Rules
Algerian Patience is played with two decks of 52 cards each.
The object of the game is to build 8 foundations up from Ace to King or down from King to Ace in suit.
After shuffling, a tableau of eight piles of one card is laid from left to right. First four piles get a second card.
Six cards are dealt face-up to each of the six reserve piles.
Only the topmost cards from the reserve and tableau piles are available for play. These cards may be moved to the foundations or onto other depots in the tableau, but not to reserve piles. Cards may only be moved singly and not in group.
The first four foundations on the left are founded with an Ace and built up in suit, while the four on the right start with a King and are built down in suit. The relaxed variant places four Kings in their foundations at the beginning, the strict one has them founded as they appear.
Cards may be built in ascending or descending suit sequence on the eight depots of the tableau (e.g. 4♦, 5♦, 6♦… OR 6♠, 5♠, 4♠…); the direction of the sequence may be reversed at any point e.g. if a 10♣ is played on a 9♣, and another 9♣ exposed, it may be played on the 10♣. Only the topmost card of any pile can be moved. Tableau piles can wrap from King to Ace, and a vacant depot can be filled with any exposed card. When the foundations of the same suit will meet (e.g. one builds up A♣, 2♣, 3♣, 4♣, 5♣, 6♣ and the other builds down K♣, Q♣, J♣, 10♣, 9♣, 8♣, 7♣), cards can be transferred between these two foundations.
When all desired plays have been made, two more cards are dealt from the stock onto each reserve pile and more plays may then be made if possible. This continues until eight cards remain in a deck. On this final pass through the deck, one card is dealt to each depot.
If the player can no longer make any meaningful moves, the game is considered lost.
