Zerline

Game Objective:

The primary goal in Zerline Solitaire is to move all cards from the tableau, reserve, and stock onto the eight foundation piles, building each foundation in suit from King through Ace up to Queen.

Setup & Layout:

• Deck: Zerline Solitaire uses two standard 52-card decks (104 cards total).

• Tableau: Deal 5 cards face-up to each of 8 tableau piles (totaling 40 cards). All tableau cards are visible and accessible.

• Foundations: There are 8 foundation piles, initially empty, to be built during play.

• Stock: The remaining 64 cards form the stock pile, placed face-down.

• Waste: Cards from the stock are turned over one at a time to a face-up waste pile.

• Reserve: There is a reserve area that can hold up to 4 cards. Only the top card of the reserve is available for play.

• Summary of Play Areas:

  | Area | Cards | Face-up/Face-down | Purpose/Notes | |-------------|-------|-------------------|--------------------------------------------| | Tableau | 40 | Face-up | Main play area for building sequences | | Foundations | 0 | N/A | Build up in suit from King to Queen | | Stock | 64 | Face-down | Draw cards to waste pile | | Waste | 0 | Face-up | Top card can be played to tableau/foundation| | Reserve | 0-4 | Face-up | Temporary storage, only top card playable |

Zerline Solitaire Rules:

• Foundations:

• Each foundation starts with a King and is built up in suit in the following sequence: King, Ace, 2, 3, …, Jack, Queen.

• Only cards of the same suit and in the correct order can be placed on a foundation.

• Tableau:

• Cards are built down regardless of suit (any rank one lower may be placed on any card).

• Only one card may be moved at a time; sequences cannot be moved.

• Spaces in the tableau can be filled only with Queens.

• Reserve:

• Only the top card of the reserve is available for play to tableau or foundation.

• Only cards from the tableau may be moved to the reserve; waste pile cards cannot be moved to the reserve.

• The reserve can hold up to 4 cards at any time.

• Stock and Waste:

• Cards are drawn one at a time from the stock to the waste pile.

• The top card of the waste pile may be played to the tableau, foundation, or reserve (if applicable).

• There are no redeals; once the stock is exhausted, no further cards can be drawn.

• Movement Restrictions:

• Only one card at a time may be moved between tableau, reserve, and foundations.

• Cards may be moved back from the foundations to the tableau if needed.

Gameplay:

• On each turn, a player may:

• Move a single exposed card from the tableau, waste, or reserve to another tableau pile (building down regardless of suit), to a foundation (if the card is the next in sequence and suit), or to the reserve (if space is available).

• Fill any empty tableau pile only with a Queen.

• Draw a card from the stock to the waste pile when no further moves are available or desired.

• Play the top card of the waste pile to the tableau, foundation, or reserve (if allowed).

• Play continues until no further legal moves are possible or all cards are moved to the foundations.

• No redeals: Once the stock is depleted, it cannot be reset or reused.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Winning Condition: The game is won when all 104 cards are successfully moved to the eight foundation piles, built in suit from King to Queen.
• Losing/Unwinnable Condition: The game is lost if no further legal moves are possible and not all cards have been placed on the foundations. This can occur if:
• The stock is exhausted and there are still cards in the tableau, reserve, or waste that cannot be moved.
• The reserve is full and blocks further movement, or no Queens are available to fill tableau spaces.

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Filling Empty Tableau Spaces: Only a Queen may be placed in an empty tableau pile. No other card or sequence may fill an empty space.
• Reserve Usage: Only cards from the tableau may be placed into the reserve, and only the top card of the reserve is playable. The reserve cannot be filled from the waste or foundation.
• Moving from Foundation to Tableau: Cards may be moved back from the foundation to the tableau if this enables further play (such as freeing up a Queen to fill a tableau space).
• No Sequence Moves: Only single cards may be moved at any time. You cannot move a group or sequence of cards together between tableau piles.
• No Redeals: Once the stock is exhausted, no further cards can be drawn; careful management of moves is required.
• Blocked Reserve: If the reserve is filled with cards that cannot be played, this may result in an unwinnable state.

Note: Zerline Solitaire is considered more forgiving than similar games like Beleaguered Castle, but optimal play still requires careful management of tableau spaces and reserve usage.