Blind Alleys

Game Objective:

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

Setup & Layout:

• Deck: Use one standard 52-card deck.
• Tableau: Deal six tableau piles, each with three cards:
  • The bottom two cards of each pile are dealt face down.
  • The top card of each pile is dealt face up.
• Foundations: Four empty foundation piles are designated. These will be built up by suit starting with Aces.
• Stock: The remaining cards (34 cards) form the stock pile, placed face down.
• Waste: The waste pile is positioned beside the stock and starts empty. Cards from the stock are dealt face up to the waste during play.

Key Play Areas Defined:

• Tableau: Six columns where cards are initially dealt and manipulated.
• Foundations: Four piles to build up by suit from Ace to King.
• Stock: The draw pile for new cards.
• Waste: Receives cards drawn from the stock; its top card is available for play.

Blind Alleys Solitaire Rules:

• Foundations:

  • Only Aces may be moved to empty foundation piles.
  • Foundations build up by suit: each subsequent card must be the next higher rank and of the same suit (e.g., 2♠ on Ace♠, 3♠ on 2♠, etc.).

• Tableau:

  • Build tableau piles down in alternating colors (red on black, black on red).
  • The top card of each tableau pile is available for play.
  • You may move a single card or a group of cards in descending sequence and alternating colors between tableau piles.
  • There is no restriction on the rank, suit, or color of cards moved as a group, provided the sequence follows the descending alternating color rule.

• Stock and Waste:

  • Cards are drawn one at a time from the stock and placed face up on the waste pile.
  • The top card of the waste pile is available for play to either the tableau or the foundations.
  • When the stock is exhausted, the waste pile may be turned over to form a new stock. Only one redeal is permitted (two passes through the stock in total).

• Empty Tableau Piles:

  • Any single card or a valid descending sequence (alternating colors) may be moved to an empty tableau pile.

Gameplay:

• Typical Turn Sequence:

  1. Move available cards from the tableau or waste to the foundations if possible.
  2. Build tableau piles down by moving single cards or sequences (alternating colors) between tableau piles.
  3. Fill any empty tableau piles with any available card or valid sequence.
  4. When no further moves are possible, draw one card from the stock to the waste pile.
  5. Use the top card of the waste pile as an additional available card for tableau or foundation moves.
  6. Continue until the stock is exhausted. Perform one redeal by turning the waste pile over to form a new stock, then continue play.

• Introducing New Cards:

  • Cards are introduced into play by drawing from the stock to the waste pile, making the top waste card available for moves.
  • After the stock is depleted, the waste pile may be redealt once to continue play.

• No Legal Moves:

  • If no moves are available and the stock and waste have been fully used (including the allowed redeal), the game ends.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Winning Condition:

  • The game is won when all 52 cards have been successfully built up by suit from Ace to King on the four foundation piles.

• Losing/Unwinnable Condition:

  • The game is lost or unwinnable if, after all allowed moves and the single redeal, not all cards can be moved to the foundations.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Filling Empty Tableau Spaces:

  • Any card or valid descending sequence (alternating colors) may fill an empty tableau pile.
  • There is no restriction on which card or sequence can be placed in an empty tableau space.

• Moving Groups of Cards:

  • Any stack of cards forming a valid descending alternating color sequence may be moved together as a group between tableau piles.
  • There is no restriction on the length of the sequence moved.

• Redeal Limitation:

  • Only one redeal of the waste pile into the stock is permitted, allowing for a maximum of two passes through the stock.

• Availability of Cards:

  • Only the top card of each tableau pile and the top card of the waste pile are available for play.
  • When a face-up card is moved from a tableau pile, immediately turn the next face-down card in that pile face up.

• Sequence Building:

  • Tableau sequences must always descend in rank and alternate colors (e.g., 7♠ on 8♦).

• Foundation Building:

  • Foundations must always build up by suit from Ace to King (e.g., 2♥ on Ace♥, 3♥ on 2♥).

Note: These rules are based on official and reputable sources for Blind Alleys Solitaire and are optimized for clarity and precision in gameplay instructions.