Queen Victoria

Game Objective:

The primary goal in Queen Victoria Solitaire is to move all cards from the tableau and stock to the foundation piles, building each foundation up in suit from Ace to King using a standard double deck (104 cards).

Setup & Layout:

• Deck: Use two standard 52-card decks (104 cards in total).
• Tableau: There are nine tableau piles. The first pile receives one card, the second receives two cards, the third receives three, and so on, up to the ninth pile, which receives nine cards. All cards in the tableau are dealt face up.
• Foundations: There are eight foundation piles, one for each suit in both decks. Foundations start empty.
• Stock: The remaining cards after dealing the tableau form the stock pile, which is placed face down.
• Waste: Cards from the stock are dealt onto the tableau directly; there is no separate waste pile in the standard rules.
• Play Areas Defined:
• Tableau: The main area where cards are arranged in descending order and alternating colors.
• Foundations: The area where cards are built up in suit from Ace to King.
• Stock: The pile from which additional cards are dealt to the tableau.

Queen Victoria Solitaire Rules:

• Building on the Tableau: Cards are built down in rank and must alternate in color (e.g., a red 7 can be placed on a black 8).
• Moving Cards: Only the top card of each tableau pile is available for play. However, a sequence of cards arranged in correct descending order and alternating colors may be moved as a group between tableau piles.
• Foundations: Foundations are built up by suit, starting from Ace and ending with King (e.g., Ace of Hearts, 2 of Hearts, …, King of Hearts).
• Filling Spaces: Any empty tableau pile may be filled with any single card or a legal sequence of cards.
• Stock Dealing: When no more moves are available, deal one card from the stock onto each tableau pile. This is done simultaneously for all tableau piles.
• No Redeals: Once the stock is exhausted, no further redeals are permitted.

Gameplay:

1. Initial Moves: Examine the tableau for possible moves, building down in alternating colors and transferring cards or sequences as permitted.
2. Foundation Building: Move Aces to the foundations as they become available, then continue building up by suit.
3. Dealing from Stock: When no further moves can be made on the tableau, deal one card from the stock onto each tableau pile. Continue play with the new cards exposed.
4. Repeat: Continue moving cards and dealing from the stock until all cards are moved to the foundations or no further moves are possible.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Winning: The game is won when all 104 cards have been moved to the foundation piles, each built up in suit from Ace to King.
• Losing: The game is lost if, after the stock is exhausted and all possible moves have been made, not all cards are on the foundations.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Filling Empty Tableau Piles: Any empty tableau pile may be filled with any single card or a legal sequence of cards, regardless of rank or suit.
• Sequence Moves: Sequences moved between tableau piles must be in strict descending rank and alternate in color throughout the sequence.
• Stock Exhaustion: Once the stock pile is empty, no further cards can be dealt. Play continues only with the cards available on the tableau.
• No Redeal: There is no option to reshuffle or redeal the stock once it has been used up.
• Multiple Moves: Only one sequence or card may be moved at a time; you may not split sequences or move partial groups unless the moved cards form a proper sequence.

Note: Some digital or printed sources may present minor variations in the number of tableau piles or the method of dealing from the stock, but the above rules represent the most widely accepted and referenced version of Queen Victoria Solitaire as derived from authoritative sources.