Maria

Game Objective:

The primary goal in Maria Solitaire is to move all cards from the tableau and stock into the eight foundation piles, building each foundation up by suit from Ace to King.

Setup & Layout:

• Deck: Maria Solitaire uses two standard 52-card decks, totaling 104 cards.
• Tableau: Deal nine tableau piles, each with four cards placed face-up and overlapping (totaling 36 cards in the tableau).
• Foundations: There are eight foundation piles, initially empty, where cards are built up by suit from Ace to King.
• Stock: The remaining 68 cards form the stock pile, placed face-down.
• Waste: Cards drawn from the stock that cannot be played immediately are placed face-up in the waste pile.
• Face Orientation: All tableau cards are dealt face-up; stock cards are face-down until drawn.

Key Play Areas:

• Tableau: The main play area with nine columns of four face-up cards.
• Foundations: Eight piles to build up by suit.
• Stock: Face-down pile for drawing new cards.
• Waste: Face-up pile for unplayable drawn cards.

Maria Solitaire Rules:

Card Movements and Interactions:

• Foundations: Build up by suit, starting with Ace, then 2, 3, …, up to King (e.g., 2♠ on Ace♠, 3♠ on 2♠).
• Tableau: Build down in alternating colors (e.g., 8♠ on 9♦, 8♥ on 9♣).
• Moving Cards: Only the top card of each tableau pile or waste pile may be moved.
• Sequence Moves: Only one card at a time can be moved between tableau piles. (Some digital versions allow moving sequences if enough empty tableau piles are available, but this is a shortcut for manual play.)
• Empty Tableau Spaces: Any card may be moved to an empty tableau pile.

Building Sequences:

• Tableau: Build down by alternating colors, not by suit (e.g., red on black or black on red).
• Foundations: Build up strictly by suit, from Ace to King.

Moving Cards Between Areas:

• Tableau to Foundation: Move any available Ace to an empty foundation, then build up by suit.
• Tableau to Tableau: Move the top card of a tableau pile onto another tableau pile if it is one rank lower and of the opposite color.
• Waste to Tableau/Foundation: The top card of the waste pile may be played to a tableau (if it fits the alternating color sequence) or to a foundation (if it fits the suit sequence).

Gameplay:

1. Move Available Cards: Begin by moving any available cards (especially Aces) from the tableau to the foundations.
2. Build Tableau: If no foundation moves are possible, build down in alternating colors among tableau piles, moving only one card at a time.
3. Fill Empty Tableau: If a tableau pile becomes empty, fill it with any card from the tableau or the waste pile.
4. Draw from Stock: When no moves are possible, draw one card at a time from the stock pile to the waste pile.
5. Play Waste Cards: The top card of the waste pile may be moved to either the tableau or the foundations, following standard build rules.
6. Continue Play: Repeat the process of moving cards, drawing from stock, and building sequences until no legal moves remain or all cards are moved to the foundations.

No Redeals: Once the stock is exhausted, no redeals are permitted.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Win Condition: The game is won when all 104 cards are successfully moved to the eight foundation piles, each built up by suit from Ace to King.
• Lose/Unwinnable Condition: The game is lost if no further legal moves are possible and cards remain in the tableau, waste, or stock piles. No redeals are allowed, so once the stock is depleted and no moves are possible, the game ends in a loss.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Filling Empty Tableau Piles: Any card may be placed into an empty tableau pile, regardless of rank or suit.
• Sequence Movement: Only one card may be moved at a time. In some digital versions, if enough tableau piles are empty, multiple cards may be moved as a shortcut, but this is not permitted in manual play.
• No Redeals: Once the stock is exhausted, no cards are returned to the stock; play continues only with available tableau and waste cards.
• Waste Pile: Only the top card of the waste pile is available for play.
• Edge Case—Stock Depletion: If the stock is empty and no moves are possible, the game ends immediately.
• Edge Case—Tableau Blockage: If all tableau piles are blocked and cannot be built down in alternating colors, and no cards can be moved to the foundations, the game is unwinnable.

Summary of Key Terms:

• Tableau: Main play area with nine columns of four face-up cards.
• Foundation: Eight piles built up by suit from Ace to King.
• Stock: Face-down pile for drawing new cards.
• Waste: Face-up pile for unplayable drawn cards.
• Alternating Colors: Building sequences by placing a card of one color on a card of the opposite color (red on black, black on red).