FreeCell Three Deck

Game Objective:

The objective of FreeCell Three Deck Solitaire is to move all cards from the tableau and cells to the foundation piles, building each foundation in ascending order by suit from Ace to King, Queen, and then Ace to King again, until all cards are organized into their respective foundations.

Setup & Layout:

• Deck Composition: Uses three standard 52-card decks (total 156 cards).
• Foundations: There are 12 foundation piles (one for each suit per deck), typically positioned at the top right of the play area.
• Free Cells: There are six free cells (temporary holding spaces, each can hold one card), usually located at the top left.
• Tableau: The main play area consists of 12 tableau piles (columns) where cards are initially dealt.
• Dealing: All 156 cards are dealt face-up into the 12 tableau columns at the start of the game, so every card is visible from the beginning.
• Initial Arrangement: Each tableau pile receives 13 cards (12 piles x 13 cards = 156 cards).
• No Stock or Reserve: There is no stock or reserve pile in this variant; all cards are in play from the start.

FreeCell Three Deck Solitaire Rules:

• Card Movement Principles:

• Only the top card of each tableau pile or any card in a free cell can be moved.

• A card can be moved to a free cell if there is an empty free cell available (maximum one card per cell).

• Cards can be moved from a free cell back to the tableau or to the foundations.

• Building on Tableau:

• Cards on the tableau are built in descending order and must alternate colors (red on black or black on red).

• Only one card can be moved at a time, unless you have enough empty free cells and/or empty tableau piles to facilitate moving a sequence (see "Supermove" rule below).

• Foundations:

• Foundations are built up by suit in the following sequence: Ace → 2 → 3 … → King → Ace → 2 … → King → Ace → 2 … → King, until all three sets per suit are complete.

• Only an Ace of the appropriate suit can start a foundation pile.

• Supermove Rule:

• You may move a sequence of cards between tableau piles if you have enough empty free cells and/or empty tableau piles to "virtually" move the cards one by one.

• The maximum number of cards you can move as a sequence is determined by: [ \text{Max cards} = (N + 1) \times 2^M ] Where (N) is the number of empty free cells and (M) is the number of empty tableau piles.

Gameplay:

• Turn Actions:

• Move the top card of any tableau pile to:

  • Another tableau pile (if it follows the descending, alternating color rule)
  • An empty free cell (if available)
  • A foundation pile (if it is the next card in sequence for that suit)

• Move a card from a free cell to:

  • A tableau pile (if it follows the building rules)
  • A foundation pile (if it is the next card in sequence for that suit)

• Move a sequence of cards between tableau piles using the supermove rule, if enough empty cells and/or tableau piles are available.

• No New Cards Introduced: All cards are dealt at the start; there is no stock pile or redeal mechanism.

• No Legal Moves: If you cannot make any legal moves (no cards can be moved to tableau, free cells, or foundations), the game is over and considered lost.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Winning: You win when all 156 cards are moved to the 12 foundation piles, each built up by suit in the correct sequence.
• Losing: The game is lost or unwinnable if no legal moves remain and not all cards have been moved to the foundations.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Filling Empty Tableau Piles:

• Any card may be moved into an empty tableau pile.

• This can be used strategically to facilitate moving sequences or freeing up important cards.

• Free Cells:

• Each free cell can hold only one card at a time.

• Cards in free cells can be moved back to the tableau or to the foundations at any time, provided the move is legal.

• Supermove Limitation:

• The number of cards that can be moved as a sequence depends on the number of empty free cells and tableau piles, as described in the supermove rule above.

• No Redeal or Undo: There is no redeal; once all moves are exhausted, the game ends. Some digital versions may allow undoing moves, but this is not part of the official ruleset.

• Multiple Decks: Since three decks are used, each foundation will require three complete suit sequences (Ace to King) to be filled.

Note: All rules above are derived from official implementations and leading digital versions of FreeCell Three Deck Solitaire. If playing a specific digital or physical version, consult its rules for any minor variations.