Luckier Thirteen

Game Objective:

The primary goal in Luckier Thirteen Solitaire is to move all cards from the tableau onto the four foundation piles, building each foundation up sequentially by suit from Ace to King.

Setup & Layout:

• Use a standard 52-card deck.
• Deal all 52 cards into 13 tableau piles, each containing 4 cards.
• All tableau cards are typically dealt face-up, making this an open game where every card is visible at the start.
• Key play areas:
• Tableau: 13 piles where cards are initially dealt and manipulated.
• Foundations: 4 piles, each to be started with an Ace and built up in suit to King.
• There is no stock, reserve, or extra cells in this variant.

Luckier Thirteen Solitaire Rules:

• Foundations:

• There are four foundation piles.

• An Ace may be moved to any empty foundation to start it.

• Foundations are built up by suit: Each subsequent card must be one rank higher and of the same suit as the previous card (e.g., 2♠ on Ace♠, 3♠ on 2♠, etc.).

• Only the top card of each tableau pile is eligible to be moved to the foundations.

• Tableau:

• There are thirteen tableau piles, each initially with four cards.

• Building in the tableau is down by rank, regardless of suit (e.g., a 7 can be placed on an 8 of any suit).

• Only the top card of each tableau pile may be moved; no sequences or stacks can be moved together.

• Empty tableau piles cannot be filled; once a pile is empty, it remains empty for the rest of the game.

Gameplay:

• On each turn, examine the top card of each tableau pile.
• If an Ace is available, move it to start a foundation pile.
• For each foundation, continue building up in suit, one rank at a time, using eligible tableau cards.
• Within the tableau, move any top card onto another tableau pile if it is one rank lower, regardless of suit (e.g., move a 6♣ onto a 7♦).
• Continue moving cards between tableau piles and onto foundations as allowed.
• No new cards are introduced during play; all cards are in play from the start.
• If no legal moves remain (no cards can be moved to foundations or between tableau piles), the game ends.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Winning Condition: The game is won when all cards have been successfully moved onto the four foundation piles, each built up in suit from Ace to King.
• Losing Condition: The game is lost if no further legal moves are possible and not all cards have been moved to the foundations.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Empty Tableau Piles: Once a tableau pile is emptied, it cannot be refilled with any card for the remainder of the game.
• No Stack Moves: Only single cards (the top card of each tableau pile) may be moved at any time; sequences or groups of cards cannot be moved together.
• No Stock or Reserve: There are no additional cards to draw; all play is restricted to the tableau and foundations.
• No Suit Restriction in Tableau: Building down in the tableau does not require matching suits or colors; only rank matters.
• No Redeals: Once the initial deal is complete, there are no redeals or reshuffles allowed.

Luckier Thirteen Solitaire is a challenging open solitaire variant with strict movement rules and a very low probability of winning, requiring both strategic planning and luck.