Big Forty

Game Objective:

The primary goal in Big Forty Solitaire is to move all cards from the tableau and stock to the four foundation piles, building each foundation up in suit from Ace to King.

Setup & Layout:

• Deck: Big Forty Solitaire uses a single standard 52-card deck.
• Tableau: Deal ten tableau piles, each containing four cards, for a total of 40 cards. All tableau cards are dealt face up.
• Foundations: Four empty foundation piles are reserved above the tableau. Foundations start empty and are built up by suit from Ace to King.
• Stock: The remaining 12 cards form the stock pile, placed face down.
• Waste: There is one waste pile, which starts empty. Cards from the stock are dealt face up to the waste.

Key Play Areas:

• Tableau: Ten columns, each with four face-up cards.
• Foundations: Four piles to build up by suit.
• Stock: Draw pile for undealt cards.
• Waste: Receives cards dealt from the stock.

Big Forty Solitaire Rules:

• Tableau Building: Cards in the tableau are built down by the same suit (e.g., 10♠ onto J♠).
• Moving Cards:
• Any single card or a sequence of cards built down by suit may be moved together as a group within the tableau.
• Any card or valid sequence may be moved to an empty tableau pile.
• Foundations:
• Foundations are built up by the same suit, starting with Ace and ending with King (e.g., Ace♣, 2♣, 3♣, … King♣).
• Only Aces may be placed in an empty foundation pile.
• Stock & Waste:
• Cards are dealt one at a time from the stock to the waste pile, face up.
• Only the top card of the waste pile is available for play to either the tableau or the foundations.
• No Redeals: The stock can only be dealt once; there are no redeals.

Gameplay:

• Typical Turn Sequence:
• Move available cards or sequences within the tableau, following the rule of building down by suit.
• Move eligible cards to the foundations, building up by suit from Ace to King.
• If no moves are available, deal one card from the stock to the waste pile.
• Play the top card of the waste pile to either the tableau or the foundations if possible.
• Introducing New Cards:
• New cards enter play only via the stock, dealt to the waste pile one at a time.
• Only the top waste card can be played at any time.
• When No Moves Remain:
• If no moves are possible and the stock is depleted, the game ends.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Winning: The game is won when all 52 cards have been moved to the four foundations, each built up in suit from Ace to King.
• Losing: The game is lost or unwinnable if, after the stock is exhausted, not all cards have been moved to the foundations and no further legal moves are available in the tableau or waste pile.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Filling Empty Tableau Spaces: Any card or valid sequence (built down by suit) may be moved to an empty tableau pile.
• Moving Sequences: Sequences of cards built down by suit can be moved together as a unit within the tableau. This is a distinguishing feature compared to some similar games where only single cards may be moved.
• Stock Limitations: The stock is dealt only once; once it is empty, no further cards can be introduced into play.
• Waste Pile: Only the top card of the waste pile is available for play at any time.
• No Redeals: There are no redeals of the stock; careful management of tableau spaces and sequences is essential.

Note: The ability to move entire sequences and fill empty tableau spaces with any card or sequence makes Big Forty Solitaire more flexible than some related games, such as Forty Thieves, which often restrict movement to single cards.