Rules for Forty Thieves

Forty Thieves is one of the most well-known solitaire games played with two decks of cards. The name refers to the 40 cards dealt to the tableau at the start of the game. The game dates back to the 1800s and is said to have been a favourite of Napoleon during his exile on the island of Saint Helena.

You need two standard decks shuffled together (104 cards, no jokers). The goal is to move all cards to eight foundation piles, sorted by suit from Ace to King. This is a tough solitaire where you can expect to win roughly 1 in 10 games with good strategy. Planning and patience matter more than luck.

Shuffle both decks together thoroughly. Deal 40 cards into ten columns of four cards each, all face up and slightly overlapping so that every card is visible. This area is called the tableau.

Above the tableau, leave space for eight foundation piles (empty at the start). The remaining 64 cards form the stock pile, placed face down. Next to it is space for a waste pile.

The main rules for moving cards:

• One card at a time: You can only move the top card of a column. You cannot move multiple cards together, even if they form a proper sequence.
• Building in the tableau: Cards are placed in descending order by the same suit. For example, 5♠️ can only be placed on 6♠️.
• Empty columns: Any card can be placed in an empty column.
• Foundations: Build up by suit from Ace to King (A, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K). Since you have two decks, you need eight foundation piles, two for each suit.
• Waste pile: The top card of the waste pile can always be played to the tableau or foundations.

When you have no more moves in the tableau, turn one card from the stock to the waste pile. The top card of the waste pile is always available for play.

You can only go through the stock once. When all 64 cards have been turned over, you cannot reshuffle the waste pile and start again. This is one of the main reasons the game is so challenging.

Good strategies to improve your chances of winning:

• Clear columns early: Empty columns are extremely valuable because you can use them to rearrange cards. Try to free up at least one column as early as possible.
• Move Aces and Twos quickly: Get low cards up to the foundations right away so they don't block other cards.
• Watch out for Kings: Kings can only be removed from a column by moving them to a foundation or to an empty column. Make sure Kings aren't blocking important cards beneath them.
• Plan several moves ahead: Look at the entire tableau before making a move. Think through which cards will be freed and what the consequences will be.
• Use the tableau first: Try to make all possible moves within the tableau before drawing from the stock.
• Keep track of duplicates: With two decks, there are two of every card. Choose carefully which of two identical cards to build on.

Several variants make the game easier or harder:

• Josephine: Same as Forty Thieves, but you can move entire sequences of same-suit cards as a group. This makes the game considerably easier.
• Limited: Twelve columns with three cards each, instead of ten columns with four cards.
• Lucas: The Aces are placed as foundations from the start. Thirteen columns of three cards each are dealt.
• Maria: Nine columns of four cards, and building is by alternating colours (red/black) instead of by suit.
• Streets: Same as Forty Thieves, but building in the tableau uses alternating colours.

The game is won when all 104 cards have been placed in the eight foundation piles, sorted by suit from Ace to King.

The game is lost when you have no more legal moves and the stock is empty. Not every deal can be solved, and even experienced players only win about 1 in 10 attempts. The key to success is freeing up columns and planning your moves carefully.