Baker's Two-Deck

Game Objective:

The objective of Baker’s Two-Deck 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 Ace to King.

Setup & Layout:

• Deck: Two standard 52-card decks (total 104 cards).
• Tableau: Deal all cards face-up into 10 tableau piles. Each pile receives 10 or 11 cards (the exact distribution may vary slightly to use all 104 cards).
• Foundations: Eight foundation piles above the tableau, one for each suit (two per suit, since two decks are used).
• Cells: Eight “cells” (also called free cells), each initially empty. Each cell can hold only one card at a time.
• Card Orientation: All tableau cards are dealt face-up; there are no face-down cards in this variant.

Key Play Areas:

• Tableau: Main play area where cards are arranged in piles and manipulated.
• Foundations: Destination piles for winning, built up by suit from Ace to King.
• Cells: Temporary holding spaces for single cards, used to facilitate movement.

Baker's Two-Deck Solitaire Rules:

• Building on Tableau: Build tableau piles down by suit only (e.g., 9♣ on 10♣), not by color or alternating color.
• Moving Cards:
• Only the top card of each tableau pile or any card in a cell is available for play.
• Cards can be moved one at a time, either to another tableau pile (if it follows the down-by-suit rule), to an empty cell, or to a foundation.
• Building Foundations: Foundations are built up by suit, starting from Ace and ending with King (e.g., A♠, 2♠, 3♠, …, K♠).
• Cells: Each cell can hold only one card. Any available card (from tableau or another cell) may be moved into an empty cell. Cards in cells can be moved back to the tableau or to the foundations if legal.
• Empty Tableau Piles: When a tableau pile becomes empty, any available card may be moved into the space.
• Sequence Movement: Only one card may be moved at a time, unless there are enough empty cells and/or empty tableau piles to allow a sequence to be moved by moving cards individually.

Gameplay:

• On each turn, you may:
• Move the top card of any tableau pile to another tableau pile (if it follows the down-by-suit rule).
• Move the top card of any tableau pile or any card from a cell to a foundation (if it follows the up-by-suit rule).
• Move the top card of any tableau pile or any card from a cell into an empty cell (if a cell is available).
• Move a card from a cell back to the tableau (if it follows the down-by-suit rule).
• Continue making moves to expose Aces and build up the foundations.
• Use cells strategically to temporarily store cards and enable moves that would otherwise be blocked.
• When a tableau pile is emptied, any available card may be moved into the space.
• Play continues until all cards are moved to the foundations or no more legal moves are possible.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Winning: The game is won when all 104 cards are moved to the eight foundations, each built up in suit from Ace to King.
• Losing/Unwinnable: The game is lost or becomes unwinnable if no more legal moves are possible and not all cards have been moved to the foundations.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Cells: Only one card per cell is allowed at any time. Cards in cells must be moved back to the tableau or to the foundations to free up the cell for further use.
• Empty Tableau Piles: Any available card may be moved into an empty tableau pile, regardless of suit or rank.
• Sequence Movement: While only one card can be moved at a time, you may move a sequence of cards by using empty cells and/or empty tableau piles as intermediate steps, simulating a multi-card move.
• No Stock or Redeal: There is no stock pile or redeal in this variant; all cards are dealt at the start and remain in play.
• Double Suits: Since two decks are used, there will be two foundations for each suit; both must be completed to win.

Definitions:

• Foundation: A pile where cards are built up by suit from Ace to King.
• Tableau: The main area where cards are arranged in piles and manipulated.
• Cell: A temporary holding space for a single card, used to facilitate moves.

This guide is based on the most authoritative and comprehensive sources available for Baker’s Two-Deck Solitaire.