What is a Foundation in Solitaire?
Foundation
The four piles (one for each suit) where you build cards in ascending order from Ace to King. Moving all 52 cards to the foundations wins the game.
Foundation Rules
Building the foundation correctly is how you win Solitaire:
- Each foundation starts with an Ace
- Cards must be placed in ascending order (A, 2, 3... Q, K)
- Each pile contains only one suit (all Hearts, all Spades, etc.)
- The game is won when all four foundations contain 13 cards each
Example
You find the Ace of Hearts. Move it to an empty foundation. Now you can place the 2 of Hearts on it, then the 3 of Hearts, and so on until you reach the King of Hearts.
Foundation Strategy
When should you move cards to the foundation?
- Always move Aces - There's never a reason to keep them in the tableau
- Move 2s quickly - They rarely help in the tableau
- Be careful with higher cards - A red 6 in the foundation can't help you stack a black 5
- Keep foundations balanced - Don't build one suit far ahead of others
Foundation Variants
Some Solitaire games have different foundation rules:
- Aces and Kings: Two sets of foundations - build up from Ace AND down from King (25-35% win rate)
- Agnes Bernauer: Foundations start from a random "base card" not Ace (33% win rate)
- Forty Thieves: Eight foundations (using two decks) (10% win rate)