Read the base rank; make room in the reserve.
Agnes starts with a Klondike-style seven-column triangle, then places the 29th card on one foundation. Its rank becomes the base for all four suit foundations. The other 23 cards are dealt to seven reserve piles in batches, making access to buried reserve cards a central decision.
Last updated: September 2026
Trace the foundation cycle
Only one foundation starts with a card. The other three wait for the base rank in their own suits. From there each builds upward in suit, wrapping from King to Ace. If the base is 7, the order is 7, 8, 9, 10, jack, queen, king, ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. A visible Ace is not automatically playable at the opening.
Check which suit needs its base card next and which tableau or reserve card could uncover it. A foundation move can open a reserve pile, but it may also remove a useful alternating-color tableau base. Compare both effects.
Reserve tops change with each deal
A stock deal puts one face-up card on each of the seven reserve piles while cards remain. The first three deals fill all seven; the last deal covers only the first two piles. Only each pile’s top card is available, so drawing again may cover a useful card. Before dealing, check whether a reserve top can reach a foundation or move into the tableau.
Suppose the base rank is 7 and a reserve pile has 7 of clubs under 9 of hearts. The clubs foundation is empty, but the 7 cannot yet reach it. If a tableau column ends with 10 of clubs, move the 9 of hearts onto that 10. The 7 of clubs becomes the reserve top and can start its foundation. A new reserve deal would instead cover the 9 and postpone both plays.
Use unrestricted empty columns
The tableau builds downward by alternating color. Unlike Klondike, an empty Agnes column accepts any card or movable run. It can temporarily hold a blocker while you release a needed base-rank card or a reserve top. Plan where the parked card can move next; filling every empty column can remove the flexibility needed for later reserve deals.
Klondike’s family guidecovers hidden-card and foundation timing. Agnes adds the variable base, wrapping foundations, and reserve access. It also relates to Canfield’s base-rank foundations, although the deals and reserve rules differ.