Australian

Game Objective:

The objective of Australian Solitaire is to move all 52 cards from the tableau and stock to the four foundation piles, building each foundation up in suit from Ace through King.

Setup & Layout:

• Deck: Use a standard 52-card deck (no jokers).
• Tableau: Deal seven columns (called tableau piles), each with four cards dealt face up.
• Foundations: Four empty foundation piles, one for each suit, are positioned above the tableau.
• Stock: The remaining 24 cards form the stock pile, placed face down.
• Waste: A single waste pile is created as cards are drawn from the stock.
• Card Orientation: All tableau cards are face up at the start. The stock is face down; cards from the stock are turned face up onto the waste pile.

Key Play Areas:

• Tableau: Seven columns of four face-up cards each.
• Foundations: Four piles, one per suit, built from Ace to King.
• Stock: Draw pile for additional cards.
• Waste: Discard pile for cards drawn from the stock.

Australian Solitaire Rules:

• Foundations:
• Build up in suit, starting with Ace and ending with King (e.g., Ace♣, 2♣, 3♣, …, King♣).
• Tableau:
• Build down in the same suit only (e.g., 8♥ on 9♥).
• Any face-up card in a tableau pile may be moved, along with all cards stacked on top of it, as a unit.
• Only Kings (or a group headed by a King) may be moved to an empty tableau pile.
• Stock and Waste:
• 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 either the tableau or the foundations.
• Only one pass through the stock is allowed; there are no redeals.

Gameplay:

• On each turn, the player may:
• Move cards (or valid groups of cards) within the tableau, following the rule of building down in the same suit.
• Move any available Ace to an empty foundation pile.
• Build up foundations in suit as cards become available.
• Draw the top card from the stock and place it face up on the waste pile.
• Play the top card of the waste pile to the tableau or foundations if legal.
• Moves continue until no further legal moves are possible or all cards have been moved to the foundations.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Winning: The game is won when all 52 cards are moved to the four foundations, each built up in suit from Ace to King.
• Losing: The game is lost if no further legal moves are possible and not all cards are in the foundations (i.e., cards remain in the tableau or waste pile).

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Filling Empty Tableau Piles: Only a King, or a group of cards with a King at the bottom, may be placed in an empty tableau pile.
• Moving Groups: Any face-up card in a tableau pile can be moved, along with all cards stacked on top of it (regardless of their order), provided the group is placed onto a card of the same suit and one rank higher.
• Stock and Waste Restrictions: Only one pass through the stock is allowed. Once the stock is exhausted, no more cards may be drawn, and the waste pile cannot be recycled.
• No Redeals: There are no redeals or reshuffles. Strategic use of the stock and waste is critical.
• Unplayable State: If all possible moves are exhausted and cards remain in the tableau or waste, the game is unwinnable.

Definitions:

• Foundation: A pile where cards are built up in suit from Ace to King.
• Tableau: The main play area of seven columns where cards are built down in suit.
• Stock: The face-down pile from which cards are drawn.
• Waste: The face-up pile where cards from the stock are placed and made available for play.

This guide provides a comprehensive, semantically precise explanation of the rules and gameplay for Australian Solitaire, based strictly on official and authoritative sources.