Little Forty

Game Objective:

The primary goal in Little Forty Solitaire is to move all 104 cards (from two standard 52-card decks) onto the eight foundation piles, building each foundation up in suit from Ace to King.

Setup & Layout:

• Deck: Two standard 52-card decks (total 104 cards).
• Foundations: Eight foundation piles, initially empty, placed at the top of the play area.
• Tableau: Ten tableau piles, each dealt four cards face-up (for a total of 40 cards), arranged so all cards are visible.
• Stock: The remaining 64 cards form the stock pile, placed face-down.
• Waste: One waste pile (also called "garbage"), which receives cards dealt from the stock.

All tableau cards are dealt face-up. The stock is face-down; waste cards are face-up as they are dealt.

Little Forty Solitaire Rules:

Foundations

• Each foundation pile is built up by suit, starting with Ace and proceeding in ascending order to King (e.g., Ace♠, 2♠, 3♠, …, King♠).
• Only an Ace can be moved to an empty foundation.
• Cards placed on the foundation cannot be removed.

Tableau

• Build tableau piles down by rank, regardless of suit (e.g., 9♠ onto 10♥, 8♦ onto 9♣).
• Any card may be moved to an empty tableau pile.
• Sequences of cards in descending rank (regardless of suit) can be moved together as a group between tableau piles.
• Only the top card or a valid descending sequence may be moved from each tableau pile.

Stock and Waste

• When the stock is tapped or clicked, three cards are dealt face-up to the waste pile.
• Only the top card of the waste pile is available for play to either the tableau or foundations.
• After the stock is exhausted, the waste pile may be gathered, turned over, and used as a new stock pile. This redeal may be performed twice (three total passes through the stock).

Gameplay:

1. Move cards from tableau to foundations whenever possible, following suit and ascending order.
2. Build tableau piles down by rank, regardless of suit. Move single cards or valid descending sequences between tableau piles.
3. Fill empty tableau spaces with any card or valid sequence.
4. Deal from the stock by turning over three cards at a time to the waste pile. Only the top waste card is playable.
5. Redeal the waste back into the stock up to two times for a total of three passes through the deck.
6. Continue play until all cards are moved to the foundations or no further moves are possible.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Win: The game is won when all 104 cards are successfully moved to the eight foundation piles, each built up in suit from Ace to King.
• Lose: The game is lost if no legal moves remain and all permitted redeals have been used, with cards still left in the tableau, stock, or waste.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Filling Empty Tableau Piles: Any card or valid descending sequence may be moved into an empty tableau space at any time.
• Moving Sequences: Only sequences built down by rank (regardless of suit) may be moved together between tableau piles.
• Redeals: After the stock is exhausted, gather the waste pile, turn it face-down to form a new stock, and continue. This may be done twice (three total passes through the stock).
• Waste Pile Play: Only the top card of the waste pile is available for play; underlying cards cannot be accessed until the top is moved.
• No Removal from Foundations: Once a card is placed on a foundation, it cannot be moved back to the tableau or waste.
• Dealing Fewer than Three Cards: If fewer than three cards remain in the stock during a deal, deal only the remaining cards.
• If Both Stock and Waste Are Empty: Any available card or sequence may fill empty tableau spaces.

Definitions of Key Play Areas:

• Foundation: Where cards are built up in suit from Ace to King.
• Tableau: The main play area with ten piles, where cards are built down by rank (any suit).
• Stock: The face-down pile from which cards are dealt to the waste.
• Waste: The face-up pile receiving cards from the stock; only the top card is playable.

This guide reflects the official and most widely accepted rules for Little Forty Solitaire.