Balcony

Game Objective:

The primary goal in Balcony Solitaire is to move all cards from the tableau and reserve (the "balcony") to the four foundation piles, building each foundation up in suit from Ace to King.

Setup & Layout:

• Use a standard 52-card deck with no jokers.
• Foundations: Four spaces, one for each suit, to be built up from Ace to King.
• Tableau: Five piles, each dealt one card face-up.
• Reserve ("Balcony"): Thirteen cards dealt face-up in a single row above the tableau. This is the unique "balcony" area.
• Stock: The remaining cards form a face-down draw pile.
• Waste: Cards from the stock that cannot be played immediately are placed here face-up.

Summary of Play Areas:

• Foundations: Build up in suit from Ace to King.
• Tableau: Five face-up piles; cards are built down by alternating color.
• Balcony (Reserve): Thirteen face-up cards; only the topmost card is available for play.
• Stock and Waste: Draw cards from stock to waste one at a time.

Balcony Solitaire Rules:

• Foundations: Build up in suit (e.g., Ace, 2, 3, …, King).
• Tableau Building: Build down in alternating colors (e.g., red on black, black on red).
• Moving Cards:
• Only the top card of each tableau pile, the top card from the waste, and the top card of the balcony are available for play.
• Cards can be moved from the tableau, waste, or balcony to another tableau pile if the moved card is one rank lower and of the opposite color than the target card.
• Only one card at a time can be moved; sequences cannot be moved as a group.
• Empty Tableau Piles: Can be filled with any card from the tableau, balcony, or waste.
• Stock/Waste: Cards are drawn one at a time from the stock to the waste. The top card of the waste is available for play.

Gameplay:

• Turn Sequence:
• Move available cards (from tableau, balcony, or waste) onto the foundations or tableau according to the rules above.
• If no moves are possible, draw the top card from the stock and place it on the waste.
• Continue making moves and drawing from the stock as needed.
• Introducing New Cards:
• Each time you draw from the stock, the card goes to the waste. Only the top card of the waste is playable.
• The balcony cards are only accessible one at a time (the leftmost or topmost card, depending on layout).
• No More Moves:
• If you cannot make any legal moves and the stock is exhausted, the game ends.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Win: All cards are moved to the foundations, completing each suit from Ace to King.
• Lose: The game is lost if no further moves are possible and there are cards remaining in the tableau, balcony, or waste.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Filling Empty Tableau Spaces: Any available card (from tableau, balcony, or waste) can fill an empty tableau pile.
• Balcony Restrictions: Only the topmost (leftmost) balcony card is available for play at any time. Once removed, the next card becomes available.
• Stock Exhaustion: The stock is not recycled; once all cards have been drawn to the waste, no further cards can be introduced.
• No Sequence Moves: Only single cards may be moved at a time; you cannot move a sequence of cards as a block.

Definitions of Key Terms:

• Foundation: The area where cards are built up in suit from Ace to King.
• Tableau: The main play area where cards are built down in alternating colors.
• Reserve/Balcony: The unique row of thirteen face-up cards, only the leftmost/topmost is playable.
• Stock: The face-down pile from which new cards are drawn.
• Waste: The face-up pile where stock cards are placed if not immediately playable.

This guide reflects the ruleset as described in official and reputable sources for Balcony Solitaire.