Triple Easthaven

Game Objective:

The primary goal in Triple Easthaven Solitaire is to move all 156 cards (from three standard 52-card decks) onto the twelve foundation piles, building each foundation up in ascending order by suit, starting with Ace and ending with King.

Setup & Layout:

• Deck Composition: Use three standard 52-card decks, totaling 156 cards.
• Tableau: Arrange twelve tableau piles. Each tableau pile is dealt three cards: the top card is face up, and the other two are face down.
• Foundations: There are twelve foundation piles, each starting empty. Each foundation is built up by suit from Ace to King.
• Stock: The remaining cards form the stock pile, placed face down. Cards from the stock are dealt face up to the tableau during gameplay.
• Play Areas Defined:
• Tableau: The main play area with twelve columns.
• Foundations: Twelve piles for building up by suit.
• Stock: The draw pile used to introduce new cards into play.
• Face Orientation: In each tableau pile, only the top card is face up; all other cards are face down at the start.

Triple Easthaven Solitaire Rules:

• Card Movement Principles:
• Cards in the tableau are built down in descending order, alternating colors (e.g., a red 9 may be placed on a black 10).
• Sequences of cards built down by alternating color can be moved together as a group within the tableau.
• Any card or valid sequence may be moved to an empty tableau pile.
• Foundation Building:
• Foundations start with an Ace and are built up by suit (Ace, 2, 3, …, King).
• Only cards of the same suit may be placed on a foundation pile, always in ascending order.
• Stock Dealing:
• When the stock is tapped, one card is dealt face up to each tableau pile.
• Movement Restrictions:
• Only sequences built down by alternating color can be moved together.
• Any card or sequence may fill an empty tableau pile, not restricted to Kings.

Gameplay:

• Typical Sequence of Actions:
• Move cards within the tableau to build descending sequences by alternating color.
• Transfer eligible cards (Aces first, then ascending by suit) to the foundation piles.
• Move entire sequences, provided they follow the alternating color rule, between tableau piles.
• Fill empty tableau spaces with any card or valid sequence.
• Introducing New Cards:
• When no further moves are possible, tap the stock to deal one card face up to each tableau pile.
• Continue rearranging cards and building foundations as new cards are introduced.
• When No Legal Moves Remain:
• If all cards have been dealt from the stock and no further moves are possible, the game ends in a loss.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Winning Condition: The game is won when all 156 cards have been moved to the twelve foundation piles, each built up by suit from Ace to King.
• Losing Condition: The game is lost if the stock is depleted and no further legal moves are possible in the tableau or to the foundations.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Filling Empty Tableau Spaces: Any card or valid sequence (built down by alternating color) may be moved to an empty tableau pile; there is no restriction to Kings.
• Stock Dealing: When the stock is used, one card is dealt face up to each tableau pile, regardless of its current contents.
• Sequence Movement: Sequences must be built down by alternating color to be moved as a group. Non-sequential groups cannot be moved together.
• Foundation Interaction: The top card of a foundation may be moved back to the tableau if it helps build a sequence, provided all other movement rules are followed.
• Edge Case for Last Deal: If the number of tableau piles exceeds the number of cards remaining in the stock, only as many cards as possible are dealt, starting from the first tableau piles.

Key Definitions:

• Tableau: The main area of play, consisting of twelve piles where cards are arranged and manipulated.
• Foundation: Designated piles where cards are built up by suit from Ace to King.
• Stock: The remaining undealt cards, used to introduce new cards into play.

This guide provides a complete, rule-focused reference for playing Triple Easthaven Solitaire using three decks and twelve tableau and foundation piles, emphasizing its unique mechanics and edge cases.