Bristol

Game Objective:

The objective of Bristol Solitaire is to move all cards from the tableau, reserve, and stock onto four foundation piles, building each foundation in ascending order from Ace to King, regardless of suit.

Setup & Layout:

• Deck: Use a standard 52-card deck.
• Tableau: Deal eight tableau piles (sometimes called "fans"), each with three cards, all face up.
  • If a King is dealt to a tableau pile and is not on the bottom, move it to the bottom of its pile before play begins.
• Reserve: Deal three cards face up in a row below the tableau to form three reserve piles (also called "waste" piles).
• Stock: Place the remaining cards face down as the stock pile.
• Foundations: Leave space for four foundation piles above or beside the tableau; these start empty and are built during play.

Key Play Areas:

• Tableau: Eight piles of three face-up cards each.
• Reserve: Three face-up piles, each holding one card initially.
• Stock: The face-down draw pile.
• Foundations: Four empty piles to be built up from Ace to King.

Bristol Solitaire Rules:

• Foundations:
  • Built up in ascending rank from Ace to King (A-2-3-…-Q-K).
  • Suit does not matter; any card of the next rank can be played, regardless of suit.
  • Only Aces may start a foundation pile.
• Tableau:
  • Built down in descending rank (e.g., 8 on 9, 5 on 6), regardless of suit.
  • Only the top card of each tableau pile is available for play.
  • Only one card may be moved at a time.
  • Empty tableau piles are not filled during play.
• Reserve:
  • Only the top card of each reserve pile is available for play.
  • Reserve cards can be played to either the tableau or the foundations, following the same building rules.
  • Empty reserve piles are only filled when the next set of cards is dealt from the stock.
• Stock:
  • When no further moves are possible or desired, deal three cards from the stock: one card to each reserve pile, face up.
  • If a reserve pile is empty, the new card from the stock fills that space.
  • There is no redeal; once the stock is exhausted, play continues only with the cards in play.

Gameplay:

1. Move available cards: At any time, play the top card from any tableau or reserve pile to a foundation (if it continues the sequence) or to another tableau pile (if it descends in rank).
2. Build foundations: When an Ace is available, move it to start a foundation. Continue building up in rank, regardless of suit.
3. Build tableau: Move cards between tableau piles, building down in rank, regardless of suit. Only one card may be moved at a time.
4. Use reserve piles: The top card of each reserve pile can be played to the tableau or foundations.
5. Deal from stock: When desired, deal three cards from the stock, placing one card face up onto each reserve pile (filling any empty reserve spaces first).
6. Continue play: Repeat the above steps until no further moves are possible or all cards are in the foundations.

If no legal moves remain and the stock is empty, the game ends.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Win: The game is won when all 52 cards are moved to the four foundation piles, built up from Ace to King.
• Lose/Unwinnable: The game is lost or unwinnable if no further legal moves can be made and the stock is exhausted, with cards remaining in the tableau or reserve.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Empty Tableau Piles: If a tableau pile becomes empty, it remains empty for the rest of the game; no cards may be placed in an empty tableau pile.
• Empty Reserve Piles: If a reserve pile becomes empty, it is only refilled when the next three cards are dealt from the stock.
• Moving Kings: During the initial deal, if a King is not at the bottom of its tableau pile, move it to the bottom before play begins.
• One Card Movement: Only single cards may be moved at any time; sequences or groups of cards cannot be moved together.
• No Redeal: Once the stock is depleted, no redeal is permitted.

Summary of Key Unique Features:

• Tableau and foundations are both built regardless of suit.
• Only one card moves at a time.
• Empty tableau piles cannot be filled.
• Reserve piles are only refilled by dealing from the stock.
• No redeal after the stock is exhausted.

These rules define the unique structure and challenge of Bristol Solitaire.