Seven by Four

Game Objective:

The primary goal in Seven by Four Solitaire is to move all cards from the tableau and cells to the foundation piles, building each foundation by suit from Ace up to King.

Setup & Layout:

• Deck: Use a standard 52-card deck.
• Tableau: Deal seven tableau piles, each with four cards face up. There are no face-down cards in the tableau for this variant.
• Cells: There are four free cells (sometimes called "reserve" or "holding" cells) available above the tableau. Each cell can hold only one card at a time.
• Foundations: Four foundation piles are positioned above the tableau and cells, one for each suit. Foundations start empty.
• Stock/Reserve: There is no stock or waste pile in Seven by Four Solitaire; all cards are dealt at the beginning.

Key Play Areas:

• Tableau: Seven columns of four face-up cards each.
• Cells: Four spaces for temporarily holding single cards.
• Foundations: Four piles, one per suit, built from Ace to King.

Seven by Four Solitaire Rules:

• Card Movement:
  • Only the top card of each tableau pile and any card in a cell may be moved.
  • Cards may be moved to an empty cell, to another tableau pile, or to a foundation pile if legal.
• Building Sequences:
  • Tableau piles are built down in alternating colors (red on black, black on red).
  • Only one card may be moved at a time unless empty cells are used to temporarily hold cards, allowing for multi-card moves (as in FreeCell mechanics).
  • Foundations are built up by suit from Ace through King.
• Moving to Cells:
  • Any single card may be moved to an empty cell.
  • Only one card is allowed per cell.
• Moving to Foundations:
  • Only cards that follow the suit and rank sequence (Ace, 2, 3… King) can be moved to the foundations.

Gameplay:

• Sequence of Actions:
  • Players may move any available card (top of tableau or cell) to another tableau pile, foundation, or cell, following the building rules.
  • Use cells strategically to temporarily hold cards and facilitate movement within the tableau.
  • Continue moving cards, building sequences, and transferring cards to the foundations.
• No Stock/Waste:
  • All cards are in play from the start; there is no drawing of new cards.
• No Legal Moves:
  • If no further moves are possible and not all cards are in the foundations, the game is lost.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Winning:
  • The player wins by moving all 52 cards to the foundation piles, building each suit in order from Ace to King.
• Losing:
  • The game is lost if the player cannot make any legal moves and not all cards are in the foundations.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Filling Empty Tableau Spaces:
  • Any card may be moved into an empty tableau pile, not restricted to Kings.
• Multi-Card Moves:
  • Multiple cards can be moved as a sequence if there are enough empty cells to facilitate the move, following FreeCell mechanics.
• Cell Restrictions:
  • Only one card per cell; cells are used for temporary holding only.
• No Redeal:
  • There is no redeal or recycling of cards; all cards are dealt face up at the start.

Unique Features:

• Seven tableau piles (instead of eight as in classic FreeCell), increasing difficulty.
• All cards are visible from the start, emphasizing strategy and planning.

Definitions:

• Tableau: The main area with seven columns where cards are arranged and manipulated.
• Cell: Temporary holding spaces for single cards.
• Foundation: Piles where cards are built up by suit from Ace to King.

This guide is based on the official rules and authoritative sources for Seven by Four Solitaire.