Single Rail

Game Objective:

The primary goal in Single Rail Solitaire is to move all 52 cards from the tableau, waste, and stock to the four foundation piles, building each foundation up in the same suit from Ace to King.

Setup & Layout:

• Deck: Standard 52-card deck is used.
• Foundations: Four foundation piles, initially empty.
• Tableau: Four tableau columns, each dealt one card face up at the start of the game.
• Stock: The remaining 48 cards form the stock pile, placed face down.
• Waste: One waste pile, which begins empty.

Key Play Areas Defined:

• Foundation: Piles where cards are built up by suit from Ace to King.
• Tableau: Four columns where cards are built down by rank, regardless of suit.
• Stock: The main draw pile, face down.
• Waste: Discard pile where cards from the stock are dealt face up; only the top card is accessible.

Single Rail Solitaire Rules:

1. Foundations:

• Foundations are built up by suit from Ace to King (e.g., Ace♠, 2♠, 3♠, …, King♠).
• Only an Ace can be placed on an empty foundation.

2. Tableau:

• Tableau columns are built down by rank (e.g., 9 on 10), regardless of suit.
• Any card or valid sequence of cards built down by rank (regardless of suit) can be moved as a group between tableau columns.
• Any card or sequence may be moved to an empty tableau column.

3. Stock and Waste:

• Cards are dealt one at a time from the stock to the waste pile, face up.
• Only the top card of the waste is available for play to the tableau or foundations.

4. Card Movement:

• To Foundations: Only the top card of each tableau column or the top card of the waste may be moved to a foundation, provided it follows the suit and ascending order.
• Within Tableau: Any sequence of cards built down by rank (regardless of suit) may be moved as a unit to another tableau column, provided the destination card is one rank higher.
• To Tableau: Any card or sequence may be moved to an empty tableau column.

5. No Redeal:

• There is no redeal; once the stock is exhausted, no further cards can be drawn.

Gameplay:

Turn Sequence:

• Move available cards from tableau or waste to the foundations if possible.
• Move cards or sequences within the tableau to build down by rank, regardless of suit.
• Fill empty tableau columns with any card or sequence.
• If no moves are available, deal a card from the stock to the waste.
• Repeat the above steps until either all cards are on the foundations or no legal moves remain and the stock is depleted.

Introducing New Cards:

• Cards are introduced into play by dealing one card at a time from the stock to the waste pile.
• Only the top card of the waste is accessible for play.

No Legal Moves:

• If no moves are possible and the stock is empty, the game ends in a loss.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

Winning:

• The game is won when all 52 cards are moved to the four foundations, each built up in suit from Ace to King.

Losing:

• The game is lost (unwinnable) if the stock is exhausted and no further legal moves are possible to advance cards to the foundations.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Empty Tableau Columns: Any card or sequence of cards may be moved to fill an empty tableau column.
• Sequence Movement: Sequences built down by rank (regardless of suit) can be moved as a unit between tableau columns.
• No Suit Restriction in Tableau: Tableau building and movement ignore suit; only rank order matters for building down.
• Waste Accessibility: Only the top card of the waste is available for play; cards beneath are inaccessible until uncovered.
• No Redeal: Once the stock is depleted, no reshuffling or redealing is allowed.
• Strategic Considerations: It is often advantageous to keep a tableau column empty to increase maneuverability and access to key cards.

Note: There are no restrictions on the suit of sequences moved within the tableau, and any number of cards in sequence may be moved, provided they are built down by rank.