Double Rail

Game Objective:

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

Setup & Layout:

• Deck: Two standard 52-card decks are used, totaling 104 cards.
• Foundations: There are eight foundation piles. These start empty and are built up by suit from Ace to King.
• Tableau: Five tableau piles are used. Deal one card face-up to each tableau pile at the start of the game.
• Stock: The remaining cards form the stock pile, placed face-down.
• Waste: A single waste pile is used. Cards from the stock are dealt face-up to the waste pile.
• Initial Deal: Only the tableau cards are face-up; all other cards remain face-down in the stock until dealt.

Key Play Areas:

• Foundations: Where cards are built up by suit.
• Tableau: Five piles where cards are built down regardless of suit.
• Stock: The draw pile, face-down.
• Waste: Receives cards from the stock, face-up. Only the top card is accessible.

Double Rail Solitaire Rules:

• Foundations:
• Only Aces may be moved to empty foundation piles.
• Foundations must be built up by suit in ascending order (Ace, 2, 3, …, King).
• Tableau:
• Cards are built down by rank, regardless of suit (e.g., any 9 can be placed on any 10).
• 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 pile.
• Stock and Waste:
• Cards are dealt one at a time from the stock to the waste pile, face-up.
• Only the top card of the waste pile is available for play.
• Movement Restrictions:
• Cards can be moved from the tableau or waste to the foundations if they follow the suit and ascending order rule.
• Cards or sequences can be moved between tableau piles if they follow the descending order rule, regardless of suit.

Gameplay:

• On each turn, the player may:
• Move cards from the tableau or waste to the foundations if legal.
• Move cards or sequences between tableau piles, building down by rank regardless of suit.
• Move any card or sequence to an empty tableau pile.
• When no more moves are possible within the tableau and waste, deal one card from the stock to the waste pile.
• Only the top card of the waste pile is available for play.
• Repeat the process: move cards, deal from stock, and build foundations as possible.
• The game continues until all cards are moved to the foundations or no further legal moves are possible and the stock is exhausted.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Winning: The game is won when all 104 cards have been moved to the eight foundation piles, each built up by suit from Ace to King.
• Losing/Unwinnable: The game is lost or becomes unwinnable if no further legal moves can be made and the stock has been exhausted, leaving cards stranded in the tableau or waste.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Filling Empty Tableau Spaces: Any card or legal sequence may be moved to an empty tableau pile; there are no restrictions on which card can fill an empty space.
• Moving Sequences: Sequences built down by rank (regardless of suit) can be moved as a group between tableau piles.
• Stock Exhaustion: When the stock is depleted, no further cards can be introduced; play continues only with the tableau and waste until no moves remain.
• No Redeals: There is no redeal of the waste or tableau; once the stock is exhausted, it cannot be replenished.
• Odds and Difficulty: The game is considered challenging, with a low win rate (approximately 15%).

Definitions:

• Foundation: A pile where cards are built up by suit from Ace to King.
• Tableau: The main play area where cards are built down by rank, regardless of suit.
• Stock: The face-down pile from which cards are drawn to the waste.
• Waste: The face-up pile that receives cards from the stock; only the top card is available for play.

This guide is based on official and authoritative sources for Double Rail Solitaire.