Fortune's Favor

Game Objective:

The primary goal in Fortune's Favor Solitaire is to move all 52 cards into the four foundation piles, building each foundation in ascending order by suit from Ace to King.

Setup & Layout:

• Deck: Use a standard 52-card deck. No jokers are used.
• Foundations: Remove the four Aces from the deck and place them face-up in a row at the top of the play area. These are the starting cards for the four foundation piles, one for each suit.
• Tableau: Shuffle the remaining 48 cards. Deal twelve cards face-up in two rows of six below the foundations. Each card starts a tableau pile.
• Stock (Draw Pile): Place the remaining cards face-down as the stock (draw pile).
• Waste/Discard Pile: Create a space for the waste pile (also called the discard pile), which starts empty.

Card Orientation:

• All tableau and foundation cards are dealt face-up.
• The stock remains face-down until cards are drawn.

Key Play Areas Defined:

• Foundation: Piles where cards are built up by suit from Ace to King.
• Tableau: Twelve piles where cards are built down by suit.
• Stock: Face-down pile from which cards are drawn.
• Waste/Discard: Face-up pile for unplayable drawn cards; only the top card is accessible.

Fortune's Favor Solitaire Rules:

• Foundations: Build up by suit, starting with Ace and ending with King (e.g., Ace♣, 2♣, 3♣, …, King♣).
• Tableau: Build down by suit, placing cards of the same suit in descending rank (e.g., 7♥, 6♥, 5♥).
• Card Movement:
• Only the top card of each tableau pile and the top card of the waste pile are available for play.
• Cards may be moved from tableau to tableau (down by suit), or from tableau/waste to foundation (up by suit).
• Only one card may be moved at a time.
• Cards cannot be moved from foundation back to tableau.
• Filling Spaces:
• When a tableau pile becomes empty, fill it immediately with a card from the waste pile. If the waste pile is empty, fill from the stock.
• Drawing Cards:
• When no moves are available, draw one card from the stock and place it face-up on the waste pile.
• The top card of the waste pile is always available for play.
• There are no redeals; once the stock is exhausted, no more cards can be drawn.

Gameplay:

1. Initial Moves:

• Scan the tableau for cards that can be built onto the foundations (Aces upward by suit).
• Build tableau piles down by suit where possible.

1. Filling Tableau Gaps:

• Whenever a tableau pile is emptied, immediately fill the space from the waste pile or, if empty, from the stock.

1. Drawing Cards:

• If no moves are possible, draw one card from the stock and place it on the waste pile.
• Attempt to play the top waste card to tableau or foundation.
• If the drawn card cannot be played, it remains on top of the waste pile.

1. Continue Play:

• Repeat the process: move cards, fill tableau gaps, and draw from the stock as needed.
• Only the top card of each tableau and the waste pile is accessible for play.

1. End of Stock:

• When the stock is exhausted, continue playing with available tableau and waste cards until no legal moves remain.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Winning: The game is won when all 52 cards have been moved to the foundations, with each foundation built up by suit from Ace to King.
• Losing/Blocked: The game is lost (blocked) when no more legal moves can be made and the stock is empty, leaving cards stranded in the tableau and/or waste pile.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Filling Empty Tableau Spaces: Only fill empty tableau piles with the top card from the waste pile. If the waste pile is empty, fill from the stock. Do not fill tableau spaces directly from the tableau or foundations.
• Card Movement Restriction: Only one card may be moved at a time; sequences of cards cannot be moved together.
• No Redeals: Once the stock is empty, no further cards can be drawn; play is limited to available tableau and waste cards.
• Foundation Lock: Once a card is placed on a foundation, it cannot be moved elsewhere.
• Suit Matching: Both building up in foundations and down in tableau must strictly follow suit (e.g., only clubs on clubs, hearts on hearts).
• Waste Pile Access: Only the top card of the waste pile is available for play at any time.
• Blocked State: If all tableau and waste moves are exhausted and the stock is empty, the game is considered blocked and unwinnable.

Summary of Unique Features:

• Easy to Win: Fortune's Favor Solitaire has a high win rate due to straightforward rules and generous tableau filling.
• Strict Suit Sequencing: Both tableau and foundation building require strict adherence to suit order.
• Immediate Filling of Tableau Gaps: Empty tableau spaces must be filled promptly from waste or stock, streamlining play.

This guide provides a definitive, semantically precise overview of the rules and gameplay mechanics for Fortune's Favor Solitaire.