La Belle Lucie

Game Objective:

The primary goal in La Belle Lucie Solitaire is to build up four complete foundation piles, one for each suit, in ascending order from Ace through King.

Setup & Layout:

• Use a standard 52-card deck; no jokers are included.
• Shuffle the deck thoroughly.
• Deal the entire deck face-up into 17 piles ("fans") of three cards each. The remaining single card is placed alone as the 18th pile.
• All cards are dealt face-up and fanned so every card in each pile is visible to the player.
• Key play areas:
• Tableau: The 18 piles of face-up cards. These are the main area for play and manipulation.
• Foundations: Four empty spaces reserved for building each suit from Ace to King.
• There is no stock, reserve, or cell area in this variant.

La Belle Lucie Solitaire Rules:

• Card Movement Principles:
• Only the top card of each tableau pile is available for play at any time.
• Cards can be moved either:
  • Onto another tableau pile, if the move is legal.
  • To a foundation pile, if it continues the sequence for its suit.
• Tableau Building:
• Build down in suit on tableau piles (e.g., 7♠ on 8♠).
• Only one card may be moved at a time; sequences cannot be moved together.
• Once a card is moved within the tableau, it cannot be moved again until the next redeal.
• Foundation Building:
• Build up in suit from Ace to King (e.g., Ace♠, 2♠, 3♠, … King♠).
• Any Ace exposed on the tableau is moved immediately to start a foundation pile.
• Empty Tableau Piles:
• Empty tableau piles cannot be filled; once a pile is empty, it remains empty until the next redeal.

Gameplay:

• On each turn, the player may move any available top card:
• Down in suit onto another tableau pile.
• Up in suit onto the appropriate foundation pile.
• Continue making legal moves to expose and move cards to the foundations.
• If no further moves are possible, initiate a redeal:
• Collect all cards remaining in the tableau (foundations remain untouched).
• Shuffle the tableau cards thoroughly.
• Redeal them into piles of three, with any remainder forming one or two smaller piles as needed.
• The player is permitted a maximum of three cycles (deals) per game.
• After the third cycle, if no further moves are possible, a single "merci" move (a one-card cheat) is allowed: move any one card within the tableau to potentially unlock progress.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Winning: The game is won when all 52 cards have been moved to the four foundation piles, each completed from Ace to King in its respective suit.
• Losing: The game is lost (unwinnable) if, after three cycles and the optional "merci" move, not all cards have been transferred to the foundations and no further legal moves are available.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Empty Tableau Piles: These cannot be filled during play; they remain empty until the next redeal.
• Redeal Limits: Only two redeals are permitted after the initial deal, for a total of three cycles.
• "Merci" Move: After the third cycle, if the game is blocked, the player may make one additional move (the "merci" or "draw" privilege) by transferring any one card within the tableau, regardless of standard movement rules.
• Card Movement Restriction: Once a card has been moved within the tableau during a cycle, it cannot be moved again until the next redeal. This can result in cards being "buried" and inaccessible until the next cycle or unless the sequence is cleared to the foundation.
• Kings: Kings are best placed at the bottom of piles, as they cannot be moved within the tableau; they only move to the foundation when the sequence is complete.

Definitions:

• Tableau: The area consisting of the 18 piles of face-up cards where most gameplay occurs.
• Foundation: The four piles where cards are built up by suit from Ace to King.
• Cycle: One complete sequence of play from initial deal or redeal until no further moves are possible.
• Redeal: The process of gathering, shuffling, and redealing all tableau cards when play is blocked.

This guide provides a precise and comprehensive overview of the unique mechanics and rules governing La Belle Lucie Solitaire.