Blondes and Brunettes

Game Objective:

The primary goal in Blondes and Brunettes Solitaire is to move all 104 cards (using two standard 52-card decks) to the eight foundation piles by building ascending sequences in alternating colors, starting from a base rank and wrapping around from King to Ace.

Setup & Layout:

• Deck Used: Two standard 52-card decks (total 104 cards).
• Reserve: Deal ten cards face-up in a single row; this is the reserve. Only the top card is available for play.
• Foundations: Below the reserve, deal one card face-up onto the first foundation pile. This card establishes the base rank for all foundations. There are eight foundation piles in total.
• Tableau: Below the foundations, deal one card face-up to each of nine tableau piles, arranged in a row. Only the top card of each tableau is available for play.
• Stock: The remaining cards form the stock, placed face-down (or face-up and squared, depending on implementation).
• Waste/Discard: There is one waste pile, initially empty. Cards are dealt from the stock to the waste one at a time.

Key Play Areas Defined:

• Reserve: Holds ten face-up cards; only the top card is playable.
• Foundations: Eight piles for building up sequences.
• Tableau: Nine piles for building down sequences.
• Stock: Draw pile for additional cards.
• Waste/Discard: Receives cards from the stock for later play.

Blondes and Brunettes Solitaire Rules:

Card Movement Principles:

• Foundations: Build up in alternating colors (red-black or black-red), starting from the base rank (the first card placed on the first foundation). Sequences are circular: after King comes Ace, and vice versa.
• Tableau: Build down in alternating colors. Only the top card of each tableau pile may be moved. Only single cards can be moved at a time; sequences may not be moved as a unit.
• Reserve: Only the top card is playable, and it may only be moved to the foundations.
• Stock: Cards are dealt one at a time to the waste pile. No redeals are permitted; once the stock is exhausted, it cannot be replenished.
• Waste: Only the top card is playable; it may be moved to the tableau or foundations.

Building Sequences:

• Foundations: Ascending order, alternating colors, starting from the base rank and wrapping from King to Ace.
• Tableau: Descending order, alternating colors.

Movement Between Areas:

• Cards may move from tableau to tableau (following the building rules), from tableau or waste to foundations, and from waste to tableau. The top card of the reserve may be played to the foundations only.

Gameplay:

1. Initial Moves: Begin by examining available moves from the tableau, reserve, and waste to the foundations and tableau piles, following the building rules.
2. Dealing from Stock: When no moves are available, deal one card from the stock to the waste pile. Only one pass through the stock is allowed.
3. Filling Empty Tableaus: If a tableau pile becomes empty, it must be filled immediately:
   • First, from the stock (if available).
   • If the stock is exhausted, fill from the waste.
   • If both stock and waste are empty, any card from the tableau or waste may fill the empty tableau.
4. Reserve Play: Only the top card of the reserve can be played, and only to the foundations.
5. Continuing Play: Repeat the process of building, moving, and dealing until all cards are moved to the foundations or no further moves are possible.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Winning: The game is won when all 104 cards are moved to the eight foundations, each built up in alternating colors from the base rank to complete a sequence of thirteen cards.
• Losing/Unwinnable State: The game is lost or unwinnable if no legal moves remain and the stock is exhausted, leaving cards stranded in the tableau, reserve, or waste.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Filling Empty Tableaus: Empty tableau piles must be filled immediately, first from the stock, then the waste, and finally from any tableau or waste card if both are empty.
• Base Rank Consistency: The first card dealt to the initial foundation sets the base rank for all foundation piles; only cards of this rank may start new foundation piles.
• Circular Building: Building on foundations is circular; after King comes Ace, allowing sequences to wrap around.
• Reserve Restrictions: Cards cannot be moved into the reserve; only the top card is playable, and only to the foundations.
• No Redeals: Only one pass through the stock is allowed. Once exhausted, no redeal is permitted.
• Single Card Moves: Only single cards may be moved; sequences cannot be moved as a unit.
• Automatic Moves: In some digital implementations, empty tableau piles may be auto-filled, and available cards may be auto-moved to foundations.

This guide provides a precise, step-by-step reference for playing Blondes and Brunettes Solitaire, focusing strictly on its unique mechanics and ruleset.