Eight On

Game Objective:

The primary goal in Eight Off Solitaire is to move all 52 cards into the four foundation piles, building each foundation up in suit from Ace to King.

Setup & Layout:

• Deck: Use a standard 52-card deck.
• Tableau: Deal 48 cards face-up into eight tableau columns, with six cards in each column. All tableau cards are visible and accessible.
• Cells (Reserves): Place the remaining four cards, face-up, each into one of the eight available free cells (also called reserves) above or beside the tableau. There are eight cells in total, but only four are filled at the start.
• Foundations: Designate four empty foundation spaces, one for each suit, typically above or to the side of the tableau.
• Face Orientation: All cards in the tableau and cells are dealt face-up.

Key Play Areas:

• Tableau: Eight columns where most play occurs.
• Cells (Reserves): Eight single-card holding areas for temporary storage.
• Foundations: Four piles, one per suit, to build from Ace to King.

Eight On Solitaire Rules:

• Foundation Building:
• Foundations are built up by suit, starting with Ace and ending with King (e.g., Ace♣, 2♣, 3♣, …, King♣).
• Tableau Building:
• Tableau columns are built down in the same suit only (e.g., 7♥ on 8♥).
• Only the top card of each tableau column is available for movement.
• Moving Cards:
• Only one card may be moved at a time, either from the tableau or a cell.
• Cards may be moved:
  • From tableau to another tableau column (if it continues the descending in-suit sequence).
  • From tableau or cell to a foundation (if it is the next card in the suit sequence).
  • From tableau to an empty cell (provided the cell is unoccupied).
  • From cell back to tableau (if legal by suit and rank).
• Cells (Reserves):
• Each cell can hold only one card at a time.
• Cards in cells are always available for play to tableau or foundations.

Gameplay:

• Typical Turn Sequence:
• Move available cards from tableau or cells to the foundations whenever possible.
• Move cards between tableau columns to maintain or create in-suit descending sequences.
• Use cells to temporarily store cards, freeing up other cards for movement.
• Fill empty tableau columns according to the rules (see Special Rules & Edge Cases).
• Introducing New Cards:
• There is no stock or draw pile; all cards are in play from the start.
• No More Legal Moves:
• If no further moves are possible and not all cards are in the foundations, the game ends in a loss.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Winning: The game is won when all 52 cards have been successfully moved to the four foundation piles, each built up in suit from Ace to King.
• Losing: The game is lost if no legal moves remain and not all cards are in the foundations.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Filling Empty Tableau Columns:
• Most versions require that only a King may be placed in an empty tableau column. Some variants allow any card to fill an empty column, but the King-only rule is standard for Eight Off Solitaire.
• Moving Multiple Cards:
• Only one card may be moved at a time. However, if enough empty cells and/or empty tableau columns are available, players may move a sequence of cards as a shortcut, simulating the legal movement of one card at a time through the cells.
• Cells Usage:
• Each of the eight cells can hold only one card at a time. Cards in cells are always accessible for movement to tableau or foundations.
• No Redeal:
• There is no redeal or reshuffling; all cards are dealt and visible at the start of the game.
• Variants:
• Some house rules may allow filling empty tableau columns with any card, but the King-only rule is the canonical version.

Note: Eight Off Solitaire is closely related to FreeCell, but differs primarily in its tableau building rules (in-suit rather than alternating color) and the King-only restriction for filling empty tableau columns.