Breakwater

Game Objective:

The primary goal in Breakwater Solitaire is to move all cards from the tableau, stock, and waste to the eight foundation piles, building each foundation up in sequential order by suit from Ace to King.

Setup & Layout:

• Deck: Two standard 52-card decks are used, totaling 104 cards.
• Tableau: Seven tableau piles are arranged, each containing seven cards. The cards are dealt in an alternating pattern: even-numbered positions in each pile are dealt face down, while odd-numbered positions are dealt face up.
• Foundations: Eight foundation piles are positioned above the tableau. These piles start empty.
• Stock: The remaining cards after the tableau setup form the stock pile, placed to the side and dealt face down.
• Waste: The waste pile is created during play by drawing cards from the stock. Only the top card of the waste is available for play.

Key Play Areas Defined:

• Tableau: The main area where cards are initially dealt and manipulated.
• Foundations: Destination piles for building sequences by suit.
• Stock: Draw pile for introducing new cards into play.
• Waste: Discard pile for cards drawn from the stock; only its top card is playable.

Breakwater Solitaire Rules:

• Foundations:

• Foundations are built up by suit, starting with Ace and ending with King (e.g., Ace♠, 2♠, 3♠, …, King♠).

• Only an Ace can be placed on an empty foundation.

• Tableau:

• Cards in the tableau are built down by rank, regardless of suit (e.g., 7♦ can be placed on 8♣, 8♠, 8♥, or 8♦).

• Sequences of cards built down by rank (regardless of suit) can be moved together as a group.

• Any card or legal sequence may be moved to an empty tableau space.

• When a face-down card is exposed (i.e., no cards remain above it in its pile), it is immediately turned face up and becomes playable.

• Stock and Waste:

• When no moves are available, a card may be drawn from the stock and placed face up onto the waste pile.

• Only the top card of the waste pile is available for play to the tableau or foundations.

Gameplay:

1. Move Cards Within Tableau: Build sequences down by rank, regardless of suit, and move legal groups or single cards as permitted.
2. Move Cards to Foundations: Place Aces on empty foundations, then build up by suit in ascending order.
3. Expose Face-Down Cards: When a face-down card in the tableau becomes uncovered, flip it face up and continue play.
4. Fill Empty Tableau Spaces: Any card or legal sequence may be moved into an empty tableau pile.
5. Draw from Stock: If no moves are possible, draw one card from the stock to the waste pile. The top waste card is then available for play.
6. Repeat: Continue moving cards, flipping face-down cards, and drawing from the stock until all cards are moved to the foundations or no legal moves remain.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Win Condition: The game is won when all 104 cards are built up by suit in the eight foundation piles, from Ace to King.
• Loss/Unwinnable State: The game is lost or unwinnable if no legal moves remain in the tableau and stock, and not all cards have been moved to the foundations.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Filling Empty Spaces: Any card or legal group of cards (sequence built down by rank, regardless of suit) may be moved to an empty tableau pile.
• Face-Down Card Exposure: When a face-down card is uncovered in the tableau, it must be flipped face up immediately.
• Undo Moves: Some digital implementations allow undoing moves, which can increase the chance of winning, but this is not a core rule in physical play.
• No Time Limit: The game is not timed; players may take as long as needed to strategize.
• Odds of Winning: The game is considered balanced between skill and luck, with approximately a 50% win rate for experienced players.

Definitions:

• Tableau: The main area of play where cards are initially dealt and manipulated.
• Foundation: The destination piles for building sequences by suit from Ace to King.
• Stock: The draw pile for introducing new cards into play.
• Waste: The discard pile for cards drawn from the stock; only the top card is playable.

This guide is based on official and reputable sources for the Breakwater Solitaire ruleset.