Shamrocks

Game Objective:

The primary goal in Shamrocks Solitaire is to move all 52 cards from the tableau to the four foundation piles, building each foundation up in suit from Ace to King.

Setup & Layout:

• Deck: Standard 52-card deck is used.
• Tableau:
• Deal 17 piles (also called "fans" or "columns") with three cards each, placed face-up.
• The remaining 1 card is dealt as a single-card 18th pile, also face-up.
• All cards are dealt face-up; there are no face-down cards in this game.
• Foundations:
• Four foundation piles, one for each suit, are created during play as soon as an Ace becomes available.
• Special Initial King Handling:
• During setup, if a King is on top or in the middle of any pile, move it beneath any lower-ranked card of the same suit within that pile. This is to prevent Kings from blocking play at the start.

Key Play Areas:

• Tableau (18 piles): The main play area where all cards start, each pile holding up to three cards.
• Foundations (4 piles): The destination for each suit, built up from Ace to King.

Shamrocks Solitaire Rules:

• Card Movement:
• Only the top card of each tableau pile is available for play.
• Cards may be moved to:
  • Another tableau pile (if legal, see below).
  • The foundations (if the card is the next in suit and sequence).
• Tableau Building:
• Tableau piles can be built up or down by one rank, regardless of suit (e.g., a 7♣ can be placed on a 6♦ or 8♠).
• No tableau pile may contain more than three cards at any time.
• Foundation Building:
• Foundations are built up by suit, starting with Ace and ending with King (e.g., Ace♠, 2♠, 3♠, …, King♠).
• Empty Piles:
• Once a tableau pile is emptied, it cannot be refilled.

Gameplay:

1. Move Aces to Foundations: As soon as an Ace is exposed, move it to start a foundation pile.
2. Build on Tableau:

• Move the top card of any pile onto another tableau pile if the destination pile has fewer than three cards and the moved card is one rank higher or lower than the top card of the destination pile (suit does not matter).

1. Build Foundations:

• Move cards to the foundations whenever the next card in suit and sequence is available.

1. Continue Play:

• Repeat moving cards between tableau piles and to the foundations, always observing the three-card limit per pile.

1. No Redeal:

• There is no stock, reserve, or redeal; all cards are in play from the start.

1. No Filling Empty Piles:

• Once a tableau pile is emptied, it remains empty for the rest of the game.

1. End of Play:

• Play continues until all cards are moved to the foundations or no more legal moves are possible.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Win: The game is won when all 52 cards have been moved to the four foundations, each built up in suit from Ace to King.
• Lose: The game is lost if no further legal moves are possible and not all cards have been moved to the foundations. An unwinnable state often occurs if essential cards are blocked or empty piles limit movement.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Empty Tableau Piles:
• Empty tableau piles cannot be filled under any circumstances.
• King Placement During Setup:
• If a King is dealt on top or in the middle of a pile, it must be moved beneath any lower-ranked card of the same suit within that pile before play begins. This prevents Kings from blocking access to other cards.
• No Sequence Moves:
• Only single cards (the top card of a pile) may be moved at a time; sequences or groups of cards cannot be moved together.
• No Redeals or Stock:
• There is no redeal and no stock; all cards are in play from the start.
• Strategic Note:
• Never move the last card from a pile unless it can go to the foundation; emptying a pile reduces the number of available moves and may make the game unwinnable.

Summary of Key Terms:

• Tableau: The main play area with 18 piles, each holding up to three cards.
• Foundations: Four piles, one per suit, built from Ace to King.
• Top Card: The uppermost card of any tableau pile, the only card available for movement from that pile.

This guide provides a complete, rule-accurate reference for playing Shamrocks Solitaire using the most authoritative sources available.