Eight by Eight

Game Objective:

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

Setup & Layout:

• Deck Composition:
  Uses two standard 52-card decks (total 104 cards). Some versions may use a stripped deck that removes cards 2–6, resulting in 64 or 80 cards, but the classic version uses all cards.

• Tableau:

• Eight tableau piles (columns), each with eight cards dealt face-up at the start (forming an 8×8 grid).

• All tableau cards are visible from the beginning—no face-down cards.

• Foundations:

• Eight foundation piles, one for each suit in each deck.

• Foundations start empty and are built up by suit from Ace to King.

• Stock & Waste:

• The remaining cards (after the tableau is dealt) form the stock pile.

• Cards from the stock are dealt to a waste pile in groups:

  • First pass: three cards at a time
  • Second pass: two cards at a time
  • Third pass: one card at a time
  • You get two redeals, for a total of three passes through the stock.

Eight by Eight Solitaire Rules:

• Tableau Building:

• Cards in the tableau are built downward by rank, regardless of suit or color (e.g., any 9 can be placed on any 10).

• You may move single cards or sequences of properly ordered cards (descending by rank) within the tableau.

• Sequences must be in strict descending order (e.g., 10-9-8-7).

• Foundation Building:

• Foundations are built up by suit from Ace to King.

• Only the next card in sequence and matching suit may be placed on a foundation (e.g., 2♥ on Ace♥).

• Stock & Waste Usage:

• When no moves are available in the tableau, cards may be dealt from the stock to the waste pile.

• Only the top card of the waste pile is available for play.

• You cannot deal from the stock if there are any empty tableau columns; empty spaces must be filled first.

• Moving Cards:

• Cards (or sequences) can be moved between tableau piles if they follow the descending rank rule.

• Cards from the waste pile can be played onto tableau piles or foundations if legal.

• Only Aces can start a foundation; subsequent cards must be the next higher rank of the same suit.

Gameplay:

• Typical Turn Sequence:

• Move cards or sequences within the tableau following descending rank rules.

• Transfer available Aces to empty foundation piles.

• Build up foundations by suit whenever possible.

• When no moves remain, deal cards from the stock to the waste pile (subject to redeal limits and empty tableau restrictions).

• Play the top waste card to the tableau or foundation if possible.

• Introducing New Cards:

• Stock is dealt to the waste pile in decreasing group sizes: three, two, then one card per deal.

• Only the top waste card is playable.

• No Legal Moves:

• If no legal moves are available and the stock is exhausted (after all redeals), the game ends.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Winning:

• You win by moving all cards to the eight foundation piles, each built up by suit from Ace to King.

• Losing/Unwinnable State:

• The game is lost if no legal moves remain and the stock has been fully cycled (no more redeals).

• If you cannot fill empty tableau columns, you cannot deal from the stock, which may result in a blocked game state.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Empty Tableau Columns:

• Any card or sequence may be placed into an empty tableau column.

• In most versions, there are no restrictions (such as "only Kings"), but some variants may limit this to a single card or a King.

• Stock Dealing Restrictions:

• You cannot deal from the stock if there are empty tableau columns; these must be filled before dealing more cards.

• After the third pass through the stock (one card at a time), no further redeals are allowed.

• Sequence Movement:

• You may move sequences within the tableau as long as they are in proper descending order, regardless of suit or color.

• Foundation Restrictions:

• Only the next card of the same suit and one rank higher can be placed on a foundation.

• Once placed on a foundation, cards cannot be moved back to the tableau.

Definitions:

• Tableau: The main area of play, consisting of eight columns of cards.
• Foundation: Piles where cards are built up by suit from Ace to King.
• Stock: The pile of undealt cards remaining after the tableau is set up.
• Waste: The pile where cards from the stock are dealt and from which only the top card is playable.

This guide provides a precise, comprehensive overview of the unique mechanics and rules of Eight by Eight Solitaire as supported by official and authoritative sources.