Three Shuffles and a Draw

Game Objective:

The primary goal in Three Shuffles and a Draw Solitaire is to move all cards from the tableau to the four foundation piles, building each foundation up in suit from Ace to King.

Setup & Layout:

• Deck: Uses a standard 52-card deck.
• Tableau: The deck is dealt into 17 fans (also called packets or piles) of 3 cards each, with the final (18th) fan containing only 1 card. All cards are dealt face-up and visible to the player.
• Foundations: Four empty foundation piles are present, one for each suit. These are built up from Ace to King.
• Stock/Reserve: There are no stock or reserve piles in this variant.
• Empty Piles: If a tableau fan becomes empty, it remains empty and cannot be filled.

Three Shuffles and a Draw Solitaire Rules:

• Card Movement: Only the top card of each fan is available for play. Cards beneath the top are inaccessible until uncovered.
• Building in Tableau: Cards are built in descending sequence and must be of the same suit (e.g., 10♠ onto J♠).
• Moving to Foundations: When an Ace becomes available, it is moved to its corresponding foundation. Foundations are built up in suit from Ace to King.
• Empty Fans: No card may be played to an empty fan. Once a fan is empty, it cannot be refilled, even by a King.
• Sequence Movement: Only single cards (not sequences) can be moved; you cannot move a group of cards together.
• Shuffles: When no further moves are possible, all cards remaining in the tableau are collected, shuffled, and redealt into fans of three cards (except the last fan, which may have fewer). This redeal is permitted twice, resulting in three total deals (the initial deal plus two shuffles).

Gameplay:

• Typical Turn:
• Move available top cards from the tableau onto other tableau fans, following the descending same-suit rule.
• Move available Aces to the foundations and continue building up in suit.
• No Moves Available: When no legal moves remain, gather all tableau cards, shuffle, and redeal into fans of three cards (except possibly the last fan).
• Draw Mechanic: After the final (third) deal, you may move one buried card (any card beneath the top in any fan) to the top of its fan. This "draw" is permitted only once per game and is typically used to unblock a crucial card.
• End of Play: After the final shuffle and the single draw, play continues until no moves remain.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Win Condition: The game is won when all 52 cards have been moved to the foundations, with each foundation built up in suit from Ace to King.
• Lose Condition: The game is lost if, after the final shuffle and the single draw, no further moves are possible and not all cards have been moved to the foundations.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Filling Empty Fans: Empty fans cannot be filled at any time, even by Kings.
• Draw Rule: After the final redeal, you may move one buried card to the top of its fan. This may only be done once per game and is intended to unblock a key card that would otherwise make the game unwinnable.
• No Sequence Moves: Only single cards may be moved at any time; you cannot move sequences of cards together.
• No Stock/Waste: There are no stock or waste piles in this variant.
• Visibility: All cards are always face-up and visible to the player.

Summary of Key Terms:

• Fan: A pile of cards dealt face-up, with only the top card accessible.
• Foundation: Piles where cards are built up in suit from Ace to King.
• Draw: The unique rule allowing one buried card to be moved to the top of its fan after the final redeal.

This guide provides the definitive rules and procedures for playing Three Shuffles and a Draw Solitaire, ensuring precise understanding for both new and experienced players.