Bear River

Game Objective:

The primary goal in Bear River Solitaire is to move all 52 cards from the tableau piles onto the four foundation piles, building each foundation up in ascending order by suit, starting from the initial base card.

Setup & Layout:

• Deck: Use a standard 52-card deck.
• Foundations: Four foundation piles are placed at the top. One random card is dealt face-up to the first foundation pile; this card determines the base rank for all foundations.
• Tableau:
• Arrange 18 tableau piles in three rows of six piles each.
• The first five piles in each row (15 total) each receive three cards, fanned face-up so all cards are visible.
• The sixth pile in each row (3 total, called "Hole" piles) each receive two cards, also fanned face-up.
• Face Orientation: All cards in the tableau and foundation are dealt face-up; there are no face-down cards in Bear River Solitaire.
• Key Play Areas Defined:
• Foundation: Where cards are built up by suit, starting from the base rank.
• Tableau (Standard piles): The first five piles per row, each holding up to three cards.
• Hole piles: The sixth pile in each row, each holding up to three cards, and can be refilled when empty.

Bear River Solitaire Rules:

• Foundation Building:
• Foundations are built up in ascending order by suit, starting from the base rank (the rank of the initial card dealt to a foundation).
• Building "wraps around": After King comes Ace, then Two, etc. (e.g., Queen → King → Ace → Two).
• Only cards of the same suit and the next higher rank (or Ace after King) can be placed.
• Once placed, cards cannot be moved back from the foundation to the tableau.
• Tableau Building:
• Cards are built up or down by one rank and by suit (e.g., 7♥ can be placed on 6♥ or 8♥).
• Building also "wraps around" between King and Ace (e.g., Ace can be placed on King).
• Only the top card of each tableau pile may be moved.
• No tableau pile may contain more than three cards at any time.
• Moving Cards:
• The top card of any tableau pile may be moved to another tableau pile if it matches suit and is one rank higher or lower than the destination pile's top card.
• Cards can be moved to the foundation if they are the correct rank and suit for the next card in the sequence.
• Empty Piles:
• Standard tableau piles: If emptied, cannot be refilled.
• Hole piles: If emptied, may be refilled with any card.

Gameplay:

• Typical Sequence of Actions:
• Examine the tableau for cards that can be moved to the foundation piles according to suit and ascending rank.
• Move eligible top cards from tableau piles to the foundation.
• Move the top card from one tableau pile to another if it matches suit and is one rank higher or lower than the destination pile's top card, observing the three-card limit per pile.
• If a hole pile becomes empty, refill it with any available card from the tableau.
• Introducing New Cards:
• There is no stock or reserve; all cards are dealt at the start and are always visible.
• New cards enter play only through movement within the tableau or to the foundations.
• No More Legal Moves:
• If no cards can be legally moved within the tableau or to the foundations, and no hole piles are empty to be refilled, the game is blocked and cannot continue.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Winning Condition: The game is won when all 52 cards are successfully moved to the foundation piles, built up by suit from the base rank.
• Losing/Unwinnable Condition: The game is lost (or unwinnable) if no further legal moves are possible and not all cards have been moved to the foundations.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Filling Empty Piles:
• Standard tableau piles (three-card piles): Once emptied, these piles cannot be refilled.
• Hole piles (two-card piles): Once emptied, these piles may be refilled with any card from the tableau.
• Foundation Base Rank:
• The rank of the first card dealt to a foundation pile sets the base rank for all foundations; the other three cards of that rank can be moved to empty foundation piles to start them.
• Sequence Wrapping:
• Both foundation and tableau building allow "wrap-around" between King and Ace (e.g., Ace follows King, King follows Ace).
• Card Visibility:
• All cards are face-up and visible throughout the game; there are no hidden or face-down cards.
• Maximum Cards per Pile:
• No tableau or hole pile may exceed three cards at any time.
• Scoring (if tracked):
• Each card moved to the foundation scores one point, with a maximum possible score of 52.

Note: Bear River Solitaire is a challenging variant; strategic use of the hole piles is essential for success, as these are the only piles that can be refilled once empty.