Emperor Solitaire Rules: How To Play The Card Game

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The Emperor card game is a calm but challenging solitaire you can enjoy on your own. It uses two full decks and rewards careful thinking and steady planning. If you like games where every move matters, this one gives you plenty to work with. Here’s a clear and easy explanation of how to set it up and how to play, written in a simple way so anyone can follow along.

What You Need to Play Emperor Solitaire

• One player
• Two standard 52-card decks
• Cards ranked from King (highest) down to Ace

The goal is simple: build 8 foundation piles from Ace to King, with colors alternating along the way.

How to Deal the Cards

Start by shuffling both decks together. Then follow these steps:

1. Deal 10 piles of 4 cards each.
2. Deal them row by row.
   • First 3 rows: face down
   • Fourth row: face up
3. Keep the leftover cards aside in one stack. This becomes your stock pile.

You should now have:

• 10 piles on the table
• A stock pile ready to draw from

How the Game Works

You’ll be building foundation piles at the top of the table. Each foundation starts with an Ace, and you’ll build up to King, switching colors each step.

Here’s how to play each part of the game:

Using the Stock Pile

• Flip one card at a time from the stock.
• If you can use it on a pile or a foundation, place it there.
• If you cannot use it, put it in a discard pile just below your main rows.
• Only the top card of the discard can be used.
• Once a discard card is covered, you can’t access the one under it again.

Playing the Piles

• Only the top card of each pile is active.
• When you move a top card, the card under it becomes available.
• You can move a card onto another if:
  • It is opposite in color, and
  • It is one rank lower
  • For example: A red 3 can only be placed on a black 2.

Building Foundations

• Aces start the foundations (you can uncover them from the piles or get them from the stock).
• Build upward in alternating colors:
  • A → 2 → 3 → … → Q → K
• Kings cannot be placed on Aces.
• When all 8 foundations reach King, the game is won.

Empty Spaces

• If a pile becomes empty, you can place any card there to open up new moves.

Winning the Game

Once you complete all eight foundation piles from Ace through King, with colors alternating, you’ve finished Emperor successfully.

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