Pile Type Definitions

The game of Solitaire is made up of piles of cards, each with a general purpose and type name.

As there are so many variations of Solitaire, there will always be exceptions, however. Therefore, you should consult the help content for the game you're playing for specifics on allowed play for each pile type.

The pile types given below are those that YaZZle currently supports:

The Foundation

If the variation of Solitaire you're playing has Foundation pile(s), then these pile(s) are where you need to get the cards to in order to win the game. Many variations will have one Foundation pile for each card suit type (clubs, diamonds, hearts, spades), but this will not always be the case. A typical Foundation pile will also need to be built up in rank, from Ace to King, but again this depends upon the specific variation being played.

The Stock

If the variation of Solitaire you're playing has a Stock pile, then this pile is where the cards are dealt from in order to start the game. Once the game has begun, the Stock will contain the undealt cards, all face down. The Stock pile may then be left-clicked to bring its topmost card(s) into play. For most variations this will cause these cards to be played face up to the Waste. There are variations to this, of course.

The Waste

If the variation of Solitaire you're playing has a Waste pile, then this pile is where the cards are moved to in order to bring them into play from the Stock. A few variations will also use the Waste as a place to play cards to in order to win the game.

The Tableau

If the variation of Solitaire you're playing has Tableau pile(s), then these piles are where the cards are dealt to in order to start the game. These cards will then need to be moved from the Tableau to one or more other piles, typically Foundation piles, in order to win the game. Most variations allow a card or stack of cards to be moved from one Tableau pile to another, but of course there are exceptions to this "rule."

The Reserve

If the variation of Solitaire you're playing has Reserve pile(s), then these piles are where card(s) may be typically moved to during game play, using the Reserve as a temporary storage location. A few variations, however, will deal cards into the Reserve and then only allow the cards to be played out of the Reserve, treating the Reserve as a type of modified Waste.