Wading Pool

Game Objective:

The primary goal in Wading Pool Solitaire is to move all cards from the tableau piles into ordered sequences, ultimately arranging each tableau pile in descending order by suit from King down to Ace.

Setup & Layout:

• Deck: Use a standard 52-card deck.
• Tableau (Play Area): Deal all 52 cards face-up into 8 tableau piles:
• The first 4 tableau piles each receive 7 cards.
• The next 4 tableau piles each receive 6 cards.
• Foundations: There are no separate foundation piles in Wading Pool Solitaire; all play occurs within the tableau.
• Face Orientation: All cards are dealt face-up—there are no hidden or face-down cards in this variant.
• Other Areas: There is no stock, waste, reserve, or cell area in this game.

Wading Pool Solitaire Rules:

• Building Sequences:
• Cards are built downward in the same suit within each tableau pile.
• Only a card that is exactly one rank lower and of the same suit may be placed on another card (e.g., 7♠ can be placed on 8♠).
• Sequences of cards in correct descending order and matching suit may be moved together as a group.
• Card Movement:
• Any single card or a properly ordered group of cards (descending, same suit) may be moved to another tableau pile, provided the move maintains the descending, same-suit order.
• Empty Piles:
• Any empty tableau pile may be filled with any card or any legal group of cards.

Gameplay:

• On each turn, the player may:
• Move a single card or a legal sequence (descending, same suit) onto another tableau pile, following the building rules.
• Move any card or sequence into an empty tableau pile.
• There are no stock or reserve piles; all cards are in play from the start.
• The player continues making moves to arrange the tableau piles into complete descending sequences by suit.
• If no legal moves remain, play ends.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Winning: The game is won when all 8 tableau piles are arranged in complete descending sequences from King down to Ace in the same suit (i.e., each pile is a full K-Q-J-…-2-A of one suit).
• Losing/Unwinnable: The game is lost or unwinnable if no further legal moves can be made and the tableau piles are not all in complete descending suit sequences.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Filling Empty Spaces: Any empty tableau pile may be filled with any card or any legal sequence (descending, same suit).
• No Stock or Redeal: There is no stock, waste, or redeal in Wading Pool Solitaire; all cards are dealt face-up at the start and remain in the tableau.
• All Cards Visible: Because all cards are face-up, there is no hidden information or need to reveal cards during play.
• Group Moves: Only sequences that are already in perfect descending order and of the same suit may be moved as a group.

Summary of Key Terms:

• Tableau: The main play area, consisting of 8 piles where all cards are dealt face-up.
• Sequence: A group of cards in descending order (e.g., 10-9-8-7) and of the same suit.
• Legal Move: Moving a card or sequence onto a card of the same suit and one rank higher, or into an empty tableau pile.

This ruleset distinguishes Wading Pool Solitaire from other solitaire games by its use of all face-up cards, strict same-suit sequencing, and absence of foundations or stock piles.