Arizona Solitaire: Comprehensive How to Play Guide

Game Objective

The objective of Arizona Solitaire is to move all 52 cards from the tableau and reserve piles to the four foundation piles, with each foundation built in ascending order from Ace to King within a single suit. A player wins when all four foundations are complete, containing all 13 cards of their respective suits arranged sequentially.

Setup & Layout

Arizona Solitaire uses one standard 52-card deck with no Jokers. The game setup consists of the following components:

Tableau Piles

Six tableau piles are arranged in a row. Each tableau pile receives exactly six cards dealt face-up, for a total of 36 cards in the tableau. All cards in the tableau are visible to the player from the start of the game.

Foundation Piles

Four foundation piles are established, one for each suit (hearts, diamonds, clubs, and spades). These piles begin empty and are located above or adjacent to the tableau. Foundation piles are built upward in ascending order by suit.

Reserve Cells

Sixteen reserve cells are arranged in a 4×4 grid formation. These cells hold the remaining 16 cards from the deck after the tableau is dealt. All reserve cards are dealt face-up and remain visible throughout the game.

Stock and Waste

Arizona Solitaire features an unlimited stock pile. The stock contains no cards initially; instead, it functions as a mechanism for recycling cards. When the player has exhausted all available moves, the waste pile (if any cards have been moved there) is reshuffled back into the stock for additional passes through the deck.

Arizona Solitaire Rules

Foundation Building Rules

• An Ace of any suit may be moved to an empty foundation pile to start that foundation.
• Once an Ace occupies a foundation, only cards of the same suit may be added to that foundation.
• Cards must be added to a foundation in ascending order by rank: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King.
• For example, the 7 of spades may only be placed on top of the 6 of spades, and the 8 of spades may only be placed on top of the 7 of spades.
• Only the top card of each foundation pile is movable; cards cannot be removed from a foundation once placed.

Tableau Building Rules

• Cards in the tableau build downward by rank, regardless of suit.
• For example, a Jack of any suit may be placed on top of a Queen of any suit, and an 8 of any suit may be placed on top of a 9 of any suit.
• Sequences of cards that are properly built in descending order may be moved together as a group from one tableau pile to another, provided the descending sequence continues.
• For example, if a tableau pile contains 10-9-8 in descending order, all three cards may be moved together onto a Jack in another tableau pile, creating a 10-9-8 sequence on top of the Jack.
• Only the top card of a tableau pile is movable unless it is part of a descending sequence being transferred.

Reserve Rules

• All 16 reserve cells are dealt face-up at the start of the game.
• Any reserve card is available for play at any time during the game.
• Reserve cards may be moved to the tableau, to the foundations, or to fill empty tableau spaces.
• Empty reserve cells are not refilled during normal gameplay; once a reserve card is played, that cell remains empty for the remainder of the game.

Card Movement Restrictions

• A card may move to a tableau pile only if it is one rank lower than the current top card of that pile, regardless of suit.
• A card may move to a foundation pile only if it is the next card in sequence for that suit (one rank higher than the current top card).
• Sequences of multiple cards may only move together if they form a proper descending sequence by rank.

Gameplay

Turn Structure

On each turn, a player may perform one of the following actions:

• Move the top card from a tableau pile to a foundation pile if it matches the required rank and suit.
• Move the top card from a tableau pile to another tableau pile if it is one rank lower than the destination pile's top card.
• Move a sequence of cards from one tableau pile to another tableau pile if the sequence maintains proper descending order.
• Move any reserve card to a foundation pile if it matches the required rank and suit.
• Move any reserve card to a tableau pile if it is one rank lower than the destination pile's top card.
• Move any reserve card to fill an empty tableau space.

Introducing New Cards

Because all 52 cards are dealt face-up at the beginning of the game, no new cards are introduced during gameplay in the traditional sense. However, if a player reaches a state where no legal moves are available, the player may request an unlimited pass through the stock. When a pass through the stock is initiated, the waste pile is reshuffled back into the stock, and cards are drawn one at a time and placed in the waste pile. If a drawn card can be played to the tableau or foundations, it may be played immediately; otherwise, it remains in the waste pile.

When No Moves Are Available

If a player cannot make any legal moves with the cards currently available in the tableau or reserve, the player may initiate a pass through the stock. The stock deals one card face-up to the waste pile with each draw. An unlimited number of passes through the stock are permitted, meaning the waste pile may be reshuffled into the stock and redealt as many times as necessary.

Winning & Losing Conditions

Winning the Game

A player wins Arizona Solitaire when all four foundation piles are complete, with each foundation containing all 13 cards of its suit arranged in ascending order from Ace to King. This means all 52 cards have been successfully moved from the tableau and reserve to the foundations.

Losing the Game

A player loses Arizona Solitaire when no legal moves remain available and no additional cards can be drawn from the stock (after all passes have been exhausted). However, because an unlimited number of passes through the stock are permitted, a game is technically lost only when the player determines that no sequence of moves will lead to a winning position, or when the player chooses to concede.

Arizona Solitaire has a very high win rate, with approximately 90% of games being winnable, and success is determined primarily by skill rather than luck.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

Filling Empty Tableau Spaces

When a tableau pile becomes completely empty (all six cards have been moved), the empty space may be filled with any available card or sequence of cards. This includes:

• The top card from another tableau pile
• Any card from the reserve
• A sequence of cards in proper descending order from another tableau pile

Empty tableau spaces are valuable strategic resources, as they provide flexibility in rearranging cards and accessing cards that may be buried in other piles.

Reserve Cell Mechanics

Empty reserve cells are not automatically refilled during the game. Once a reserve card is played, that cell remains empty. This differs from some other solitaire variants where empty cells may be refilled from the stock. In Arizona Solitaire, the 16 reserve cells serve primarily as a display area for cards that are not immediately playable but remain available for future moves.

Unlimited Stock Passes

Arizona Solitaire permits an unlimited number of passes through the stock pile. When all cards in the waste pile have been examined and no further moves are possible, the entire waste pile may be reshuffled back into the stock and redealt. This process may be repeated indefinitely, distinguishing Arizona from many other solitaire variants that limit the number of stock passes.

Card Sequence Movement

When moving a sequence of cards from one tableau pile to another, the entire sequence must move together if any card in the sequence is to be moved. Individual cards within a valid sequence cannot be separated during a single move; however, a player may choose to move only the top card of a sequence if desired, leaving the remaining cards in place.