Open foundation cards before the next draw covers them.
Congress and Parliament use two decks, eight tableau columns with four face-up cards each, and a single stock pass. Tableau builds down by rank regardless of suit, one card at a time. Eight foundations build up by suit.
Last updated: September 2026
Use flexible tableau landings to expose low cards
A 6 of Hearts may move onto a 7 of any suit. If that 6 covers an Ace or a 2 needed by a foundation, moving it before the next stock draw reveals useful access. A moved card is only one card; the rest of its column stays put. Check the card exposed in the source column as well as the new top at the destination.
An empty column accepts any exposed card. It can move a waste card out of the way or temporarily hold a blocker from a tableau column. A new stock draw places a card on the waste and covers its previous top, so a playable waste card is worth checking before drawing.
Congress: find the Aces in play
Congress leaves all eight Aces in the shuffled tableau and stock. Some may be buried in the four-card columns; others arrive during the stock pass. Exposing an Ace gives its suit foundation a start, but moving another card to a foundation can also uncover a needed Ace or 2. Compare those access gains before committing a stock draw.
Parliament: foundations start with Aces
Parliament pre-places all eight Aces on the foundations. Its eight tableau columns still begin with four face-up cards each, leaving 64 cards in the stock. The opening foundation target is now a 2 of a matching suit. Use the same one-card tableau moves and waste timing, but focus on exposing 2s instead of finding Aces.