Introduction to Australian Patience

Australian Solitaire is a well-loved card game that uses a standard 52-card deck. It's a variant of Yukon Solitaire and shares similarities with Klondike Solitaire, but it presents a greater challenge due to the inclusion of a stock. Players often find themselves needing cards that are just out of reach.

On average, players win about 20% of their games, while skilled players can achieve a win rate of approximately 33%. For those who find the game too difficult, Easy Australian Solitaire offers a more forgiving experience with two passes through the stock instead of one, significantly easing the challenge.

Layout

The game screen is divided into four main areas:

• Tableau: Located in the upper-center, the tableau consists of seven columns. Each column may contain a stack of face-up cards or be empty, depending on the game's progress. This is where most gameplay occurs.

• Foundations: Positioned in the top right above the tableau, the foundations consist of four rectangles. Each foundation is built from Ace to King in a single suit.

• Stock and Waste: Found in the upper-left corner, these work together to provide one playable card at a time. The stock holds reserve cards face-down, while the waste is directly to its right.

When a player clicks the stock, one face-up card is dealt to the waste. Only the top card of the waste pile is playable. Cards cannot be moved to the waste from any other location.

Australian Solitaire allows only one pass through the stock, whereas Easy Australian Solitaire permits two. To reset an empty stock, click on it to move the entire waste pile back into the stock, face-down. This is the only way to replenish the stock.

Goal

The objective of Australian Solitaire is to build all four suits in the foundations from Ace to King.

How to Play Australian Solitaire

At the start of the game, each of the seven tableau columns receives a pile of four face-up cards. The remaining 24 cards are placed in the stock.

To win, players must build all four suits in the foundations from Ace to King, moving cards from the bottom of a tableau pile or the waste pile. Cards can also be moved from a foundation back to the tableau if it's a legal move.

While technically only one card can be moved at a time, moving a card to a pile allows any cards on top of it to move as well. Piles can grow long, and if the source card is not a King, it must be moved to a target card that is the next in suited rank. Kings can only be placed in empty columns.

Once all cards are arranged to the player's satisfaction, clicking the stock deals a face-up card to the waste pile, allowing further moves. This process continues until the game is won or no more cards can be moved to the foundations.