American Canister

Game Objective:

The primary goal in American Canister Solitaire is to move all cards from the tableau to the four foundation piles, building each foundation up in suit from Ace to King.

Setup & Layout:

• Deck: Use a standard 52-card deck.
• Tableau: There are eight tableau piles.
  • The first four piles (from the left) each receive seven cards.
  • The next four piles each receive six cards.
  • All cards are dealt face-up in the tableau.
• Foundations: There are four foundation piles, all initially empty.
• Stock/Reserve: There is no stock or reserve in American Canister Solitaire.

Key Play Areas:

• Tableau: The main area where cards are arranged and manipulated.
• Foundations: The destination piles for winning the game.

American Canister Solitaire Rules:

Foundations:

• Build up in suit from Ace to King (e.g., Ace♠, 2♠, 3♠, …, King♠).
• Only an Ace can be placed on an empty foundation.
• Only the next higher card of the same suit can be placed on each foundation (e.g., 3♥ on 2♥).
• Cards cannot be moved back from the foundation to the tableau.

Tableau:

• Build down by alternating color (i.e., red on black or black on red, e.g., 7♠ on 8♥).
• Only the top card of each tableau pile is available for play to another tableau pile or to a foundation.
• Sequences of cards built down in alternating colors may be moved together as a unit.
• Empty tableau spaces may be filled only with a King or a valid King-sequence (a group of cards starting with a King and built down in alternating colors).

Gameplay:

1. Examine the tableau for available moves:
   • Move cards to the foundations whenever possible (must be in ascending suit order).
   • Rearrange cards in the tableau by building down in alternating colors.
2. Move sequences: You may move a sequence of cards built down in alternating colors as a group between tableau piles.
3. Fill empty tableau spaces: Only a King or a properly packed King-sequence may fill an empty tableau pile.
4. No stock or redeal: All cards are in play from the start; there is no stock or redeal mechanism.
5. Continue play until all cards are moved to the foundations or no further moves are possible.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Win: The game is won when all 52 cards are moved to the four foundation piles, built up in suit from Ace to King.
• Lose: The game is lost if no further legal moves are possible and not all cards have been placed on the foundations.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Filling Empty Tableau Spaces: Only a King or a King-sequence (a group of cards starting with a King and built down in alternating colors) can be moved to fill an empty tableau pile.
• Moving Sequences: You may move an entire sequence or any portion of it, provided it maintains the alternating color and descending rank structure.
• No Stock, Reserve, or Redeal: All cards are dealt face-up at the start, and there is no mechanism for introducing new cards into play after the initial deal.
• Cards Locked in Foundations: Once a card is placed in a foundation, it cannot be moved back to the tableau.

Note: American Canister Solitaire is a fully open game (all cards visible), and success depends primarily on skillful planning and sequence management.