What is Aces and Kings?
Aces and Kings is a two-deck patience game with eight foundations building in two directions simultaneously — four ascending from Ace to King and four descending from King to Ace, one pair per suit. A reserve structure holds temporary cards alongside the tableau. Tracking both foundation directions for all four suits and routing the right card to the right foundation at the right time is the defining skill.
Full rules
Two 52-card decks (104 cards). Eight foundations: four start on Aces (A→K by suit) and four start on Kings (K→A by suit). Tableau columns and reserve fans hold remaining cards; only top cards are available. The stock deals one card at a time to a waste pile. Tableau builds downward regardless of suit. Win when all 104 cards reach the foundations.
Bidirectional foundation tracking
A card of a given rank may be immediately playable to either the ascending or descending foundation for its suit. Missing either opportunity slows the game. Before each stock draw, scan all eight foundation tops against available waste and tableau tops — you often have more immediate foundation plays than are obvious at a glance.
Read the Aces and Kings strategy guide →
Reserve and waste management
Reserve slots hold cards that either have a near-term foundation path or are blocking a more useful card in the tableau. Cards placed in the reserve without a clear exit plan occupy a slot that could serve a better purpose. In the late deal phase, stranded reserve cards often cause the game-ending blockages.