How to Play Forty Thieves Solitaire

Forty Thieves is a notoriously difficult solitaire card game played with two standard 52-card decks shuffled together (104 cards total). The game features 10 tableau columns, 8 foundation piles, a stock pile, and a waste pile. It is widely considered one of the hardest mainstream solitaire variants, with win rates estimated at just 5-10% even for skilled players.

The game is also known by several other names: Napoleon at St Helena (after the legend that Napoleon played it during his exile), Big Forty, and Roosevelt at San Juan. Its defining characteristic is same-suit building on the tableau combined with single-card-only moves — a combination that creates one of the most demanding patience games in existence.

Unlike FreeCell, where all cards are visible and nearly every deal is solvable, Forty Thieves presents a stiff challenge where most deals are genuinely unwinnable. The game rewards careful planning, patience, and the ability to think several moves ahead.

Shuffle two standard 52-card decks together to create a single 104-card deck. Then deal the cards as follows:

1. Tableau: Deal 4 cards face-up to each of 10 columns, for a total of 40 cards on the tableau. All cards are visible from the start — there are no face-down cards in Forty Thieves. These 40 cards are the "forty thieves" that give the game its name.
2. Stock pile: The remaining 64 cards are placed face-down in a stock pile. Cards are drawn one at a time from the stock to the waste pile.
3. Waste pile: Starts empty. Cards drawn from the stock are placed here face-up. Only the top card of the waste pile is playable.
4. Foundations: 8 empty foundation piles, arranged above the tableau. Since there are two decks, you need two foundation piles per suit (two for Spades, two for Hearts, two for Diamonds, two for Clubs).

Forty Thieves has straightforward but punishing rules. The two key constraints that define the game are same-suit building and single-card moves.

Tableau Building

Cards on the tableau are built down in the same suit. This means you can only place a card on another card that is one rank higher and the same suit. For example:

• The 9 of Hearts can go on the 10 of Hearts
• The Jack of Clubs can go on the Queen of Clubs
• The 3 of Spades can not go on the 4 of Hearts (wrong suit)
• The 5 of Diamonds can not go on the 5 of Diamonds (must be one rank higher)

This is far more restrictive than Klondike or FreeCell, where you build with alternating colors (any red on any black). In Forty Thieves, each card has only one possible destination suit, which severely limits your options.

Single Card Moves

You can only move one card at a time. Even if you have a perfect in-suit sequence (like 10-9-8-7 of Spades), you cannot pick up and move the group. Each card must be moved individually. This means that rearranging sequences requires empty columns as temporary storage — similar to how free cells work in FreeCell, but with no dedicated free cell spaces.

Empty Columns

When a tableau column is completely emptied, any single card can be placed there. Empty columns are the most valuable resource in Forty Thieves. They serve as temporary holding spaces that allow you to rearrange cards and build sequences. Experienced players guard empty columns carefully and create them strategically.

Click the stock pile to draw one card face-up to the waste pile. Only the top card of the waste pile can be played — it can go to any valid tableau column or foundation pile.

There is no recycling of the stock. Once you have drawn through all 64 stock cards, the stock is permanently exhausted. This is a critical difference from games like Klondike or Canfield, which allow unlimited redeals. In Forty Thieves, every stock draw is permanent, so timing your draws is essential.

A common strategic error is drawing from the stock too quickly. Each card you draw covers the previous waste card, potentially burying a useful card. Draw from the stock only when you have no productive moves on the tableau, or when you specifically need to find a card to continue a sequence.

The 8 foundation piles build up in suit from Ace to King. Since there are two decks, you need to complete two foundation piles for each suit:

• Two piles for Spades: A-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-J-Q-K
• Two piles for Hearts: A-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-J-Q-K
• Two piles for Diamonds: A-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-J-Q-K
• Two piles for Clubs: A-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-J-Q-K

You win the game when all 104 cards have been moved to the foundations. Move Aces to the foundations as soon as they become available — there is never a strategic reason to hold an Ace on the tableau. For cards ranked 2 and above, consider whether the card might be more useful on the tableau before moving it to a foundation.

Forty Thieves is unforgiving, but these strategies will improve your chances:

1. Empty columns are everything. The single most important strategic goal is creating and preserving empty tableau columns. They serve as your only temporary storage, equivalent to free cells. With no empty columns, you have almost no flexibility. Try to clear at least one column early and protect it throughout the game.
2. Don’t bury Aces. Before making any move, check whether it will bury an Ace deeper in a column. Aces are the gateway to the foundations, and every buried Ace represents a chain of moves needed to uncover it. Prioritize plays that expose or free Aces.
3. Plan in-suit sequences. Since building is same-suit only, look for opportunities to build long same-suit runs. A column with a clean sequence like K-Q-J-10-9 of Clubs is extremely valuable because every card can eventually flow to the foundation in order.
4. Use the stock wisely. With no recycling, every stock draw is permanent. Don’t draw from the stock unless you have no productive tableau moves or you specifically need to find a key card. Each draw buries the previous waste card, so drawing recklessly can cost you the game.
5. Think several moves ahead. More than any other solitaire variant, Forty Thieves rewards long-term planning. Before making a move, consider the chain of moves it enables. Will this free an Ace? Will it create an empty column? Will it let you build a useful sequence? A single thoughtless move can make the game unwinnable.
6. Build foundations evenly. Don’t rush one foundation pile far ahead of the others. Cards played to foundations are permanent — if you need a 5 on the tableau but it’s already on a foundation, you’re stuck. Build foundations at a steady pace, especially in the early game.

Avoid these frequent errors that can quickly derail a Forty Thieves game:

• Drawing from the stock too early. Many players click the stock as soon as they feel stuck. Exhaust all tableau moves first — even small rearrangements can open up new possibilities.
• Filling empty columns immediately. When you create an empty column, resist the urge to fill it right away. Keep it open as temporary storage unless you have a clear plan for the card you’re placing there.
• Ignoring suit distribution. With two decks, it’s easy to lose track of which suits you’re building. Focus on one or two suits at a time rather than trying to advance all eight foundations simultaneously.
• Moving to foundations too aggressively. While Aces should always go to foundations immediately, be cautious with 2s, 3s, and 4s. These low cards are sometimes more useful on the tableau as building targets for even lower cards in the same suit.
• Creating mixed-suit columns. Since you can only build in the same suit, placing random cards on empty columns creates dead-end piles. When possible, start a column with a high card that you can build a long same-suit sequence on.