Busy Aces

Game Objective:

The primary goal in Busy Aces Solitaire is to build up all eight foundation piles in suit from Ace to King, using all 104 cards from two standard decks.

Setup & Layout:

• Deck: Two standard 52-card decks (total 104 cards).
• Tableau: Deal one card face-up to each of twelve tableau piles. Only the top card of each tableau pile is available for play.
• Foundations: Eight foundation piles, which begin the game empty. These are built up in suit from Ace to King.
• Stock: The remaining cards form the stock pile, which is placed face-down.
• Waste/Discard Pile: Cards from the stock are dealt one at a time face-up to a waste pile; only the top card of the waste pile is available for play.

Key Play Areas:

• Tableau: 12 piles, each with one face-up card.
• Foundations: 8 piles, start empty.
• Stock: Remaining cards, face-down.
• Waste: Receives cards from the stock, face-up; only the top card is playable.

Busy Aces Solitaire Rules:

• Building in Tableau: Build tableau piles down in suit (e.g., 8♠ on 9♠).
• Moving Cards: Only one card may be moved at a time, and only the top card of each tableau pile or the top card of the waste is available for play.
• Foundations: Build up in suit from Ace to King (e.g., A♠, 2♠, 3♠, …, K♠).
• Empty Tableau Spaces: Any available card (from tableau or waste) may be placed in an empty tableau space.
• Stock and Waste: When no moves are possible, deal one card at a time from the stock to the waste pile. Only one pass through the stock is permitted; there is no redeal.

Gameplay:

• Typical Turn Sequence:
• Move any available card from the tableau or waste to a foundation if it fits (building up in suit).
• Build tableau piles down in suit by moving a top card from another tableau pile or from the waste.
• If a tableau pile becomes empty, fill it with any available card (from tableau or waste).
• When no further moves are possible, draw the top card from the stock and place it face-up on the waste pile.
• Continue making legal moves until the stock is exhausted and no further moves are possible.
• Introducing New Cards:
• New cards enter play only via the waste pile, as cards are dealt one at a time from the stock.
• No More Moves:
• If the stock is empty and no more legal moves can be made, play ends.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Winning: The game is won when all 104 cards are successfully moved to the eight foundation piles, built up in suit from Ace to King.
• Losing: The game is lost if the stock is exhausted and not all cards have been moved to the foundations, with no further legal moves available.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Filling Empty Tableau Spaces: Any available card (from the tableau or waste) may be placed in an empty tableau space at any time.
• Movement Restrictions: Only the top card of each tableau pile or the waste is available for play; sequences or multiple cards cannot be moved together.
• No Redeal: The stock may only be passed through once; there is no redeal.
• Duplicate Cards: Since two decks are used, each card appears twice. Strategic play involves prioritizing cards from the tableau over the waste to maximize the number of empty tableau spaces and improve maneuverability.
• Game Variants: Busy Aces is related to the Forty Thieves family but is generally considered easier due to the increased number of tableau piles, allowing for greater flexibility in play.

This guide provides a complete and semantically precise ruleset for Busy Aces Solitaire, focusing strictly on gameplay mechanics as defined by authoritative sources.