Beetle

Game Objective:

The primary objective in Beetle Solitaire is to assemble all cards into complete sequences of thirteen cards in the same suit, arranged in descending order from King down to Ace, and remove these completed sequences from the tableau.

Setup & Layout:

• Deck: Beetle Solitaire uses two standard 52-card decks, totaling 104 cards.
• Tableau: There are ten tableau piles.
  • Four tableau piles each receive five cards.
  • Six tableau piles each receive four cards.
  • All cards in the tableau are dealt face up at the start of the game.
• Stock: The remaining 60 cards form the stock pile, placed aside for later dealing.
• Foundations: There are no separate foundation piles visible at the start; completed in-suit sequences are removed from the tableau as they are formed.
• Play Areas Defined:
  • Tableau: The main area with ten piles where most gameplay occurs.
  • Stock: The pile from which new cards are dealt onto the tableau.

Beetle Solitaire Rules:

• Building on the Tableau:
  • Cards are built down in rank (e.g., 10 on Jack, 9 on 10), regardless of suit.
  • Only the top card of each tableau pile is available for play or movement unless a group of cards forms a descending sequence in the same suit.
• Moving Cards:
  • Any single card may be moved onto another tableau pile if it is one rank lower, regardless of suit.
  • Groups of cards can only be moved together if they form a continuous descending sequence of the same suit (e.g., 8♠ 7♠ 6♠).
  • Only such in-suit sequences may be moved as a unit; otherwise, only single cards may be moved.
• Completing Sequences:
  • When a complete in-suit sequence from King down to Ace is assembled in a tableau pile, it is immediately removed from the tableau.
• Empty Spaces:
  • Any empty tableau pile may be filled with any single card or any valid group of cards (i.e., a descending in-suit sequence).

Gameplay:

• Player Actions:
  • Move single cards or valid in-suit sequences between tableau piles to build descending sequences.
  • Fill empty tableau spaces with any card or valid group.
• Dealing from the Stock:
  • When no further moves are available or at any time, deal one card from the stock onto each tableau pile.
  • All tableau piles must contain at least one card before dealing from the stock. (Some digital versions may not enforce this strictly.)
• No Redeals:
  • The stock can only be dealt once; there are no redeals after the stock is exhausted.
• Stalemate:
  • If no legal moves remain and the stock is empty, the game ends.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Winning:
  • The game is won when all 104 cards have been organized into eight complete in-suit sequences (King through Ace) and removed from the tableau.
• Losing/Unwinnable State:
  • The game is lost or unwinnable if no further moves are possible and the stock is depleted, with incomplete sequences remaining on the tableau.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Filling Empty Spaces:
  • Any empty tableau pile may be filled with any card or any valid group of cards, regardless of suit.
• Group Movement Restriction:
  • Only groups of cards that are in a continuous descending sequence and all of the same suit may be moved together.
• Dealing from the Stock:
  • Before dealing, all tableau piles must contain at least one card (no empty piles). Some digital versions may relax this rule.
• No Redeals:
  • Once the stock is exhausted, no more cards can be dealt.
• Automatic Removal:
  • Completed in-suit sequences from King to Ace are removed automatically from the tableau.
• No Building on Ace:
  • No card can be placed on an Ace; Ace is the lowest rank.

Summary of Key Terms:

• Tableau: The primary play area with ten piles where cards are arranged and moved.
• Stock: The pile of undealt cards used to replenish the tableau.
• In-Suit Sequence: A group of cards in perfect descending order and all of the same suit (e.g., K♠ Q♠ J♠ … A♠).

This guide provides a precise, rule-based framework for playing Beetle Solitaire, focusing exclusively on gameplay mechanics and omitting any non-essential information.