Rueil Solitaire: How to Play

Game Objective

The primary goal in Rueil Solitaire is to move all 208 cards from the tableau and stock to the sixteen foundations, organized by suit in ascending order from Ace to King. Successfully completing this objective results in a win.

Setup & Layout

Rueil Solitaire is played with four standard decks (208 cards total), which means there are four complete sets of cards from Ace through King in each of the four suits (Spades, Hearts, Diamonds, and Clubs).

Initial Card Arrangement

The game begins with the following layout:

• Ten Tableaus: Each tableau pile is dealt eight cards face-up, arranged in a column. All cards in the tableau are visible to the player.
• Sixteen Foundations: These are the destination piles where cards will be built. Initially, all foundations are empty.
• Stock Pile: The remaining cards (after dealing 80 cards to the ten tableaus) are placed face-down in a single pile. This pile is used to introduce new cards into play.
• Waste Pile: One waste pile exists where cards from the stock are placed face-up during play.

Rueil Solitaire Rules

Foundation Building Rules

The sixteen foundations are the target piles where all cards must eventually be placed. The following rules govern foundation play:

• An Ace may be the first card placed on an empty foundation. Once an Ace is placed, the foundation for that suit is established.
• Foundations build upward by the same suit only. For example, after the Ace of Spades is placed on a foundation, only the 2 of Spades may be placed on top of it, followed by the 3 of Spades, and so on, continuing through the King of Spades.
• Cards may be moved from the tableau or waste pile directly to a foundation if they follow the ascending suit sequence.

Tableau Building Rules

The ten tableau piles follow a different building pattern than the foundations:

• Tableaus build downward by the same suit only. For example, the 6 of Spades may be placed on top of the 7 of Spades, and the 5 of Spades may be placed on top of the 6 of Spades.
• Sequences of cards that are built in descending order by the same suit may be moved together as a group from one tableau to another. For instance, if you have 6♠-5♠-4♠ built in sequence on one tableau, you may move this entire sequence to another tableau that has a 7♠ on top.
• Any card or sequence may be moved to an empty tableau. When a tableau becomes empty, it may be filled with any available card or valid sequence.

Stock and Waste Rules

The stock pile controls the introduction of new cards into play:

• The stock deals one card face-up to the waste pile each time it is tapped or clicked. Only the top card of the waste pile is movable to either a tableau or foundation.
• A single redeal is permitted. This means you may go through the entire stock once, and when it runs out, you may shuffle the waste pile back into the stock for a second pass. After this second pass is complete, no further redeals are allowed.
• This rule structure allows for two complete passes through the stock during a single game.

Gameplay

Sequence of Play

During your turn, you may perform any legal moves in any order and as many times as you wish. The typical sequence of actions includes:

1. Examine all face-up cards in the tableau and waste pile to identify legal moves.
2. Move cards to foundations whenever possible. Cards may be moved from the tableau or waste pile to a foundation if they continue the ascending suit sequence.
3. Move cards between tableaus to expose face-down cards or create empty tableaus for strategic advantage. Remember that only cards or sequences built in descending suit order may be moved.
4. Draw from the stock when no more beneficial moves can be made from the tableau or waste pile. Tap the stock to reveal one card face-up in the waste pile.
5. Repeat until you either win by moving all cards to the foundations or reach a state where no legal moves remain.

Introducing New Cards

New cards are introduced exclusively through the stock pile. When you tap the stock, one card is dealt face-up to the waste pile. Only the top card of the waste pile is accessible for play. Once a card from the waste pile is moved (either to a tableau or foundation), the next card in the waste pile becomes available.

When No More Moves Are Possible

If you reach a point where no legal moves can be made from the tableau or waste pile, you must draw from the stock. If the stock is also exhausted and no legal moves remain, the game ends in a loss. However, if you have already used your one permitted redeal and the stock is exhausted a second time with no legal moves available, the game is definitively lost.

Winning & Losing Conditions

Winning

You win the game when all 208 cards have been successfully moved to the sixteen foundations, with each foundation containing a complete sequence from Ace through King in the same suit.

Losing

You lose the game when you reach a state in which:

• No legal moves can be made from the tableau or waste pile, and
• The stock pile is exhausted (either after the first pass or after the single permitted redeal)

At this point, the game becomes unwinnable, and you must restart.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

Empty Tableau Piles

When a tableau pile becomes completely empty (all eight cards have been moved away), any card or valid sequence may be placed into that empty space. This includes cards from other tableaus or the top card from the waste pile. Empty tableaus provide strategic opportunities to rearrange sequences and expose new cards.

The Single Redeal

Rueil Solitaire permits exactly one redeal of the waste back into the stock. When the stock is exhausted during your first pass, you may gather all cards from the waste pile, shuffle them, and place them face-down as the new stock. You then proceed with a second complete pass through the stock. After this second pass is exhausted, no further redeals are permitted, and the game must be won or lost with the remaining cards.

Difficulty and Odds

Rueil Solitaire is classified as a low-odds game, with approximately a 1 in 5 (20%) win rate. Success is determined mostly by skill, with only a small amount of luck involved. Strategic planning, careful sequencing, and optimal use of the redeal are essential for achieving victory.