Seven by Five

Game Objective:

The primary objective of Seven by Five Solitaire is to move all cards from the tableau to the foundation piles, building each foundation up in ascending order by suit from Ace to King.

Setup & Layout:

• Deck: Use a standard 52-card deck.
• Tableau: Arrange seven tableau piles:
• The first three piles each receive eight cards.
• The next four piles each receive seven cards.
• All cards are dealt face up in the tableau piles.
• Foundations: There are four foundation piles, one for each suit, which start empty.
• Stock, Reserve, or Waste: There are no stock, reserve, or waste piles in this variant; all cards are dealt to the tableau at the start.

Key Play Areas:

• Tableau: The main play area, consisting of the seven piles described above.
• Foundations: The area where cards are built up by suit from Ace to King.

Seven by Five Solitaire Rules:

• Card Movement:
• Only the top card of each tableau pile is available for play at any time.
• Cards may be moved from one tableau pile to another or from the tableau to the foundations.
• Building on Tableau:
• Build down by alternating colors (e.g., a red 7 can be placed on a black 8).
• Only single cards may be moved at a time; sequences cannot be moved together.
• Building on Foundations:
• Foundations are built up by suit, starting with the Ace and proceeding in ascending order to King (A-2-3-…-K).
• Empty Tableau Spaces:
• Only a King may be moved into an empty tableau pile.

Gameplay:

• On each turn, the player may:
• Move the top card of any tableau pile to another tableau pile, following the building rules (down in rank, alternating color).
• Move the top card of any tableau pile to the appropriate foundation pile, if it is the next card in sequence by suit.
• Move a King to any empty tableau pile.
• There are no stock or waste piles; all cards are in play from the start.
• Play continues until no further legal moves can be made.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Winning: The game is won when all 52 cards have been moved to the foundation piles, correctly built up in suit from Ace to King.
• Losing: The game is lost (or unwinnable) when no more legal moves are available and not all cards have been moved to the foundations.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Empty Spaces: Only a King may be placed in an empty tableau pile. No other card or sequence may fill an empty space.
• No Multi-Card Moves: Only one card may be moved at a time; you cannot move a sequence of cards together.
• No Stock or Redeal: There is no stock pile and no redeal; all cards are dealt face up at the start, and gameplay is limited to moves within the tableau and to the foundations.
• No Reserve or Cells: There are no additional holding areas beyond the tableau and foundations.

Definitions of Key Terms:

• Tableau: The main area of play, consisting of piles where cards are arranged and manipulated.
• Foundation: The target piles where cards are built up in suit from Ace to King.
• Alternating Color: Refers to placing a red card (hearts or diamonds) on a black card (clubs or spades), and vice versa.

This guide is based on the official rules as provided by Polymorphic Solitaire, which is the most authoritative and precise source for this variant.