Build a suit run that can move out of the way.
Two decks place eight Aces on eight foundations and the other 96 face-up cards into eight columns of twelve. Tableau placement requires one rank lower in the same suit. A descending same-suit tail moves together, and an empty column accepts any card or run.
Last updated: September 2026
Choose a useful copy of each rank
Every rank and suit appears twice. Each suit has two foundations that build upward from Ace. An exposed Two of Hearts can go to either heart foundation while both still show Ace. Compare what the move exposes in its source column with which foundation will next need a Three; neither copy is automatically the right one to use first.
Duplicates also give two possible cards for a suit run. Before covering a lower card in another column, check whether the matching higher card is still accessible to receive it later.
Move complete descending suit tails
Only a top card can enter a foundation. For tableau transfers, you may move a complete descending same-suit tail onto a top card one rank higher in the same suit. Unlike Beleaguered Castle, a rank match in another suit is not a legal destination.
One column ends with Eight–Seven–Six of Hearts, and another ends with Nine of Hearts. Moving the full three-card tail onto the Nine exposes the card below the Eight. Moving only the Six would keep the Eight and Seven in place. A Nine of Diamonds cannot receive the heart run.
Use an empty column to separate blockers
Any card or legal suit tail can enter an empty column. This can lift an entire run away from the card beneath it without finding a matching higher card first. Before filling the gap, check how the moved run could leave again and what landing place its lead card will need.
The Castle family guide covers the shared problem of foundation access. Tableau Solitaire needs separate instruction because it doubles the cards and restricts group movement to descending suit runs.