Black Hole

Game Objective:

The primary goal in Black Hole Solitaire is to move all 52 cards from the tableau into the single central foundation pile, known as the "Black Hole," by following specific rank-based movement rules.

Setup & Layout:

• Deck Used: One standard 52-card deck.
• Foundation (Black Hole): Remove a single Ace (commonly the Ace of Spades) from the deck and place it face up in the center of the play area. This forms the Black Hole foundation pile.
• Tableau: Shuffle the remaining 51 cards and deal them face up into 17 tableau piles (also called "fans"), each containing three cards.
• Visibility: All cards in the tableau are dealt face up, and all cards in the Black Hole foundation are always visible.
• Play Areas Defined:
• Foundation (Black Hole): The central pile where cards are built.
• Tableau: The 17 piles surrounding the Black Hole, each with three face-up cards.

Black Hole Solitaire Rules:

• Card Movement: Only the topmost (fully exposed) card of each tableau pile may be moved to the Black Hole foundation.
• Building Sequences: Cards are moved to the Black Hole if they are exactly one rank higher or lower than the current top card of the foundation, regardless of suit.
• Example: If the foundation shows a 7, either a 6 or an 8 may be played next.
• Rank Wrapping: Aces and Kings are considered consecutive, so a King may be played on an Ace and vice versa.
• Tableau Restrictions: No cards may be moved between tableau piles, nor can any tableau pile be rebuilt or refilled.
• No Redeals: Once cards are dealt, there is no redeal or stock; all play is from the tableau to the Black Hole.

Gameplay:

• Turn Sequence:
• Select any exposed top card from the tableau that is one rank higher or lower than the current top card of the Black Hole.
• Move that card to the Black Hole foundation, making it the new top card.
• Repeat this process, always choosing from the top cards of the tableau piles.
• Card Introduction: No new cards are introduced; all cards are available from the initial tableau layout.
• Blocked State: If no tableau top card can legally be moved to the Black Hole, the game is stalled and cannot continue.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Winning Condition: The game is won when all 52 cards have been successfully moved from the tableau to the Black Hole foundation pile.
• Losing/Unwinnable Condition: The game is lost if no legal moves remain (i.e., no tableau top card is one rank higher or lower than the Black Hole's top card), and cards remain in the tableau.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Empty Tableau Piles: Once all cards from a tableau pile have been moved, the space remains empty and cannot be refilled or reused.
• No Suit Restrictions: Building on the Black Hole is strictly by rank, not by suit or color.
• No Multiple Card Moves: Only single cards (never sequences or stacks) can be moved at a time.
• No Reserve or Stock: There are no reserve piles, stock, or redeals in this variant.
• Rank Wrapping: Remember, Ace and King are consecutive for movement purposes.

Key Terms Defined:

• Tableau: The main play area consisting of 17 piles of three face-up cards each.
• Foundation (Black Hole): The central pile where cards are built according to rank-based rules.

This guide provides all necessary rules and mechanics required to play Black Hole Solitaire correctly and efficiently.