Gold Rush

Game Objective:

The primary goal in Gold Rush Solitaire is to move all cards from the tableau and stock to the four foundation piles, building each foundation in ascending order by suit from Ace to King.

Setup & Layout:

• Deck Used: Standard 52-card deck (no Jokers).
• Tableau: Seven piles are arranged from left to right. The first pile has one card, the second has two, and so on up to seven cards in the seventh pile. Only the top card of each pile is dealt face-up; all other cards in the pile are face-down.
• Stock: The remaining cards after the tableau setup form the stock pile, placed face-down.
• Waste: Cards drawn from the stock are placed face-up in a waste pile.
• Foundations: Four empty foundation piles are reserved for building up each suit from Ace to King.

Key Play Areas Defined:

• Tableau: Seven columns where cards are initially dealt and manipulated.
• Stock: The draw pile for undealt cards.
• Waste: The discard pile for cards drawn from the stock but not yet played.
• Foundations: Four piles where cards are built up by suit in ascending order.

Gold Rush Solitaire Rules:

• Card Movement Principles:

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

• Only the top face-up card of each tableau pile is available for play; moving it reveals the card beneath.

• Sequences of cards in correct order and color alternation may be moved as a unit between tableau piles.

• Only Kings (or sequences starting with a King) may be moved into empty tableau spaces.

• Foundation Building:

• Foundations are built up by suit, starting with Ace and progressing to King (Ace, 2, 3, …, King).

• Only cards matching the foundation suit and the next required rank may be placed on a foundation pile.

• Stock and Waste Mechanics:

• First pass: Draw three cards at a time from the stock to the waste pile.

• Second pass: Draw two cards at a time from the stock to the waste pile.

• Third (final) pass: Draw one card at a time from the stock to the waste pile.

• After the third pass, no further cards may be drawn from the stock.

• Movement Restrictions:

• Cards can only be moved to tableau piles if they are one rank lower and of the opposite color.

• Cards can only be moved to the foundation if they are the next rank and of the same suit.

• Only one card or a valid descending sequence may be moved at a time, depending on available tableau and free cells.

Gameplay:

• Typical Sequence of Actions:

• Move available face-up cards in the tableau to build descending, alternating color sequences.

• Move Aces and subsequent cards to the foundation piles as they become available.

• Draw cards from the stock to the waste pile according to the current pass (three, then two, then one card at a time).

• Play the top card of the waste pile onto the tableau or foundation if legal.

• Reveal face-down cards in the tableau by moving face-up cards away.

• Fill empty tableau spaces with Kings or sequences starting with a King.

• Introducing New Cards:

• Cards are introduced into play by drawing from the stock to the waste pile, then playing waste cards to the tableau or foundation as allowed.

• No Legal Moves:

• If no further legal moves are possible and the stock is exhausted after three passes, the game ends.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Winning Condition:

• The game is won when all 52 cards are successfully moved to the four foundation piles, each built up by suit from Ace to King.

• Losing/Unwinnable Condition:

• The game is lost if, after three passes through the stock (with the prescribed draw method), no further legal moves can be made and not all cards are in the foundation piles.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Empty Tableau Spaces:

• Only Kings or sequences starting with a King may be moved into empty tableau spaces.

• If no King is available, the space remains empty and cannot be filled.

• Stock Dealing Restrictions:

• You cannot deal cards from the stock if there are empty tableau piles.

• The number of cards drawn from the stock changes with each pass: three on the first, two on the second, one on the third.

• Sequence Movement:

• Only valid sequences in descending order and alternating colors may be moved between tableau piles.

• Multiple cards cannot be moved to the foundation at once; only single cards in correct order and suit.

• Foundation Suit Matching:

• Cards placed on a foundation pile must match the suit and be the next rank in sequence.

• Waste Pile Play:

• Only the top card of the waste pile is available for play. Once moved, the next card beneath becomes available.

• Edge Case: Card Accessibility:

• If a required card is buried in the tableau or waste and cannot be accessed due to the order of stock passes or tableau arrangement, the game may become unwinnable.

Definitions:

• Tableau: The main area where cards are arranged in columns and manipulated according to descending order and alternating colors.
• Foundation: The target piles for building each suit from Ace to King.
• Stock: The face-down pile from which cards are drawn during play.
• Waste: The face-up pile for cards drawn from the stock but not yet played.

This guide provides a precise, step-by-step reference for playing Gold Rush Solitaire according to its unique ruleset.