Baker's Dozen

Game Objective:

The primary goal in Baker's Dozen Solitaire is to move all 52 cards to the four foundation piles, building each foundation in ascending order by suit from Ace to King.

Setup & Layout:

• Use a standard 52-card deck.
• Deal all cards face-up into 13 tableau columns (also called packets or piles), each containing 4 cards.
• After dealing, move every King in each column to the bottom of its respective column. If multiple Kings are in a column, place them all at the bottom without changing their order.
• Tableau: The 13 columns where all cards are visible and available for play.
• Foundations: Four empty spaces, one for each suit, where cards will be built up from Ace to King.
• No cards are dealt face-down; all cards are visible from the start.
• There are no stock, reserve, or cell areas in this variant.

Baker's Dozen Solitaire Rules:

• Foundations: Build up in ascending order and in the same suit, starting with Ace and ending with King (e.g., Ace of Hearts, 2 of Hearts, …, King of Hearts).
• Tableau Columns: Build down in descending order by rank, with no restriction on suit or color (e.g., any 6 can be placed on any 7, regardless of suit).
• Only the top card of each tableau column is available for play at any time.
• Card Movement: Only one card may be moved at a time, either to another tableau column (if descending by rank) or to a foundation (if the next card in ascending suit order).
• Once a card is placed on a foundation, it cannot be returned to the tableau.

Gameplay:

• Begin by examining the tableau for available moves:
• Move any Ace to start a foundation pile.
• Move cards between tableau columns if the card being moved is one rank lower than the card it is placed upon (suit does not matter).
• Build on the foundations whenever possible, following suit and ascending order.
• Only the top card of each column can be moved; cards beneath are inaccessible until uncovered.
• There is no stock or reserve; all cards are in play from the beginning.
• If a tableau column becomes empty, it remains empty for the rest of the game; no cards may be moved into empty columns.
• Continue making legal moves until either 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 have been successfully moved to the four foundation piles, built up by suit from Ace to King.
• Lose: The game is lost if no legal moves remain and not all cards have been moved to the foundations.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Empty Columns: Once a tableau column is emptied, it cannot be filled; the space remains permanently empty.
• King Placement: During setup, all Kings must be moved to the bottom of their respective columns. This rule prevents lower-ranked cards from being trapped beneath Kings, reducing unwinnable scenarios.
• Multiple Kings: If a column contains more than one King, move all Kings to the bottom in the order they were dealt.
• Sequence Movement: Only single cards may be moved at a time, even if cards are sequentially ordered within a column.
• No Redeal or Stock: There is no redeal, stock, or reserve; all play is confined to the tableau and foundations.

Key Definitions:

• Tableau: The main play area consisting of 13 columns, each with 4 face-up cards.
• Foundation: Four piles (one per suit) built up from Ace to King.
• Build Down: Placing a card of one rank lower onto a higher card, regardless of suit.
• Build Up: Placing a card of one rank higher onto a lower card, following suit.

This guide provides all necessary information for precise and accurate play of Baker's Dozen Solitaire.