Quadruple Canfield

Game Objective:

The primary goal in Quadruple Canfield Solitaire is to move all 208 cards (using four standard 52-card decks) to the foundation piles, building each foundation up by suit starting from the base card assigned to that pile.

Setup & Layout:

• Decks Used: Four standard 52-card decks, totaling 208 cards.
• Reserve: One reserve pile is created by dealing 39 cards; the top card is dealt face-up, while the remaining 38 are face-down.
• Foundations: There are 16 foundation piles (one for each suit in four decks). Each foundation pile starts with a base card when it becomes available, and is built up by suit.
• Tableau: The tableau consists of eight piles. Each pile is dealt one card face-up at the start of the game.
• Stock: The remaining cards after the reserve, tableau, and foundations are set aside as the stock pile, placed face-down.
• Waste: Cards drawn from the stock are placed face-up onto the waste pile, with only the top card available for play.

Play Area Definitions:

• Reserve: A pile of 39 cards, only the top card is accessible at any time.
• Foundations: Sixteen piles, one for each suit, built up in ascending order by suit.
• Tableau: Eight piles where cards are arranged in descending order and alternating colors.
• Stock: The draw pile, face-down.
• Waste: Discard pile, face-up; only the top card is playable.

Quadruple Canfield Solitaire Rules:

• Building Foundations: Foundations are built up by suit, starting from the base card (which may not be an Ace), wrapping around from King to Ace as needed.
• Tableau Building: Cards in the tableau are built in descending order and must alternate colors (red/black). Sequences may wrap from Ace to King.
• Card Movement:
• Only the top card of the reserve, tableau piles, or waste pile may be moved.
• Cards (or sequences) can be moved between tableau piles if they follow descending order and alternating colors.
• Only the top card of the reserve is available for play; when it is moved, the next card beneath is turned face-up.
• When a tableau pile is empty, it must be filled immediately with the top card of the reserve. If the reserve is empty, the top card of the waste pile is used.
• Stock/Waste Interaction: Cards are drawn from the stock, typically in groups (often three at a time), and placed on the waste pile. Only the top card of the waste pile is playable.

Gameplay:

• Turn Sequence:
• Play any available card from the reserve, tableau, or waste pile to the foundations if possible.
• Build tableau piles by moving cards or legal sequences, following descending order and alternating colors.
• Draw cards from the stock to the waste pile when no other moves are available. Only the top card of the waste may be played to tableau or foundations.
• Fill empty tableau spaces immediately with the top card of the reserve; if the reserve is depleted, use the top card of the waste pile.
• Introducing New Cards:
• When the reserve's top card is played, flip the next reserve card face-up.
• When the stock is depleted, the waste pile may be turned over to become the new stock (rules may vary on the number of redeals allowed).
• No More Legal Moves:
• If no moves are possible from reserve, tableau, or waste, and the stock is exhausted, the game ends in a standstill.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Winning: The game is won when all 208 cards are moved to the foundation piles, correctly built up by suit from the base card.
• Losing/Unwinnable: The game is lost or unwinnable if no legal moves remain and the stock and reserve are exhausted, leaving cards stranded in the tableau or waste.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Filling Empty Tableau Spaces: An empty tableau pile must be filled immediately with the top card of the reserve. If the reserve is empty, use the top card of the waste pile.
• Base Card Wrapping: Foundations and tableau sequences may wrap from King to Ace, continuing the sequence as needed.
• Reserve Access: Only the top card of the reserve is accessible; when played, the next card is revealed.
• Redeals: The number of times the waste pile can be recycled into the stock may be limited depending on specific house rules or platform implementation.
• Multiple Decks: With four decks, there are sixteen foundation piles and a much larger tableau and reserve, making the game significantly more complex than standard Canfield.

Definitions of Key Terms:

• Reserve: A pile of face-down cards with only the top card face-up and available for play.
• Foundation: A pile built up by suit starting from a base card, wrapping around as necessary.
• Tableau: The primary play area where cards are arranged in descending order and alternating colors.
• Stock: The face-down draw pile.
• Waste: The face-up discard pile, with only the top card available for play.

This guide is based on the most authoritative available sources for Quadruple Canfield Solitaire, prioritizing official and rule-focused documentation.