The remaining cards form the stock (or “hand”) pile and are placed above the tableau. Continue this pattern until pile seven has one card facing up on top of a pile of six cards facing down. Starting again from left to right, place one card face up on the third pile and deal one card face down on piles four through seven. Starting again from left to right, place one card face up on the second pile and deal one card face down on piles three through seven. Starting from left to right, place the first card face up to make the first pile, deal one card face down for the next six piles. To form the tableau, seven piles need to be created.

The Talon (or “Waste”) Pile: Cards from the stock pile that have no place in the tableau or on foundations are laid face up in the waste pile. The Stock (or “Hand”) Pile: If the entire pack is not laid out in a tableau at the beginning of a game, the remaining cards form the stock pile from which additional cards are brought into play according to the rules. The foundation piles are hearts, diamonds, spades, and clubs. In most Solitaire games, the four aces are the bottom card or base of the foundations. The Foundations: Four piles on which a whole suit or sequence must be built up. The Tableau: Seven piles that make up the main table. There are four different types of piles in Solitaire: The rank of cards in Solitaire games is: K (high), Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, A (low). The ultimate objective is to build the whole pack onto the foundations, and if that can be done, the Solitaire game is won. The first objective is to release and play into position certain cards to build up each foundation, in sequence and in suit, from the ace through the king. Standard Solitaire uses one 52-card pack. Virtually all Solitaire games are played with one or more standard 52-card packs.

These are usually half the size of standard playing cards. Alternatively, in order to play with large layouts on a card table, miniature playing cards are available. Others require a larger playing area, and these games are often played on the floor or on a bedspread.

Many Solitaire games can be played on areas smaller than a card table.

Card solitaire set up