Every move must leave a route to another exposed rank.
Black Hole begins with the Ace of Spades on its foundation and the other 51 cards face up in seventeen piles of three. Only a pile's top card may move, and there is no stock to reset the rank. Clear all piles by following adjacent ranks; Ace and King are adjacent here.
Last updated: September 2026
Look at what each move exposes
When two pile tops have the same playable rank, compare the card immediately beneath each one. Removing a top from one pile may reveal the next rank needed for a continuing line; removing the other may leave a gap. A pile's three cards are visible from the start, so this comparison does not require guessing.
For example, with a 7 on the foundation, two exposed 8s are legal. If one 8 covers a 9 and the other covers a 3, taking the first 8 exposes a legal 9. The second 8 might still be needed later, but it does not supply that immediate continuation. This example describes a local choice, not a guaranteed winning branch.
Plan through the rank circle
Suit is ignored. A 2 follows an Ace, and a King also follows an Ace. Conversely, an Ace follows a King. These corner turns can connect low-rank and high-rank portions of a route. Before using the last visible card of an adjacent rank, check whether another copy remains reachable beneath the current pile tops.
A sequence that clears several easy tops can still strand the board if the new foundation rank has no adjacent exposed card. When several moves are available, trace at least the next two exposed ranks. Undo lets you return to a branch and try its other legal choice.
Understand the deal mode
The default deal generator constructs a solvable layout, so at least one complete line exists from the opening position. That guarantee does not mean every legal branch can be completed. Random mode shuffles the cards without that guarantee. Restarting preserves the current deal for another attempt.
Golf and Tri Peaks let you draw stock cards to change the active rank. Black Hole gives you no such reset, so preserving an exposed connector is more consequential.