What is Bristol Solitaire?
Bristol Solitaire is a fan-based patience game with open information and a three-pile reserve. Eight fans of six cards each (one fan per rank group) are laid face-up; only the top card of each fan is playable. Three reserve piles receive cards from the stock one at a time when the player chooses to deal. Foundations build upward by suit from Ace to King. The combination of open fans and limited reserve deals exposes the full puzzle relatively quickly, making Bristol a transparent planning game.
Full rules
One 52-card deck. Eight fans are dealt with six cards each (all face-up). Three reserve piles start empty. The remaining 4 cards form the stock. A top card from any fan or reserve pile can move to a foundation (by suit, upward from Ace) or to any fan whose top card is one rank higher, regardless of suit (fan sequences build downward, any suit).
When stuck, deal one card from the stock to each reserve pile simultaneously (all three receive a card at once). This is the only form of stock deal. Win when all 52 cards reach the four foundations.
How Bristol differs from La Belle Lucie
La Belle Lucie uses seventeen fans of three cards, same-suit building between fans, and up to two redeals. Bristol uses eight fans of six cards, any-suit building between fans, and three reserve piles filled by simultaneous stock deals (no redeals).
The any-suit fan building in Bristol creates more legal moves per turn than La Belle Lucie’s same-suit restriction, but the simultaneous reserve deal (all three piles receive a card at once) means you have less control over reserve composition.
Read the Bristol strategy guide →
Key strategic concepts
Foundation-first discipline applies strongly: any Ace or immediate foundation card should move immediately. Fan-to-fan transfers that do not lead to a foundation play within one or two moves are often just cosmetic rearrangements that delay the game.
Reserve timing matters: each stock deal adds one card to all three reserve piles simultaneously, which may bury a useful reserve top. Exhaust available foundation and fan moves before triggering a reserve deal.
Related fan games
- La Belle Lucie — same-suit fan building; 17 fans of 3; up to two redeals
- Trefoil — Aces pre-placed; 16 fans of 3; one redeal
- Shamrocks — any-rank fan building; three-card cap per fan
Related games and reference