American Toad

Game Objective:

The primary goal in American Toad Solitaire is to move all 104 cards (from two standard 52-card decks) to the eight foundation piles, building each foundation up in suit from a starting base rank, wrapping from King to Ace as necessary, until all cards are correctly sequenced in the foundations.

Setup & Layout:

• Deck: Two standard 52-card decks (104 cards total).
• Foundations: Eight piles at the top. One card is dealt face up to the first foundation; this card's rank sets the base for all foundations. The other seven foundations start empty.
• Reserve: Twenty cards are dealt to form the reserve pile; the top card is face up, the remaining nineteen are face down.
• Tableau: Eight tableau piles are laid out below the foundations, each with one card dealt face up.
• Stock: The remainder of the deck forms the stock pile, placed face down.
• Waste: The waste pile starts empty and is used for cards drawn from the stock that cannot be immediately played.

Play Areas Defined:

• Foundations: Build up in suit from the base rank, wrapping as needed.
• Tableau: Build down (see rules below).
• Reserve: Supply for filling tableau spaces and additional moves.
• Stock: Source of new cards, drawn one at a time.
• Waste: Temporary holding area for stock cards.

American Toad Solitaire Rules:

Card Movement Principles:

• Only the top card of the reserve or waste is available for play.
• Cards can be moved from tableau, reserve, or waste to the foundations or tableau, following specific build rules.

Foundation Building:

• Foundations build up in suit starting from the initial base card (e.g., if 6♠ is the base, build 7♠, 8♠, …, 5♠).
• Building wraps from King to Ace (e.g., Q♣, K♣, A♣, 2♣).
• Only cards matching the base rank may start a new foundation.

Tableau Building:

• Official Rule: Build down in suit, wrapping from Ace to King (e.g., 3♠, 2♠, A♠, K♠).
• Alternate Rule (some digital versions): Build down by alternating color (e.g., 6♠, 5♥, 4♣). Note: The in-suit rule is canonical per official sources.
• Only the top card or the entire tableau pile (if in perfect sequence) may be moved as a group. Partial sequences cannot be moved.

Reserve Rules:

• Only the top (face-up) card is available for play.
• Once the reserve is empty, it remains empty for the rest of the game.

Stock & Waste Rules:

• Stock is drawn one card at a time to the waste.
• Only the top card of the waste is available for play.
• One redeal is permitted: after the stock is exhausted, the waste is turned over to form a new stock for a second and final pass.

Gameplay:

1. Initial Moves:

• Move available cards from the tableau, reserve, or waste to the foundations whenever possible.
• Build tableau piles down in suit (official rule), moving either the top card or the entire pile if perfectly sequenced.

1. Filling Tableau Spaces:

• When a tableau pile is emptied, immediately fill it with the top card of the reserve.
• If the reserve is empty, fill tableau spaces with a card from the stock/waste.
• Empty tableau spaces cannot be filled from other tableau piles.

1. Drawing from Stock:

• Draw one card at a time from the stock to the waste.
• Play the top card of the waste to the tableau or foundations if possible.
• After the stock is exhausted, perform one redeal by turning the waste over to form a new stock.

1. Reserve Play:

• The top card of the reserve is always available for play to the tableau or foundations.

1. Sequence Movement:

• Move entire tableau piles only if they are in perfect descending suit sequence.
• Partial sequences cannot be moved.

If no legal moves remain and the stock and reserve are both empty, the game ends.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

Win Condition:

• All 104 cards are moved to the foundations, with each foundation containing a complete sequence of thirteen cards in suit, starting from the base rank and wrapping as necessary.

Loss/Unwinnable Condition:

• The game is lost if no further legal moves are possible, and the stock and reserve are both exhausted, leaving cards stranded in the tableau or waste.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Filling Empty Tableau Spaces:
• Always filled immediately from the reserve if available.
• If the reserve is empty, fill with a card from the stock/waste. Never fill from another tableau pile.
• Foundation Start Rank: The first foundation card dealt sets the base rank for all foundations. Only cards of this rank may start new foundations.
• Sequence Wrapping: Both foundation and tableau building wrap around (King to Ace, or Ace to King) as necessary.
• Redeal Limit: Only one redeal of the stock is allowed per game.
• Moving Tableau Piles: Only the entire pile (if perfectly sequenced) or the top card may be moved; partial sequences cannot be moved.
• Reserve Depletion: Once the reserve is empty, it remains empty for the rest of the game.

Note: Some digital versions may implement tableau building by alternating color instead of by suit. The canonical, rulebook-supported version requires building down in suit. Always verify which rule is in effect if playing online.