Lasker

Game Objective:

The primary goal in Lasker Solitaire is to build up all cards into the foundation piles, each starting with a chosen rank, so that every card in the deck is transferred from the tableau to the foundations according to suit and sequence.

Setup & Layout:

• Deck Used: Standard 52-card deck (no Jokers).
• Tableau: Ten tableau piles are created:
  • The first two piles each contain six cards.
  • The next eight piles each contain five cards.
  • All cards are dealt face-up in the tableau piles; there are no face-down cards in play.
• Foundations: Four foundation piles are positioned at the top left of the play area. These piles remain empty at the start.
• Stock, Reserve, or Cells: There are no stock, reserve, or cell piles in Lasker Solitaire.

Lasker Solitaire Rules:

• Foundation Building:
  • At the start, the player selects any available card from the tableau to begin the first foundation pile.
  • The other three foundation piles must also begin with cards of the same rank as the first foundation card, one from each suit.
  • Foundations are built up by suit, wrapping from King to Ace if necessary (i.e., after King comes Ace, then 2, etc.).
• Tableau Building:
  • Cards in the tableau can be moved one at a time.
  • Building within the tableau is down by suit (e.g., 7♠ can be placed on 8♠).
  • Only the top card of each tableau pile is available for play.
• Card Movement:
  • Only single cards (not sequences) can be moved from one tableau pile to another, provided the move follows the "down by suit" rule.
  • Cards can be moved from the tableau to the foundations if they continue the foundation sequence by suit.

Gameplay:

• Turn Sequence:
  • On each turn, the player may move a single available card from the tableau to another tableau pile (down by suit) or to a foundation pile (up by suit).
  • The player may choose any available card to start the first foundation pile, which determines the starting rank for all foundations.
  • Once a card is moved, the next top card of that tableau pile becomes available.
• No Stock or Redeal:
  • There are no stock cards to draw from and no redeal. All play occurs with the cards visible in the tableau.
• No Sequence Moves:
  • Only individual cards may be moved; sequences or groups of cards cannot be transferred together.
• Empty Tableau Piles:
  • When a tableau pile becomes empty, it remains empty for the rest of the game and cannot be refilled.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Winning Condition:
  • The game is won when all cards have been moved from the tableau to the foundation piles, following suit and sequence.
• Losing Condition:
  • The game is lost (or becomes unwinnable) if no further legal moves are possible and not all cards have reached the foundations.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Foundation Rank Selection:
  • The first card moved to a foundation determines the starting rank for all four foundations. Each foundation must begin with the same rank, one from each suit.
• Wrapping in Foundations:
  • Foundations are built up by suit and may wrap from King to Ace, continuing the sequence as necessary.
• Empty Tableau Piles:
  • Once a tableau pile is emptied, it cannot be refilled under any circumstances.
• No Stock, Waste, or Redeal:
  • There are no additional piles or redeals; all play is confined to the tableau and foundations.
• No Sequence Moves:
  • Only single cards may be moved at any time, both within the tableau and to the foundations.

Definitions:

• Tableau: The main play area consisting of ten piles of face-up cards.
• Foundation: Four piles where cards are built up by suit, starting from a chosen rank.
• Suit: One of the four categories in a standard deck (Spades, Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs).
• Sequence: A run of cards in consecutive rank order, either ascending or descending.

This guide provides a complete, rule-focused overview of Lasker Solitaire for optimal clarity and reference.