Unlimited

Game Objective:

The primary objective in Unlimited Solitaire is to move all cards from the tableau and stock to the foundation piles, building each foundation in ascending order by suit from Ace to King.

Setup & Layout:

• Deck: Uses a standard 52-card deck.
• Tableau: Seven columns.
  • Column 1: 1 card (face up)
  • Column 2: 1 card face down, 1 card face up
  • Column 3: 2 cards face down, 1 card face up
  • Continue this pattern until Column 7 has 6 cards face down and 1 card face up.
• Foundation: Four empty piles, one for each suit, placed above the tableau.
• Stock: The remaining cards after dealing the tableau, placed face down above the tableau.
• Waste (Talon): Created as cards are drawn from the stock and cannot be immediately played.
• Face-up/Face-down: Only the top card of each tableau column is face up; all other tableau cards are face down at the start. All foundation piles and waste are face up.

Unlimited Solitaire Rules:

• Building on Tableau:
  • Build tableau columns in descending order and alternating colors (red on black or black on red).
  • Only face-up cards or properly sequenced groups of face-up cards can be moved.
• Moving Cards:
  • Move a single face-up card or a group of sequenced face-up cards to another tableau column if the move continues the descending, alternating color sequence.
  • Only Kings or sequences starting with a King can be moved to empty tableau spaces.
• Foundations:
  • Build each foundation pile by suit, in ascending order from Ace to King.
  • Only Aces can start a foundation pile.
  • Only the next higher card of the same suit may be placed on a foundation pile.
• Stock and Waste:
  • Draw cards from the stock pile one at a time (or three at a time, depending on the variant) to the waste pile.
  • Only the top card of the waste pile is available for play to tableau or foundations.

Gameplay:

• Turn Sequence:
  • Move cards within the tableau to reveal face-down cards.
  • Move available cards to the foundation piles when possible.
  • Draw from the stock pile when no moves are available on the tableau.
  • Play the top card of the waste pile to the tableau or foundations if legal.
  • When the stock pile is exhausted, turn the waste pile over to reform the stock (in Unlimited Solitaire, this can be done an unlimited number of times).
• Revealing Cards:
  • When a face-up card is removed from a tableau column, immediately turn the next face-down card in that column face up.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Winning: The game is won when all cards are moved to the four foundation piles, each built in ascending order by suit from Ace to King.
• Losing/Unwinnable State: The game is unwinnable if no legal moves remain and all cards cannot be moved to the foundation piles. In Unlimited Solitaire, this state is only reached if the player cannot progress after any number of redeals.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Unlimited Redeals: The defining rule of Unlimited Solitaire is that players may recycle the waste pile back into the stock pile an unlimited number of times, allowing for continuous play until the game is won or a truly unwinnable state is reached.
• Filling Empty Tableau Spaces: Only a King (or a valid sequence starting with a King) may be moved to fill an empty tableau column.
• Moving Groups: A group of sequenced cards may be moved as a unit if the move maintains the descending, alternating color sequence.
• No Shuffle on Redeal: When recycling the waste pile into the stock, do not shuffle the cards; maintain their order.
• Face-Down Card Exposure: Always turn the top face-down card face up when it becomes exposed in the tableau.

Definitions of Key Terms:

• Tableau: The main play area with seven columns where cards are arranged in descending order and alternating colors.
• Foundation: Four piles, one for each suit, where cards are stacked in ascending order from Ace to King.
• Stock: The pile of undealt cards, face down, from which cards are drawn.
• Waste (Talon): The pile where cards from the stock are placed when they cannot be immediately played.

This guide provides the precise rules and unique mechanics of Unlimited Solitaire, focusing on its unlimited redeal feature and standard solitaire play structure.