Straight Fifteens

Game Objective:

The primary objective in Straight Fifteens Solitaire is to discard all cards from the deck by forming combinations of two or more cards that total exactly fifteen points. The game is won when the entire deck is successfully discarded according to these rules.

Setup & Layout:

• Use a standard 52-card deck.
• Deal 16 cards face-up into a 4x4 grid (forming the tableau).
• The remaining cards form the stock pile (face-down).
• Key play areas:
• Tableau: The 4x4 grid of face-up cards.
• Stock: The undealt cards, used to refill empty spaces in the tableau.
• Waste Pile: Where discarded cards are placed.
• All tableau cards are dealt face-up; stock cards are face-down until drawn to fill tableau spaces.

Straight Fifteens Solitaire Rules:

• Card Values: Ace = 1, Number cards = face value, 10/J/Q/K = 10 each.
• Forming Combinations: Discard any combination of two or more cards from the tableau that sum to exactly 15. Combinations may include:
• Pairs (e.g., 7 + 8)
• Triplets (e.g., 5 + 5 + 5)
• Quadruplets (e.g., 4 + 4 + 4 + 3)
• Face Cards and Tens: All four cards of the same rank (10, J, Q, K) can be discarded together as a set of four.
• Card Movement: Cards are not moved between tableau positions; only discarded when forming valid combinations.
• Refilling Spaces: After discarding, immediately fill empty tableau spaces with cards from the stock.
• No Redeal: Once the stock is exhausted, no further cards are introduced.

Gameplay:

• On each turn:
• Identify and discard any valid combination of tableau cards totaling 15.
• After discarding, refill empty tableau spaces from the stock pile.
• Repeat as long as valid combinations can be formed.
• When no more combinations totaling 15 can be made and the stock is depleted, gameplay ends.
• Stock Management: Cards from the stock are only used to refill tableau spaces, not for direct play or combination.
• Discarding Face Cards/Tens: Discard all four tens, jacks, queens, or kings together when possible.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Winning: The game is won if all cards from the deck are discarded by forming valid combinations totaling 15, with no cards remaining in the tableau or stock.
• Losing: The game is lost if no further combinations totaling 15 can be made and cards remain in the tableau after the stock is depleted.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Filling Empty Spaces: Each time cards are discarded, refill the resulting empty tableau spaces immediately with cards from the stock, maintaining the 4x4 grid until the stock runs out.
• Face Card Grouping Variants: In the Straight Fifteens variant, tens and court cards (J, Q, K) may be removed in a group of one of each (10, J, Q, K) rather than requiring four-of-a-kind, depending on the specific house rule. Confirm the preferred rule before play.
• No Card Movement: Cards may not be moved within the tableau; only discarded in valid combinations.
• No Redeal: Once the stock is depleted, there is no reshuffling or redealing of cards.

Definitions:

• Tableau: The main play area consisting of a 4x4 grid of face-up cards.
• Stock: The pile of undealt cards used to refill tableau spaces.
• Waste Pile: The area where discarded cards are placed.

This guide provides a complete, semantically precise overview of Straight Fifteens Solitaire gameplay mechanics, setup, and rules.