Big FreeCell

Game Objective:

The primary goal in Big FreeCell Solitaire is to move all 104 cards (from two standard 52-card decks) to the foundation piles, building each foundation up in suit from Ace to King.

Setup & Layout:

• Deck: Use two standard 52-card decks shuffled together (total 104 cards).
• Tableau: Deal the cards face-up into ten tableau columns. Each column receives either ten or eleven cards, depending on the variant or implementation (commonly, four columns get eleven cards, and six columns get ten cards each).
• Foundations: There are eight foundation piles (one for each suit in both decks). Foundations start empty.
• Free Cells: There are typically four free cells. Each free cell is a holding space for a single card at a time.
• Face-up/Face-down: All cards are dealt face-up. There are no face-down cards in the tableau.

Key Play Areas:

• Tableau: The main area of play, consisting of ten columns.
• Free Cells: Temporary storage spaces for individual cards.
• Foundations: The destination piles for building up each suit from Ace to King.

Big FreeCell Solitaire Rules:

• Card Movement:

• Only the top card of each tableau column or any card in a free cell may be moved.

• A card can be moved to a foundation pile if it is the next in ascending order and of the same suit (e.g., 2♠ on Ace♠).

• Cards can be moved between tableau columns if the moved card is one rank lower and of the opposite color than the card it is placed on (e.g., red 7 on black 8).

• Any single card may be moved to an empty free cell, provided there is space available.

• Building Sequences:

• Tableau columns are built down in alternating colors (red-black-red, etc.) and in descending rank.

• Foundations are built up by suit from Ace to King.

• Moving Sequences:

• You may move a sequence of cards between tableau columns, but only if there are enough empty free cells and/or empty tableau columns to facilitate the move.

• The maximum number of cards that can be moved as a sequence is determined by the formula:
  Number of movable cards = (number of empty free cells + 1) × (2^number of empty tableau columns).

• Only Kings or valid sequences starting with a King may be moved to an empty tableau column.

Gameplay:

• On your turn, you may:
• Move the top card of any tableau column to a foundation pile, a free cell, or another tableau column (following building rules).
• Move a card from a free cell to a foundation pile or a tableau column.
• Move a valid sequence of cards between tableau columns, constrained by the number of empty free cells and tableau columns.
• There is no stock or reserve pile; all cards are in play from the start.
• If you cannot make any legal moves, the game is at a standstill and may be unwinnable.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Win Condition: The game is won when all 104 cards are moved to the eight foundation piles, fully built up in suit from Ace to King.
• Lose/Unwinnable Condition: The game is lost or unwinnable if no further legal moves can be made and not all cards are in the foundations.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Empty Tableau Columns:
• Only a King or a valid descending sequence starting with a King may be moved to an empty tableau column.
• Free Cell Limit:
• You may only use each free cell for one card at a time; no stacking is allowed.
• Sequence Movement Restriction:
• The number of cards you can move as a sequence is strictly limited by the number of empty free cells and empty tableau columns (see formula above).
• No Redeal:
• There is no redeal or reshuffling; all cards are accessible from the beginning.

Note: Big FreeCell Solitaire is a direct extension of classic FreeCell, but with two decks and eight foundations, making strategic use of free cells and careful planning even more critical.