Seven Devils Solitaire

What is Seven Devils Solitaire?

Seven Devils is a challenging two-deck patience game played with 104 cards. The name refers to the seven reserve cards — the "devils" — which are dealt face-up at the start and restricted from ever going to the tableau. They can only escape by moving directly to the foundations. This creates a constant tension: the devils occupy space you can see but cannot freely maneuver.

The tableau begins with seven diminishing columns of 1 through 7 cards, totalling 28 cards. Only the top card of each column is face-up. The remaining 69 cards form the stock, drawn one at a time to the waste pile. You win when all eight foundations — two per suit — are built up A through K.

Full rules

Two standard 52-card decks (104 cards total) are shuffled together. Twenty-eight cards are dealt to seven tableau columns: column 1 gets 1 card, column 2 gets 2 cards, and so on up to column 7 with 7 cards. Only the top (last-dealt) card of each column is turned face-up. Seven more cards are dealt face-up to form the devil reserve. The remaining 69 cards form the stock.

Eight foundation piles (two per suit) must each be built from Ace up to King in the same suit. Tableau columns build in descending rank with alternating colors (a red card on a black card, or vice versa). Only one card may be moved at a time — sequences cannot be moved as a group. Any card may be placed on an empty tableau column.

The seven devil cards in the reserve are face-up and visible but may only be moved to valid foundations — they cannot be placed on tableau columns. Draw from the stock one card at a time to the waste pile; only the top waste card is playable. There is no redeal: once the stock is exhausted, the game continues until no moves remain or all foundations are complete.

You win when all 104 cards are placed on the eight foundations.

Strategy tips

Prioritize the devil cards. Since they can only go to foundations — never to the tableau — each devil card that cannot immediately reach a foundation is a wasted slot in your reserve. Early in the game, look for foundation moves that accept a devil card before drawing from stock.

Uncover face-down tableau cards. Moving a top face-up card reveals a previously hidden card underneath. The more face-down cards you expose, the more options you have. When no foundation move is available, favor tableau moves that flip new cards rather than drawing from stock.

Manage empty columns carefully. An empty tableau column accepts any card, which makes it a powerful temporary parking space. Don't fill empty columns immediately — keep at least one open if possible to give yourself flexibility when rearranging the tableau.

Think ahead about color alternation. Because tableau builds require alternating colors, a King of Hearts can only accept a black Queen, which can only accept a red Jack, and so on. With two decks, you have two copies of every card — but they must alternate correctly across the entire sequence.

Seven Devils vs. other two-deck games

Seven Devils sits in the family of two-deck Klondike-style games alongside Napoleon at St. Helena and Emperor. Like those games, it uses descending alternating-color tableau building and A-to-K foundations — but the devil reserve gives it a distinctive twist. Most two-deck games with reserves (such as Sultan or American Toad) allow reserve cards to move freely; Seven Devils restricts them to foundations only, making their placement a critical bottleneck.

The single-card-at-a-time movement rule (no sequence moves) makes Seven Devils harder than Spider or other games that allow partial sequences to be relocated as a group. Each card must earn its place individually. Win rates are low — patience and careful planning are required.

Two-deck patience game family

• Sultan — 3×3 foundation grid; reserve refills from stock; surround the Sultan with Queens
• Napoleon at St. Helena — 10 tableau columns, alternating color descending, two decks
• Spider — 10 columns; complete in-suit sequences to remove them
• Crescent — 16 fan tableau piles, eight foundations, wraparound same-suit building
• American Toad — Canfield variant with two decks and a large reserve

Reference and related guides

• Seven Devils strategy guide
• Sultan strategy guide
• All solitaire variants
• Solitaire glossary