Outback

Game Objective:

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

Setup & Layout:

• Deck: Outback Solitaire uses two standard 52-card decks, totaling 104 cards.
• Tableau: There are eight tableau piles. Each tableau pile is dealt seven cards, all face up, for a total of 56 cards in the tableau area.
• Foundations: Eight empty foundation piles are positioned typically at the top right. These are built up by suit from Ace to King.
• Stock: The remaining 48 cards are placed face down in the stock pile.
• Waste: Cards from the stock are dealt one at a time to the waste pile. Only the top card of the waste is available for play.

Key Play Areas:

• Tableau: Eight columns of seven face-up cards.
• Foundations: Eight empty piles for building up by suit.
• Stock: Face-down draw pile.
• Waste: Face-up discard pile, with only the top card playable.

Outback Solitaire Rules:

• Foundations:

  • Only Aces may be moved to empty foundations.
  • Foundations are built up by suit in ascending order (Ace, 2, 3, …, King).

• Tableau:

  • Tableaus build down by suit in descending order (e.g., 7♠, 6♠, 5♠, …).
  • Only Kings (or stacks starting with a King) may be moved to empty tableau spaces.
  • Any card or group of cards may be moved together, regardless of sequence or suit, but only if the top card of the group follows the build-down-by-suit rule.

• Stock & Waste:

  • Cards are dealt one at a time from the stock to the waste pile.
  • Only the top card of the waste pile may be played to the tableau or foundations.
  • There is only one pass through the stock; no redeals are allowed.

Gameplay:

• Players may move cards from the tableau or waste to the foundations if the card is the next in sequence by suit.
• Within the tableau, players may move cards or stacks of cards to another tableau pile if the move builds down by suit (e.g., 7♠ onto 8♠).
• Any card or stack may be moved, but the top card must follow the build-down-by-suit rule.
• When a tableau pile becomes empty, only a King or a correctly sequenced stack starting with a King may be placed in the empty space.
• When no moves are available on the tableau or foundations, deal one card from the stock to the waste pile.
• Only the top card of the waste is available for play; after the stock is depleted, no further cards can be drawn.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Winning: The game is won when all 104 cards are successfully moved to the eight foundation piles, built up by suit from Ace to King.
• Losing/Unwinnable: The game is lost or becomes unwinnable if no legal moves remain and the stock pile has been fully exhausted (since only one pass through the stock is allowed).

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Filling Empty Tableaus: Only a King or a stack of cards starting with a King may be placed in an empty tableau space.
• Stock Pass: Players may only go through the stock pile once; there are no redeals.
• Moving Stacks: Any stack of cards may be moved together between tableau piles, regardless of internal sequence, but the top card must build down by suit onto the destination pile.
• Waste Restrictions: Only the top card of the waste pile is playable; if it cannot be played to the tableau or foundations, it remains until a legal move opens.

Unique Features:

• All tableau cards are dealt face up, providing full visibility and strategic planning.
• The game is notably difficult, with a win rate of approximately 8–10%.

Definitions:

• Foundation: Pile where cards are built up by suit from Ace to King.
• Tableau: Main play area with piles built down by suit.
• Stock: Face-down pile from which cards are drawn to the waste.
• Waste: Face-up pile where drawn cards are placed; only the top card is playable.

This guide strictly follows the official rules and structure of Outback Solitaire, ensuring precise and actionable instructions for play.