Odessa

Game Objective:

The primary goal in Odessa Solitaire is to move all cards from the tableau to the four foundation piles, building each foundation up in ascending order by suit from Ace to King.

Setup & Layout:

• Deck: Odessa Solitaire uses a standard 52-card deck.
• Tableau: There are seven tableau piles. Each pile receives six cards: the bottom three cards of each pile are dealt face down, and the top three are dealt face up.
• Additional Cards: After dealing to the tableau, two extra cards are dealt face up to the right of the tableau; these act as additional available cards.
• Foundations: Four foundation piles are positioned above or beside the tableau. They start empty.
• Face Orientation: In the tableau, the bottom three cards of each pile are face down, and the top three are face up. The two extra cards and all foundation cards are face up.

Key Play Areas:

• Tableau: The main area where cards are manipulated, consisting of seven piles.
• Foundations: The target piles for building each suit from Ace to King.
• Reserve (Extra Cards): Two face-up cards available for play, not replenished once used.

Odessa Solitaire Rules:

• Foundations:

• Any Ace may be moved to an empty foundation pile.

• Foundations are built up by suit in ascending order (e.g., 2♣ on Ace♣, 3♣ on 2♣, etc.).

• Tableau:

• Cards are built down by suit in descending order (e.g., 8♠ on 9♠).

• Only Kings may be moved to empty tableau spaces; no other rank is permitted to fill an empty tableau pile.

• Any single card or a group of cards (regardless of sequence or suit) may be moved together as a stack.

• There is no restriction on the order or suit of cards moved as a group; however, when building on the tableau, the destination card must be one rank higher and of the same suit as the moving card.

• Card Movement:

• Cards or stacks may be moved between tableau piles, provided the move follows the same-suit descending sequence rule.

• Cards may be moved from the tableau or the reserve (the two extra face-up cards) to the foundations or between tableau piles.

• The top card of a foundation pile may be moved back to the tableau if it creates a legal build.

Gameplay:

• On each turn, the player may:

• Move any available Ace to an empty foundation pile.

• Build up foundations by moving cards of the same suit in ascending order.

• Build down tableau piles by moving cards of the same suit in descending order.

• Move any stack of cards between tableau piles, regardless of sequence, as long as the destination card is one rank higher and of the same suit.

• Fill empty tableau spaces only with Kings or stacks starting with a King.

• Play from the two extra face-up cards as if they were part of the tableau; once used, they are not replaced.

• There is no stock or waste pile in Odessa Solitaire; all available cards are visible from the start.

• If no legal moves remain, the game ends.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Winning: The game is won when all 52 cards are moved to the four foundation piles, each built up in suit from Ace to King.
• Losing/Unwinnable State: The game is lost or becomes unwinnable if no legal moves remain and not all cards have been transferred to the foundations.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Filling Empty Tableau Piles: Only a King or a stack with a King at the bottom may be moved into an empty tableau pile.
• Moving Stacks: Any group of cards may be moved together between tableau piles, regardless of their internal sequence or suit, but the move must result in a valid build on the destination pile (i.e., the bottom card of the moving stack must be one rank lower and of the same suit as the top card of the destination pile).
• Reserve Cards: The two extra face-up cards are available for play at any time but are not replenished once used.
• Foundation to Tableau: The top card of a foundation pile may be moved back to the tableau if it creates a legal build.
• No Stock/Waste: There is no stock or waste pile; all cards are dealt at the start and visible, except for the face-down cards in the tableau.

Definitions:

• Foundation: A pile where cards are built up by suit from Ace to King.
• Tableau: The main play area consisting of seven piles where cards are built down by suit.
• Reserve: The two extra face-up cards dealt at the start, available for play.

This guide reflects the unique mechanics and rules of Odessa Solitaire as supported by official and authoritative sources.