How to Play La Belle Lucie Solitaire
La Belle Lucie (also known as The Fan) is a classic patience card game prized for its elegant fan layout, limited redeals with shuffling, and the dramatic Merci rule. With a win rate of only 15-20%, it rewards careful planning and precise card management across three deals.
Setup
- Use a standard 52-card deck.
- Deal all 52 cards face-up into 18 fans: 17 fans of 3 cards each, plus 1 fan of 1 card.
- Four empty foundation piles are placed above the tableau.
- All cards are visible from the start — no hidden information.
Objective
Build all four foundation piles up by suit from Ace to King. Move all 52 cards from the tableau to the foundations to win the game.
Rules
Foundation Building (Up by Suit)
Build foundations up by suit from Ace to King. Place 2♥ on A♥, then 3♥, and so on up to K♥. Aces must be found in the fans and moved to foundations manually.
Tableau Building (Down by Same Suit)
Stack cards in descending order by same suit. Place a 5♠ on a 6♠, or a J♥ on a Q♥. Cards of different suits cannot be stacked together, even if they are the correct rank.
Single Card Moves
Only the top card of each fan can be moved. You cannot move groups of cards or sequences — each move involves exactly one card.
Empty Fans
Empty fans cannot be filled. Once a fan is cleared, it remains empty until the next redeal. This is a critical constraint — clearing fans reduces your available play space.
The Redeal (2 Allowed)
When no more moves are available, you may redeal up to 2 times. All remaining tableau cards are gathered, shuffled randomly, and re-dealt into new fans of 3. Unlike Cruel Solitaire, the cards are genuinely shuffled, creating a completely new arrangement.
The Merci Rule
After using both redeals (on the third and final deal), you gain a one-time special privilege: draw any single card from any position in any fan and play it to a valid destination. This powerful move can rescue a trapped Ace or unblock a critical sequence. You only get one Merci per game.
Strategy Tips
1. Prioritize Uncovering Aces
The most important cards to free are Aces. Without them on foundations, no other cards can be placed. Scan all 18 fans at the start and plan how to access buried Aces first.
2. Maximize Foundation Progress Before Redealing
Move as many cards to foundations as possible before using a redeal. Each card on a foundation is permanently safe. A redeal with no foundation progress wastes one of your precious 2 redeals.
3. Build Same-Suit Sequences When Possible
Creating same-suit descending sequences on fans consolidates cards and creates efficient access paths. A fan with 7♠-6♠-5♠ is much more useful than three random cards.
4. Think About Fan Sizes After Redeal
After a redeal, cards are dealt into groups of 3. If you have, say, 19 cards left, you'll get 6 fans of 3 and 1 fan of 1. Fewer remaining cards mean fewer fans and more top cards accessible — aim to reduce card count before redealing.
5. Save the Merci for Maximum Impact
Your one Merci move should rescue the card that creates the biggest cascade of subsequent plays. A buried Ace is often the best target, but sometimes a mid-rank card that unblocks an entire sequence is even more valuable. Analyze all options before committing.
6. Use Undo to Explore Different Paths
The undo button lets you explore alternative move sequences. Since La Belle Lucie is so restrictive, testing different approaches before committing is essential — especially before a redeal.
Comparison: La Belle Lucie vs Related Games
| Feature | La Belle Lucie | FreeCell | Cruel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tableau layout | 18 fans of 3 | 8 cascades | 12 piles of 4 |
| Tableau stacking | Down, same suit | Down, alternating color | Down, same suit |
| Aces pre-placed | No | No | Yes |
| Empty pile fill | No | Any card | No |
| Redeal | 2 (shuffled) | None | Unlimited (ordered) |
| Free cells | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Special rule | Merci (draw 1 buried card) | None | None |
| Win rate | ~15-20% | ~82% | ~25-30% |
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes La Belle Lucie different from other solitaire games?
La Belle Lucie stands out for three reasons: cards are dealt into small fans of 3 (creating a distinctive visual layout), redeals involve actual shuffling (unlike Cruel where order is preserved), and the Merci rule lets you rescue one buried card on the final deal. This combination creates a unique blend of strategy and luck.
What is the win rate for La Belle Lucie?
Expert players can win approximately 15-20% of La Belle Lucie games. The same-suit building requirement, small fan sizes, and limited redeals make it one of the more challenging single-deck patience games. The Merci rule helps, but winning still requires careful planning across all three deals.
How does the redeal work in La Belle Lucie?
When you redeal, all remaining tableau cards are gathered together, shuffled randomly, and then re-dealt into new fans of 3 cards each. Unlike Cruel Solitaire, where card order is preserved during redeals, La Belle Lucie shuffles the cards, giving you a genuinely new layout. You get up to 2 redeals per game.
When should I use the Merci rule?
Save your Merci for a card that will unlock the most progress. Ideal targets include: an Ace trapped deep in a fan, a card that completes a long foundation sequence, or a card whose removal unblocks several other useful moves. Since you only get one Merci per game, analyze all fans before choosing.
Can I fill empty fans in La Belle Lucie?
No. Empty fans cannot be filled with any card. Once a fan is emptied, it stays empty until the next redeal redistributes cards. This is a critical constraint — clearing a fan permanently reduces your storage options until the next redeal.
How is La Belle Lucie different from Cruel Solitaire?
Both use same-suit tableau building, but La Belle Lucie deals into fans of 3 (vs Cruel's piles of 4), allows only 2 shuffled redeals (vs Cruel's unlimited order-preserving redeals), includes all cards in the deal (Cruel pre-places aces), and offers the unique Merci rule on the final deal.
Is La Belle Lucie harder than FreeCell?
Yes, significantly. FreeCell has a ~82% win rate while La Belle Lucie sits around 15-20%. FreeCell gives you four free cells as temporary storage and allows moving any face-up card in a sequence. La Belle Lucie restricts you to top cards only, has no free cells, and empty fans can't be filled. The limited redeals and single Merci provide some relief, but the game remains quite challenging.
Related Games & Guides
- Play La Belle Lucie — Start a game now
- Cruel Solitaire — Same-suit building with unlimited ordered redeals
- Cruel Solitaire Rules — Compare the redeal mechanics
- Play FreeCell — The classic with 4 free cells
- Penguin Solitaire — Dynamic foundation base with flipper cell
- Types of Solitaire — Explore 20+ solitaire variants