Gay Gordons

Game Objective:

The primary goal in Gay Gordons Solitaire is to remove all cards from play by forming valid pairs according to specific pairing rules.

Setup & Layout:

• Deck Used: Standard 52-card deck (no jokers).
• Tableau: Deal ten piles of five cards each, all face up. These are the main play areas from which cards are paired and removed.
• Reserve: Deal two cards face up in a separate area, often at the top left of the layout.
• Cards in Play: Only the top card of each tableau pile and each reserve card are available for pairing and removal at any time.
• Face Orientation: All cards are dealt face up; there are no face-down cards in this game.

Key Play Areas Defined:

• Tableau: The ten piles of five face-up cards each. Only the top card of each pile is in play.
• Reserve: Two face-up cards. Only the uppermost card(s) are in play.

Gay Gordons Solitaire Rules:

• Pairing Principle: Remove cards in pairs according to these rules:
  • Pairs that sum to eleven: Any two cards whose values add up to eleven (Aces count as 1, numbered cards as their face value; suits are irrelevant).
  • Face Card Pairing:
    • Kings pair with Queens (regardless of suit, but not with a Queen of the same suit according to some sources).
    • Jacks pair only with other Jacks.
    • Aces pair with Tens.
• Movement Restrictions:
  • No building: You cannot move cards between tableau piles or build sequences.
  • No refilling: Once a tableau pile or reserve space is emptied, it cannot be refilled.
  • Playable cards: Only the top card of each tableau pile and each reserve card are available for pairing and removal.

Gameplay:

• Player Actions:
  • Scan the tableau and reserve for any two available cards that can be paired according to the rules above.
  • Remove a valid pair from play.
  • If a card is removed from the top of a tableau pile, the next card beneath becomes available.
  • Continue pairing and removing cards as long as legal moves are available.
• No New Cards Introduced: There is no stock pile or draw mechanism; all cards are in play from the start.
• When No Moves Remain: If no valid pairs are available among the top cards of the tableau and reserve, play ends.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Winning Condition: The game is won if all 52 cards are successfully paired and removed according to the rules.
• Losing/Unwinnable Condition: The game is lost if no more valid pairs can be made and cards remain in the tableau or reserve.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Empty Tableau Piles: Once a tableau pile is emptied, it remains empty for the rest of the game; it cannot be filled or built upon.
• Empty Reserve: Similarly, reserve spaces, once emptied, remain empty.
• Face Card Pairing Clarification:
  • Kings and Queens: Some sources specify that Kings must pair with Queens of a different suit, but most implementations ignore suit entirely.
  • Jacks: Only pair with another Jack; there are four in the deck, so two pairs total.
  • Aces and Tens: Each Ace pairs with a Ten; there are four of each, allowing four such pairs.
• No Redeal or Shuffle: There is no redeal, shuffle, or second chance mechanism in Gay Gordons Solitaire.
• Scoring (optional): Some versions assign points for each pair removed, but scoring is not essential to the core gameplay.

Note: There are alternative layouts (such as five piles of ten cards each), but the standard and most widely accepted setup is ten piles of five cards each, with two reserve cards, all face up.