Pantagruel

Game Objective:

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

Setup & Layout:

• Deck: Pantagruel Solitaire uses two standard 52-card decks (totaling 104 cards).
• Tableau: Deal nine tableau columns. Cards are distributed so that each column contains a descending number of cards (e.g., column 1 has 1 card, column 2 has 2 cards, etc.), but official sources specify 45 cards in total across the tableau, with the remaining 59 cards forming the stock.
• Foundations: There are eight foundation piles (one for each suit in two decks), which start empty.
• Stock: The remaining cards after the tableau setup form the stock pile, placed face down.
• Waste: Cards drawn from the stock are placed face up in the waste pile. Only the top card of the waste is available for play.
• Face-Up/Face-Down: The top card of each tableau column is dealt face up; all other cards in the tableau are dealt face down.

Key Play Areas:

• Tableau: The main area where cards are manipulated and built down in alternating colors.
• Foundations: The target piles built up by suit from Ace to King.
• Stock: The draw pile for additional cards.
• Waste: The discard pile for cards drawn from the stock.

Pantagruel Solitaire Rules:

• Foundations:

• Only an Ace can be placed on an empty foundation pile.

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

• Only cards of the same suit may be placed on a foundation pile.

• Tableau:

• Tableaus are built down by alternating colors (e.g., red 9 on black 10).

• Any card or valid sequence of cards built down by alternating color can be moved together as a group.

• Any card may be placed in an empty tableau space.

• Stock & Waste:

• Cards are drawn one at a time from the stock to the waste pile.

• Only the top card of the waste pile is available for play.

• Card Movement:

• Cards may be moved from tableau to tableau, from tableau to foundation, or from waste to tableau/foundation, following the building rules.

• Sequences of cards built down by alternating color can be moved as a unit between tableau columns.

Gameplay:

• Turn Sequence:

• Move available cards among tableau columns, to foundations, or from the waste pile according to the rules for building sequences.

• When no moves are available, draw one card from the stock to the waste pile.

• Play the top card of the waste pile to any legal position (tableau or foundation).

• Continue drawing from the stock and making moves until all cards are moved to the foundations or no further moves are possible.

• Introducing New Cards:

• Cards are introduced into play by drawing from the stock pile to the waste pile, one at a time.

• No Legal Moves:

• If no legal moves remain and the stock is exhausted, the game ends.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Winning 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.
• Losing Condition: The game is lost (unwinnable state) if the player cannot make any legal moves and cards remain outside the foundations.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Empty Tableau Spaces: Any card may be moved to an empty tableau column, unlike classic Klondike where only Kings may fill empty spaces.
• Sequence Movement: Entire sequences of cards built down by alternating colors may be moved together between tableau columns.
• Stock Exhaustion: If the stock is depleted and no further moves are possible, the game ends in a loss.
• Multiple Decks: The use of two decks means there are eight foundation piles and increased complexity in managing duplicate cards.
• Odds of Winning: The game is considered difficult, with an estimated win rate of 20% (1 in 5 games).

Definitions:

• Tableau: The primary area where cards are arranged and manipulated.
• Foundation: The final destination piles for each suit, built in ascending order.
• Stock: The pile of undealt cards from which cards are drawn.
• Waste: The pile where drawn cards are placed face up and are available for play.

This guide synthesizes official gameplay mechanics and rule interpretations for Pantagruel Solitaire, ensuring semantic precision and clarity for optimal play.