Adapted from The Complete Book of Solitaire & Patience Games, by Albert H. Morehead and Geoffrey Mott-Smith.

Cards. All solitaires are based on the standard deck of 52 cards. Most solitaires use either one deck, or two decks shuffled together. Some few use more than two decks; a few others use one deck reduced to 40, 32, or 20 cards, or the Pinochle deck, which is actually two decks stripped to the nines.

Important to nearly all solitaires is that the deck be very thoroughly shuffled before dealing begins.

Suits and sequence. The standard deck comprises 13 cards each of four suits: spades, hearts, diamonds, clubs.

The cards in each suit are: A, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K. This order is the basic rank from low (ace) to high (king). In many cases the ranking is continuous, that is, the ace is in sequence above the king as well as below the two. In a few cases the sequence has top and bottom limits other than king and ace.

When the cards are considered as numerical quantities, the king is 13, the queen 12, the jack 11, the ace 1.

Layout. Many solitaires commence with the dealing of a fixed number of cards upon the table, in some conventional pattern. The totality of all cards so dealt is called the layout.

Patterns commonly encountered in the layout are "rows" and "columns," which may or may not be "overlapped"; also "piles" and "fans." For convenience of reference, certain groups of cards in the layout may be designated as "foundations," "tableau," "reserve," or by descriptive terms such as "wing." Particularized terms are explained when they occur; the general terms are defined and illustrated in the following paragraphs.

Row: a line of cards parallel to the edge of the table at which the player is seated.

A row is dealt from left to right. If it is overlapped, each card is laid upon that previously dealt, so as to cover most of its face but leave the index in the upper left corner visible. The "top card" or "right end" of an overlapped row is the card that would be uppermost if the row were shoved together into a pile.

Column: a line of cards perpendicular to the edge of the table at which the player is seated.

A column is dealt from the point farthest from the player, toward himself. The far point is the top, being nearest the top of the page in a diagram; the card nearest the player is the card at the bottom of the diagram and is referred to as the "bottom card."

If the cards in a column are overlapped, each card is laid upon that previously dealt so as to cover most of its face but leave the index in the upper left corner visible. To avoid ambiguity as to which is then the "bottom" card, a column of overlapping cardsd is referred to as a spread pile or a pile spread downward; and the top card of the pile is the card which is not covered in whole or in part by any other.

Pile: a batch of cards dealt upon each other and squared up in a compact heap.

A series of piles is often dealt by laying out a row or column, then another row or column on top of the first, and so on.

The object in making a pile, instead of overlapping the cards, may be either (a) to save room, or (b) to prevent more than one card at a time from being visible. In case (b), the pile should usually be dealt face down, then squared and turned face up. In the absence of a specific rule to the contrary, any pile of face-up cards may be spread for inspection of lower cards.

The top card of a pile is taht card which is not covered by any other.

Fan: an overlapped row, usually made by counting the cards off the deck face down, then spreading them face up with a sweep of the hand.

Foundations: the first cards of certain piles, where the object of play is to build the entire deck upon these piles.

Most solitaires--though not all--use foundations. When the foundations are part of the layout, you are directed to "Remove (certain cards) from the deck and put them in a (row or column)." When the foundations are not part of the layout, you are directed to "Move (certain cards), as they become available, to a (row or column)."

The foundations are usually all the cards of a specified rank (often, aces). Sometimes the rank is fixed by chance in the deal; in a few cases, the foundations are cards of different ranks.

Whenever foundations are used, assume the following rules to hold unless exceptions are specifically noted:

1. A card once built on a foundation may not be moved elsewhere.
2. A foundation card may not be built upon until it is in the foundation row; usually it must be moved to the foundation row as soon as it becomes available (unless it was prefixed there).
3. Building in other parts of the layout stops at the rank next to the foundation cards. For example, if aces are foundations, and there is building downward in the tableau, nothing may be built upon a two and a king may not be built on any other card.
4. When the foundation is other than ace or king, these two cards are in sequence. For example, if sevens are foundations, the sequence of rank is: 7 (low), 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K, A, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 (high).

Winning a game. At this juncture we may well explain what is meant by "winning" a solitaire game.

Whenever foundations are used the object of play is to build the entire deck upon them, and the game is won if this object is achieved.

When there are no foundations, the objective that constitutes winning is stated specifically.

Whether "partial winning" exists is a subjective matter. If you play Canfield for recreation, you may consider that you have lost if you do not "get out" all fifty-two cards; but had you played for stakes against Mr. Canfield you would have been happy--and a winner--to get out eleven or more cards. In the case of some of the long-chance solitaires, this book gives scoring methods that allow for degrees of victory.

Reserve, Tableau. These terms designate parts of the layout other than foundations. Rigid definition would impair their usefulness. But on a reserve no building is ever allowed; on a tableau building is usually allowed, though not invariably.

Spaces. Wherever a reserve or tableau comprises separate cards, piles, or overlapped rows, the removal entire of any such unit (including any cards built upon it) leaves a space. The rules of each game state whether and how a space may be filled. In many cases, the chief opportunity for skill is afforded by the utilization of spaces.

Stock: the remainder of the deck, after the layout is dealt. The stock must always be kept in a pile, face down.

The stock is brought into play in either of two ways: (a) cards are turned up from it one at a time, each becoming available for building as it is turned up; (b) cards are dealt into spaces, or dealt upon the original layout in added batches.

Wastepile. When cards from the stock may be added to the layout only under certain restrictions as to building, the unplayable cards are laid face up in one ore more wastepiles. Cards placed in a wastepile may be brought back into play later; usually, the top card of a wastepile is available for play.

Building: placing one card upon another in the foundations or tableau, under certain restrictions.

Any of the following rules may apply as to suit:

1. Regardless of suit. Building is governed by rank alone; as, any seven may be built on any eight.
2. In suit. As, a spade only on another spade; with due attention, of course, to any rules as to the rank of the cards.
3. In color. A black card only on another black card, a red card only on another red card; as, a spade on either a spade or a club.
4. In alternate colors. A black card only on a red, a red only on a black.
5. On any suit but its own. As, a spade on a heart, diamond, or club but not on another spade.

Any of the following rules may apply as to rank:

1. Up. A card on a next-lower card. Thus, "building up in suit" means that a 10 of diamonds goes on a 9 of diamonds, etc. "Building up regardless of suit" means that any ten goes on any nine.
2. Down. A card on a next-higher card. Thus, "building down in alternate colors" means that a 7 of hearts goes on either an 8 of spades or an 8 of clubs.
3. Up, or down, by (a given interval).. For example, building up by twos neans that a three may be built on an ace, a five on a three, etc., giving the full sequence A, 3, 5, 7, 9, J, K, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, Q. In every case the text states or illustrates the permissible sequence.
4. Either up or down. A nine either on a ten or on an eight, subject to any restriction as to suit. Sometimes the direction of building may be reversed at will, sometimes, once begun, it may not be changed; the rule applying to the game in question is always stated.

Build: two or more cards on top of a pile, conforming in suit and sequence to the rules for building on that pile. Usually, where it is permissible to move a build as a single unit, the entire build must be moved, not a portion of it. Sometimes either the top card or the entire build may be moved. When a build is moved as a unit, it is the bottommost card of the build that must fit the card to which the build is moved. Available card: one that may under the rules be moved elsewhere.

In the absence of any rule to the contrary, assume that the available cards are: Any card of the tableau or reserve not covered in whole or in part by another; the top card of each wastepile; a card newly turned up from the stock.

A rule that "the top of a pile," "the bottom of a column," etc., is available, means that the removal of such card makes the next one to it available.

Discard: to lay a card aside, out of play for the rest of the game.

Some few games use a "cut" or "stripped" deck--one from which certain cards are discarded before dealing begins.

In some full-deck games, cards are discarded during the course of the play. In this event, the object of play is usually to discard all or most of the deck; such games do not usually use foundations.

Redeal. Wherever the stock is brought into play one card at a time, unplayable cards being laid in one or more wastepiles, the permission to redeal applies only to the wastepiles. That is, the cards of all wastepiles are gathered in a heap and turned face down, forming a new stock which is then turned up one card at a time as before. "Two redeals are allowed" means that the stock may be run through three times in all, and so on.

In some cases the stock is run through in batches of three, and in all such cases at least two redeals are allowed--the stock may be run through three times. In some cases, the stock may be run through time after time without limit, until the game is made or blocked.

The foundation cards are never gathered into the new stock for redealing.

Sometimes tableau cards are gathered for redealing, and in such cases the rules often provide that the new stock be thoroughly shuffled. When only the wastepiles are gathered for redealing, they must not be reshuffled; the order of the cards must not be disturbed.

All exceptions and special conditions are described in full in the rules.