Rules for La Belle Lucie

La Belle Lucie is played with eighteen tableau piles and four foundation piles that utilize all 52 cards in the pack. Seventeen tableau piles are dealt with three cards and one pile is dealt containing only a single card. All cards for the tableaus are dealt face up. The foundation piles are left open for play when cards become available.

You may move cards from one tableau pile to another tableau pile, or from a tableau pile to a foundation according to the following rules:

You may move only the top (exposed) card of a tableau pile. After moving the top card, the card which was beneath it becomes the top card which may then be moved, and so on.

On a tableau pile to tableau pile move, the top card is moved to the next higher card of the same suit. For instance, the 3 of diamonds may move on the pile with the 4 of diamonds on top.

On a tableau pile to foundation pile move, the four aces go first and are built up in suit as cards become available for play from the tableau piles.

The object of the game is to move all of the cards from the tableau piles to the foundation piles by building up from Ace to King in each suit.

Play

When aces become available, they may be played on any open foundation pile.  Once a foundation has an ace on it, cards may be built up in suit. Once cards have been played onto a foundation, they are no longer available for play except for being built upon.  The tableau piles may be built down in suit. Only the top fully exposed card of any  tableau is available for play on fully exposed piles or for building upon. Any pile left open is not available for play.

Reshuffle

Two redeals are permitted whereby all cards except those in the foundations are picked up, shuffled and redealt in fans of three, with any leftover cards being dealt into a smaller fan.

Draw

After the last redeal, any card in a tableau that is not fully exposed may be drawn to the top of the pile for subsequent play on another pile. This can be done only once in a game.


Tableau

The tableau is generally anything in the layout excluding all foundations. More specifically, a tableau is a pile, in addition to any foundations, where building is permitted.  In addition, all cards in a tableau may be spread for viewing.


Foundation

Foundations are certain cards that are segregated and built upon with available cards. Foundations must be built until a specific limit in order to win the game.


Hand

Your hand consists of all cards left over after the layout has been dealt. The cards in it are usually face down until they become available for play according to the rules of the particular solitaire game.


Wastepile

The wastepile is a place where cards from the deck are placed face up when they can not be played to the layout or you do not want to play them.


Reserve

The reserve is a pile that is spread like a tableau pile. Cards may be taken from it for building on other piles such as foundation piles, but a reserve pile may never be built upon.


Building

Building is playing a card on another card according to the rules of the game. Building terms are usually seen as follows: up, down, in suit, in color and in alternating colors.


Face Up

Cards arranged so that their rank and suit can be seen. Although face up, cards still may not be played until they become available.


Available

Any card which may be lifted or moved. Any card uncovered after an available card is played also becomes available.


Layout

The total number of cards dealt out to start the game.


Open Pile

Any pile containing no cards.


Pack

All cards used in a solitaire game.


Building Up

Building in upward, or ascending, sequence of rank.


Building Down

Building in downward, or descending, sequence of rank.


Building In Suit

Building utilizing only cards of the same suit as the cards they are being built upon.


Building In Alternating Colors

Building utilizing only cards that have alternating colors. For example, playing a spade on a heart or a diamond on a club.


Fully Exposed

Cards that are not covered by any other cards.


Rank

The value of a playing card. Cards rank from ace, two, three, etc. all the way to king with ace being lowest and king being the highest.


Suit

A standard card deck contains the following four suits identified by a color and a unique symbol: hearts, diamonds, spades and clubs.


Shuffle

To rearrange cards in a random order different from their original order.


Draw

To take a card that is buried and make it available.


Buried

Any card that is covered and therefore not available for play.


Card Dragging

Using the mouse to pick up a card and move it about the layout.