation piles above or beside the tableau, one for each suit.
• Stock: The remaining 55 cards form the stock pile, placed face-down.
• Waste: A space for the waste pile, where cards from the stock are placed when drawn and not immediately playable.

Alternations Solitaire Rules:

• Foundations:
• Build up by suit, starting from Ace to King (A, 2, 3, …, K) for each suit.
• Only Aces can start a foundation pile.
• Tableau Building:
• Default/Most Common Rule: Build down in the tableau by alternating colors (red on black or black on red), regardless of suit.
  • Example: Place a red 9 on a black 10.
• Alternative Rules (may vary by source or house rule):
  • Build down regardless of suit or color (any card one rank lower).
  • Build down by suit only (very difficult variant).
• Moving Cards:
  • Only the top face-up card of each tableau column is available for play.
  • You may move a single card or a properly sequenced group of cards (following the tableau building rule) as a unit.
  • When a face-down card becomes the top card of a column, turn it face-up immediately.
• Foundations vs. Tableau:
• Cards may be moved from the tableau or waste to the foundations if they follow the ascending suit sequence.
• Cards may be moved between tableau columns if they follow the tableau building rule.

Gameplay:

• Player Actions:
• Move available cards or sequences between tableau columns, following the building rules.
• Move available cards to the foundations when possible.
• When no further moves are possible on the tableau or foundations, draw one card at a time from the stock to the waste pile.
• The top card of the waste pile is always available for play to the tableau or foundations.
• Revealing Cards:
• Whenever a face-down card is exposed at the top of a tableau column, turn it face-up.
• Empty Columns:
• Standard Rule: Any exposed card or valid descending sequence may fill an empty tableau column.
• Variant Rule: Only a King (or a sequence headed by a King) may fill an empty column.
• Stock and Waste:
• Continue drawing from the stock when no moves are available.
• No redeals: once the stock is exhausted, no further cards can be drawn.
• End of Game:
• The game ends when all cards are built onto the foundations (win) or when no further moves are possible and the stock is empty (loss).

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Winning Condition:
• All 104 cards are successfully built onto the eight foundation piles, each completed in ascending order by suit from Ace to King.
• Losing/Unwinnable Condition:
• The game is lost if, after exhausting the stock and making all possible moves, not all cards have been moved to the foundations.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Filling Empty Tableau Columns:
• By default, any card or valid sequence may fill an empty column.
• In some variants, only Kings or sequences starting with a King may fill empty columns.
• Multiple Rule Sets:
• Some versions allow you to select between building down by alternating color, by any suit, or by suit only.
• The default and most widely accepted rule is building down by alternating color.
• No Redeals:
• There is no redeal; once the stock is depleted, play continues only with available tableau and waste cards.
• Moving Sequences:
• You may move any properly packed descending sequence, not just single cards, provided the move follows the current building rule.
• Turning Face-Down Cards:
• Always turn over a face-down card when it becomes the top card of a tableau column.

Note: Due to minor rule variations between sources, always clarify the building and empty-column-filling rules before play. The rules above reflect the most commonly accepted standards for Alternations Solitaire.