Deuces

Game Objective:

The primary goal in Deuces Solitaire is to move all 104 cards (using two standard 52-card decks) onto the eight foundation piles, building each foundation by suit in ascending order from Two up to Ace.

Setup & Layout:

• Deck Used: Two standard 52-card decks (total 104 cards).
• Foundations: Remove all eight Twos (Deuces) from the decks and place them in two rows of four. These are the foundation piles and are the starting point for building up by suit.
• Tableau: Deal one card face-up to each of ten tableau piles, typically arranged around the foundations.
• Stock: The remaining 94 cards form the stock pile, placed face-down.
• Waste: The waste pile starts empty and is created as cards are dealt from the stock.

Key Play Areas:

• Foundations: Eight piles, each beginning with a Two of each suit.
• Tableau: Ten piles, each with one face-up card.
• Stock: Face-down pile containing undealt cards.
• Waste: Face-up pile where cards from the stock are placed when dealt.

Deuces Solitaire Rules:

• Foundations:

  • Build up by suit, starting from the Two and continuing in ascending order: 2 → 3 → 4 … → King → Ace.
  • Around-the-corner building is allowed: Ace can be placed on King, continuing the sequence.
  • Once a card is placed on a foundation, it cannot be removed.
  • Only one card may be added at a time.

• Tableau:

  • Build down by suit: For example, 6♠ can be placed on 7♠.
  • Kings can be placed on Aces, continuing the sequence downward.
  • Only the top card of each tableau pile is available for play.
  • Sequences of cards in correct order and suit may be moved together between tableau piles (if permitted by the variant).
  • Any single card can fill an empty tableau pile.

• Stock:

  • Cards are dealt one at a time face-up to the waste pile.
  • Only one pass through the stock is permitted; no redeals.

• Waste:

  • The top card is available for play onto the tableau or foundations.
  • Once empty, the waste remains empty until a new card is dealt from the stock.

Gameplay:

• Move available cards from the tableau or waste to the foundations if they follow the building rules (ascending by suit).
• Move available cards from the tableau or waste to another tableau pile if they follow the building rules (descending by suit).
• Move sequences of correctly ordered cards between tableau piles, if allowed.
• Fill empty tableau piles with any single card from the tableau or waste.
• When no moves are possible, deal one card from the stock to the waste pile.
• Continue play until either all cards are moved to the foundations or no legal moves remain and the stock is exhausted.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Win: The game is won when all 104 cards are successfully built onto the eight foundation piles, each ending with an Ace on top.
• Lose/Unwinnable: The game is lost or becomes unwinnable if no legal moves are available and the stock is exhausted, with cards remaining in the tableau or waste.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Filling Empty Tableaus: Any single card can fill an empty tableau pile. In some rule sets, the empty tableau must be filled immediately, often from the waste or, if the waste is empty, from the stock.
• Sequence Movement: Most modern rules allow moving sequences of cards in correct descending order and suit between tableau piles, provided there are enough empty tableau columns to facilitate the move. Some historical rules restrict movement to single cards only.
• Redeals: No redeals are permitted. Once the stock is exhausted, no further cards can be dealt.
• Foundation Irrevocability: Cards placed on the foundation cannot be removed.
• Around-the-Corner Building: Both foundations and tableau allow sequences to wrap around: Ace may be played on King (upward for foundations, downward for tableau).

Definitions:

• Foundation: A pile where cards are built up by suit from Two to Ace.
• Tableau: Play area where cards are built down by suit and manipulated during play.
• Stock: Face-down pile of undealt cards.
• Waste: Face-up pile where cards from the stock are placed when dealt.

This guide provides a precise and comprehensive overview of Deuces Solitaire, focusing strictly on its ruleset and gameplay mechanics.