Portuguese

Game Objective:

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

Setup & Layout:

• Use a standard 52-card deck.
• All cards are dealt face-up—there are no hidden cards in this variant.
• The tableau consists of thirteen columns (tableaus), with four cards in each column.
• There are four foundation piles, each to be started with an Ace as it becomes available.
• No stock, reserve, or extra cells are used in this variant.

Play Areas Defined:

• Tableau: Thirteen columns of four face-up cards each. Only the top card of each column is available for play.
• Foundations: Four empty piles, to be built up by suit starting with Aces.

Portuguese Solitaire Rules:

Card Movements:

• Tableau Building: Cards on the tableau are built down by rank, regardless of suit or color. For example, any 9 can be placed on any 10.
• Foundation Building: Foundations are built up by suit, starting with Ace and ending with King (e.g., Ace of Hearts, Two of Hearts, Three of Hearts, … King of Hearts).
• Moving Cards: Only the top card of each tableau column is available for play. Only one card may be moved at a time.
• Empty Tableaus: Only Kings may be moved to empty tableau columns. No other card may fill an empty tableau.
• Foundation Access: Once a card is moved to a foundation, it cannot return to the tableau.

Sequence Building Examples:

• On the tableau: 9♠ can be placed on 10♦, 10♠, 10♥, or 10♣—suit and color do not matter.
• On the foundation: 5♠ can only be placed on 4♠, 6♠ on 5♠, etc.—must follow suit and ascending rank.

Gameplay:

Typical Turn Sequence:

• Select and move the top card of any tableau column to:
  • Another tableau column (if building down by rank, regardless of suit/color).
  • A foundation pile (if building up by suit in ascending order).
• If a tableau column becomes empty, only a King may be moved into the empty space.
• Continue moving cards to uncover Aces and build up foundations.

Introducing New Cards:

• All cards are dealt at the start; no new cards are introduced during play.

No Legal Moves:

• If no legal moves remain, the game ends. Some digital versions will display a message such as "No possible moves!".

Winning & Losing Conditions:

Winning:

• The game is won when all cards are successfully moved to the four foundation piles, with each foundation built up by suit from Ace to King.

Losing/Unwinnable State:

• The game is lost or unwinnable if no more legal moves can be made and not all cards have reached the foundations.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Empty Tableau Spaces: Only Kings may be moved to fill empty tableau columns. If no King is available, the space remains empty for the rest of the game.
• Card Movement Restrictions: Only the top card of each tableau pile is available for play; sequences or multiple cards cannot be moved together.
• No Redeal or Stock: There is no stock or redeal in Portuguese Solitaire; all cards are in play from the start.
• Strategy Note: Uncover Aces as quickly as possible to start building foundations, and avoid burying Kings behind lower cards to maximize available moves.

Key Terms Defined:

• Tableau: The main play area consisting of columns where cards are initially dealt and manipulated.
• Foundation: Piles where cards are built up by suit, starting from Ace and ending at King.
• Top Card: The uppermost, exposed card of a tableau column, available for movement.

This guide outlines the precise rules and structure for playing Portuguese Solitaire, ensuring clarity and accuracy for both new and experienced players.