Forty Bandits

Game Objective:

The primary objective in Forty Bandits Solitaire is to move all cards into the eight foundation piles, building each foundation up by suit from Ace to King.

Setup & Layout:

• Deck: Use two standard 52-card decks (total 104 cards).
• Tableau: Deal four cards face-up to each of ten tableau piles, for a total of forty cards. All tableau cards are dealt face-up.
• Foundations: Eight foundation piles begin empty.
• Stock: The remaining 64 cards form the stock pile, placed face-down.
• Waste: A single waste pile begins empty; cards are dealt face-up from the stock to the waste.

Key Play Areas Defined:

• Tableau: The main area with ten columns, each starting with four face-up cards. Only the top card of each tableau pile is available for play.
• Foundations: Eight piles where cards are built up by suit, starting with Aces.
• Stock: The draw pile from which cards are dealt to the waste.
• Waste: Receives cards dealt from the stock; only the top card is available for play.

Forty Bandits Solitaire Rules:

• Foundations:

• Each foundation pile is built up by suit, starting with Ace and ending with King.

• Only an Ace may be placed on an empty foundation.

• Tableau:

• Build tableau piles down by suit (e.g., 9♠ onto 10♠).

• Any card may be moved to an empty tableau space.

• Sequences of cards built down by suit may be moved together as a group (unique to Forty Bandits; most variants only allow single card moves).

• Only the top card or a valid sequence from each tableau pile is available for play.

• Stock:

• When tapped, the stock deals one card face-up to the waste pile.

• Only one pass through the stock is permitted; there are no redeals.

• Waste:

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

Gameplay:

• Turn Sequence:

• Move cards from tableau or waste to foundations if possible.

• Move cards within the tableau, building down by suit and moving sequences where allowed.

• Fill empty tableau spaces with any available card or sequence.

• If no moves are available, deal one card from the stock to the waste.

• Continue making moves until all cards are moved to foundations or no legal moves remain.

• Introducing New Cards:

• Cards are introduced into play by dealing one card at a time from the stock to the waste pile.

• Only the top card of the waste is available for play on the tableau or foundations.

• No More Moves:

• If no legal moves remain and the stock is exhausted, the game ends.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Win Condition:

• The game is won when all 104 cards are successfully moved to the eight foundation piles, each built up in suit from Ace to King.

• Lose Condition:

• The game is lost if no further legal moves are possible and the stock is exhausted, leaving cards stranded in the tableau or waste.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Filling Empty Tableau Spaces:

• Any card or valid sequence built down by suit may be moved to an empty tableau space.

• This allows for strategic repositioning to facilitate sequence movement.

• Sequence Movement:

• Unlike classic Forty Thieves, Forty Bandits allows moving entire sequences built down by suit, not just single cards.

• All cards in a sequence must be in descending order and of the same suit.

• Stock Restrictions:

• Only one pass through the stock is allowed; once the stock is depleted, no redeals are permitted.

• Waste Restrictions:

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

• Edge Cases:

• If multiple tableau spaces are empty, each may be filled independently with any available card or sequence.

• If an Ace is buried beneath other cards, it must be uncovered through legal moves before it can start a foundation.

Definitions:

• Foundation: A pile where cards are built up by suit from Ace to King.
• Tableau: The main play area with columns where cards are built down by suit.
• Stock: The draw pile from which cards are dealt to the waste.
• Waste: The pile receiving cards from the stock; only its top card is available for play.

This guide provides the complete ruleset and gameplay mechanics for Forty Bandits Solitaire, ensuring clarity and semantic precision for both new and experienced players.