Number Ten

Game Objective:

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

Setup & Layout:

• Deck Used: Two standard 52-card decks (total 104 cards).
• Tableau: Ten tableau piles, each with four cards:
  • The bottom two cards of each pile are dealt face down.
  • The top two cards of each pile are dealt face up.
• Foundations: Eight foundation piles, initially empty. These will be built up by suit starting with Aces as they become available.
• Stock: The remaining cards after the tableau setup form the stock, placed face down.
• Waste: One waste pile, created by turning over cards from the stock. Only the top card of the waste is available for play.
• Play Areas Defined:
  • Tableau: The main play area with ten piles.
  • Foundations: Eight piles where cards are built up by suit.
  • Stock: The draw pile for new cards.
  • Waste: Discard pile for cards drawn from the stock.

Number Ten Solitaire Rules:

• Foundations:
  • Only Aces may start a foundation pile.
  • Build up by suit in ascending order (Ace, 2, 3, …, King).
  • Only the next higher card of the same suit may be placed on a foundation (e.g., 2♠ on Ace♠, 3♠ on 2♠).
• Tableau:
  • Build down by alternating colors (e.g., red on black or black on red).
  • Only the top face-up card of each tableau pile is available for play.
  • Sequences of cards in descending order and alternating colors may be moved together as a unit.
  • Any card or legal sequence may be moved to an empty tableau space.
  • When a face-down card becomes the top card of a tableau pile, it is immediately turned face up.
• Stock and Waste:
  • Cards are drawn one at a time from the stock to the waste pile.
  • Only the top card of the waste is available for play on the tableau or foundations.
  • There is no redeal; once the stock is exhausted, no further cards can be drawn.

Gameplay:

• Typical Turn Sequence:
  • Move available cards from the tableau or waste to the foundations if possible.
  • Build tableau piles down by alternating colors, moving single cards or sequences as permitted.
  • Fill empty tableau spaces with any available card or legal sequence.
  • When no further moves are possible, draw a card from the stock to the waste and continue play.
  • When a face-down card is exposed atop a tableau pile, turn it face up immediately.
• Introducing New Cards:
  • Cards are introduced into play by drawing from the stock to the waste. Only the top card of the waste is playable.
• No More Legal Moves:
  • If no moves can be made and the stock is exhausted, the game ends.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Winning Condition: The game is won when all cards are moved to the eight foundation piles, each built up by suit from Ace to King.
• Losing Condition: The game is lost if all possible moves are exhausted and the stock pile is empty, with cards still remaining in the tableau or waste.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Filling Empty Tableau Spaces:
  • Any card or legal descending sequence (alternating colors) may be moved into an empty tableau space.
• Moving Sequences:
  • Only properly sequenced cards (descending order, alternating colors) may be moved together as a group.
• Turning Cards Face Up:
  • When a face-down card becomes the top card of a tableau pile, it must be turned face up immediately.
• No Redeal:
  • Once the stock is depleted, no cards can be reshuffled or dealt again.
• Playable Cards:
  • Only the top card of each tableau pile and the top card of the waste are available for play at any time.

Key Terms Defined:

• Tableau: The main area with ten piles where most card movement occurs.
• Foundation: The eight piles where cards are built up by suit from Ace to King.
• Stock: The draw pile for new cards, face down.
• Waste: The discard pile for cards drawn from the stock; only the top card is playable.

This guide is based on official and authoritative sources and reflects the unique mechanics and ruleset of Number Ten Solitaire.