Trefoil

Game Objective:

The primary goal in Trefoil Solitaire is to move all cards from the tableau to the four foundation piles, building each foundation in ascending order by suit from Ace to King.

Setup & Layout:

• Deck Used: Standard 52-card deck.
• Foundations: Four piles, each starting with an Ace (one Ace of each suit is placed face-up to begin).
• Tableau ("Trefoils"): 16 piles, each with 3 cards dealt face-up and fanned so all cards are visible.
• Card Arrangement: All cards except the Aces are distributed among the tableau piles. The top card of each pile is available for play.
• Face-Up/Face-Down: All cards are dealt face-up; there are no face-down cards in Trefoil Solitaire.

Trefoil Solitaire Rules:

• Foundations:

  • Build up in suit from Ace to King (e.g., 2♠ on Ace♠, 3♠ on 2♠, etc.).
  • Only cards of the same suit and the next higher rank may be placed on each foundation.

• Tableau:

  • Build down in suit (e.g., 10♥ on Jack♥).
  • Only the top card of each tableau pile may be moved.
  • Only one card may be moved at a time.
  • Cards can only be moved to another tableau pile if they are one rank lower and of the same suit as the top card of the destination pile.
  • Cards can be moved from the tableau directly to the foundations if they fit the ascending sequence.

• Empty Spaces:

  • Empty tableau spaces are not filled; once a pile is empty, it remains empty for the rest of the game.

• Redeals:

  • After all possible moves are made, the player may redeal the tableau. Up to two redeals are permitted (three deals in total).
  • During a redeal, all remaining tableau cards are reshuffled and redealt into 16 piles of three cards each.

Gameplay:

• Typical Sequence of Actions:

  • Move available Aces to the foundation piles at the start if not already placed.
  • Build up foundations in suit, moving eligible cards from the tableau.
  • Rearrange tableau cards by moving top cards down in suit and by one rank.
  • Continue moving cards to foundations and rearranging tableau piles as allowed.

• Introducing New Cards:

  • No stock or reserve piles exist; all cards are in play from the start.
  • After exhausting all legal moves, the player may use the redeal feature to reshuffle and redeal the tableau piles (up to two times).

• No More Legal Moves:

  • If no moves are possible and redeals are exhausted, the game ends in a loss.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Winning Condition:

  • The game is won when all cards have been moved to the four foundation piles, each built up in suit from Ace to King.

• Losing/Unwinnable Condition:

  • The game is lost if, after exhausting all moves and allowed redeals, not all cards can be moved to the foundations.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Empty Tableau Piles:

  • Empty tableau spaces are not refillable; once a pile is emptied, it remains empty for the rest of the game.

• Redeal Restrictions:

  • Only two redeals are permitted. After the third deal (initial plus two redeals), no further reshuffling is allowed.

• Movement Restrictions:

  • Only one card may be moved at a time; sequences cannot be moved as a group.
  • Only the top card of each tableau pile is available for play.

• Variations:

  • Some digital implementations may offer a "Trefoil and a Draw" variant, allowing the player to bring a buried card to the top after both redeals have been used. This feature is not part of the standard ruleset and should be considered optional.

• Strategic Considerations:

  • Careful planning is required to avoid burying Aces or Kings, as they are essential for building foundations and clearing tableau piles.

Key Terms Defined:

• Foundation: A pile where cards are built up by suit from Ace to King.
• Tableau: The main play area consisting of 16 piles (fans) of three cards each, built down in suit.
• Redeal: The action of reshuffling and redealing all remaining tableau cards, allowed twice per game.

This guide provides a comprehensive and semantically precise overview of the rules and gameplay for Trefoil Solitaire, strictly focused on mechanics and play structure.