Athena

Game Objective:

The primary goal in Athena Solitaire is to move all cards from the tableau, stock, and waste to the four foundation piles, building each foundation up by suit from Ace to King.

Setup & Layout:

• Deck: Athena Solitaire uses a standard 52-card deck.
• Tableau: There are seven tableau piles. Each pile is dealt four cards at the start of the game.
  • Cards are dealt alternating face down and face up: in each pile, the odd-numbered cards (1st and 3rd from the top) are face down, while the even-numbered cards (2nd and 4th from the top) are face up.
• Foundations: Four foundation piles are placed above the tableau. These start empty.
• Stock: The remaining cards after dealing the tableau form the stock pile, placed face down.
• Waste: Cards from the stock are dealt face up to the waste pile. Only the top card of the waste is accessible for play.

Key Play Areas Defined:

• Tableau: Seven piles where cards are built down by alternating colors.
• Foundations: Four piles, one for each suit, built up from Ace to King.
• Stock: The draw pile for additional cards.
• Waste: The discard pile for cards drawn from the stock.

Athena Solitaire Rules:

• Foundations:
  • Only an Ace can be moved to an empty foundation pile.
  • Foundations must be built up by suit (e.g., 2♠ on Ace♠, 3♠ on 2♠, etc.) until reaching King.
• Tableau:
  • Cards are built down in sequence by alternating colors (red on black, black on red).
  • Only a King can be moved to an empty tableau pile.
  • Sequences of cards built down by alternating color can be moved together as a group.
• Stock & Waste:
  • When the stock is tapped, three cards are dealt face up to the waste pile.
  • There is no limit to the number of passes through the stock; the waste can be redealt to the stock as needed.
  • Only the top card of the waste is available for play.
• Card Movement:
  • Cards and valid sequences from the tableau or the top card of the waste may be moved to another tableau pile, the foundations, or empty tableau spaces (if the card is a King).
  • Cards must follow the building rules for their destination (alternating color and descending rank for tableau, ascending by suit for foundations).

Gameplay:

• On each turn, the player may:
  • Move cards or valid sequences within the tableau following the alternating color and descending rank rule.
  • Move cards from the tableau or the waste to the foundations if they follow the ascending suit sequence.
  • Move a King or a valid descending sequence starting with a King to an empty tableau pile.
  • Draw three cards from the stock to the waste when no other moves are available or desired.
  • Move the top card of the waste to the tableau or foundations, if legal.
• The player may redeal the stock as often as needed; there is no restriction on passes.
• If no legal moves remain in the tableau or waste, the player must draw from the stock.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Winning Condition: The game is won when all cards are moved to the four foundation piles, each built up by suit from Ace to King.
• Losing/Unwinnable Condition: The game is lost or unwinnable if no legal moves remain and the stock has been exhausted with no further possible redeals or moves to progress the game.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Filling Empty Tableau Spaces: Only a King (or a valid descending sequence starting with a King) may be moved to an empty tableau pile.
• Redealing Stock: There is no limit to the number of times the stock can be redealt; this is a unique feature compared to some other solitaire variants.
• Moving Sequences: Sequences built down by alternating colors can be moved together as a unit within the tableau.
• Card Accessibility: Only the top card of the waste and the exposed face-up cards in the tableau are available for play.
• Initial Deal: The alternating face-down/face-up deal in the tableau is unique to Athena Solitaire, affecting early move options and strategy.
• Skill vs. Luck: Athena Solitaire is considered balanced between skill and luck, with approximately a 50% win rate.

Definitions:

• Tableau: The main play area where cards are arranged in piles and manipulated during play.
• Foundation: The target piles for each suit, built up from Ace to King.
• Stock: The draw pile for additional cards.
• Waste: The discard pile for cards drawn from the stock, with only the top card accessible.

All rules and mechanics above are based on official and authoritative sources for Athena Solitaire.