Unlike the majority of Solitaire games, in Forty Thieves it is only possible to move one card at a time.

A card can only be moved to top another one rank higher and of the same suit. This means that the players need to move the cards between the columns to uncover the ones they need. It is only possible to play cards that have no others on top of them. To win the game the players must rearrange all the cards by suit and in ascending order (from ace to king) on the 8 foundations at the top of the tableau. An easier version is also available, allowing infinite redeals. In the traditional version of the game, the players can only go through the totality of the stockpile once. The remaining cards are grouped face down to form the stock pile. These are the 40 thieves set to prevent the players from winning. The goal in this card game is to build 8 foundations, one per suit, starting with the aces and ending with the kings.Īt the beginning of the game, 40 cards are dealt face forward on the tableau to form 10 columns with 4 cards each. Forty Thieves Solitaire - rules and tableauįorty Thieves Solitaire uses two standard 52-card decks. Even if there is no evidence to back up the story, it still goes to show that solitaire games are definitely a fun way to pass time. Interestingly, the most used alternative name is Napoleon at St Helena, following a story that Napoleon used to play this solitaire game quite frequently when he was exiled in St Helena after losing the Waterloo battle. Avid solitaire players might also know it simply as 40 Thieves, Big Forty, Roosevelt at San Juan, or Le Cadran. Forty Thieves Solitaire is an old solitaire card game whose popularity has been experiencing a new surge thanks to the internet, as online versions removed the hassle of having to set up the tableau at each new game.Īlthough the game has kept its gameplay and rules from its beginning, it has been known by different names throughout the years.

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