Trigon

Game Objective:

The objective of Trigon Solitaire is to move all cards from the tableau and stock to the four foundation piles, building each foundation up in suit from Ace to King.

Setup & Layout:

• Deck: Uses a standard 52-card deck.
• Foundations: Four foundation piles, all initially empty.
• Tableau: Seven tableau piles. Deal as follows:
• 1 card to the first pile (face up),
• 2 cards to the second pile (top card face up, others face down),
• Continue, increasing by one card per pile, until the seventh pile has 7 cards (top card face up, others face down).
• Stock: The remaining cards after dealing the tableau form the stock pile, placed face down.
• Waste: One waste pile, which receives cards dealt one at a time from the stock. The top card of the waste is always face up and available for play.

Key Play Areas:

• Foundations: Where cards are built up in suit from Ace to King.
• Tableau: Seven columns where cards are built down in suit.
• Stock: The draw pile for additional cards.
• Waste: Receives cards from the stock, top card is playable.

Trigon Solitaire Rules:

Card Movement Principles:

• Foundations: Build up by suit from Ace to King. Only Aces may be moved to empty foundation piles. Cards on the foundation can be moved if needed.
• Tableau: Build down by suit (e.g., 8♠ on 9♠). Only Kings may be moved to empty tableau spaces.
• Sequences: Groups of cards in correct descending suit sequence can be moved together within the tableau.
• Stock: Deal one card at a time to the waste. Unlimited redeals are allowed; when the stock is empty, turn over the waste to form a new stock.
• Waste: Only the top card is playable, and it can be moved to either the tableau or the foundations.

Movement Conditions:

• To Foundations: Only the next higher card of the same suit may be placed (e.g., 2♣ on Ace♣).
• Within Tableau: Only the next lower card of the same suit may be placed (e.g., 7♦ on 8♦). Sequences must be in perfect descending suit order to move as a group.
• To Empty Tableau: Only a King or a group of cards with a King at the bottom may be moved into an empty tableau space.

Gameplay:

• Examine the tableau for available moves. Move cards or sequences built down in suit from one tableau pile to another.
• Move any available Aces to empty foundation piles.
• Build up the foundations by suit whenever possible.
• When no moves are available in the tableau, deal one card from the stock to the waste pile.
• Use the top card of the waste pile for play on the tableau or foundations.
• Repeat the process, using unlimited redeals of the stock as needed.
• If a tableau pile becomes empty, fill it only with a King or a valid descending suit sequence starting with a King.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Win: The game is won when all 52 cards are moved to the four foundation piles, each built up in suit from Ace to King.
• Lose/Unwinnable State: The game is lost or unwinnable if no further legal moves are possible and all cards cannot be moved to the foundations, even after exhausting all possible redeals of the stock.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Filling Empty Tableau: Only Kings or valid sequences with a King at the bottom may be placed in empty tableau spaces.
• Moving Sequences: Only sequences built down in suit may be moved together as a group within the tableau.
• Redeals: There is no limit to the number of times the stock may be redealt; this distinguishes Trigon from stricter solitaire variants.
• Foundation Flexibility: Cards may be moved between foundation piles if needed, as long as the build-up by suit rule is maintained.
• Stock and Waste: Always deal one card at a time from the stock to the waste. The top card of the waste is always available for play.

Edge Case: If all tableau piles are empty except for one or more Kings (or sequences starting with Kings), only those Kings or sequences can be used to fill empty spaces, maintaining the rule that only Kings may occupy empty tableau spots.

Note: Trigon Solitaire is considered a balanced game of both skill and luck, with roughly a 50% win rate for experienced players.