ST. HELENA



OBJECTIVE OF ST. HELENA:  Build all eight foundations based on suit

PLAYERS: 1 player

CARDS: 104 cards

CARD RANK: (low) Aces – Kings (high)

GAME TYPE: Solitaire

AUDIENCE: Adults


THE CARDS & THE DEAL

 St. Helena uses two 52 card decks.  Remove one Ace and one King for each suit from the deck.  Create two rows with them – one row of Aces and one row of Kings.  These two rows contain the foundation piles.  The objective of the game will be to build the Ace foundations up to Kings and the King foundations down to Aces according to suit.

Starting with the top left hand corner, deal the rest of the deck into twelve piles around the perimeter of the foundation rows.  As the deal occurs, a row of four piles should be dealt to the top and bottom, and a column of two piles should be dealt to the left and right side.These cards are dealt face up.

THE PLAY

Any top cards from the tableau may be moved to other tableau piles, but there are restrictions for card movement to foundation piles based on which deal the player is in. The first deal is the most restrictive.

FIRST DEAL

After the first deal, players may move top cards from one tableau pile to another.  Tableaus must be built in sequential order.  Suit does not matter, and the piles can be built up or down.  However, the pile cannot be built continuously through the Ace.  A pile can only be built up to a Queen or down to a 2.    

During this deal, cards in the top row of the tableau may only be moved to the King foundation piles.  Cards in the bottom row may only be moved to the Ace foundation piles.  The top cards in the side tableau piles may be moved to any foundation pile.

FOLLOWING DEALS

If the game becomes blocked, two redeals are allowed.  To collect the tableau for a redeal, being with the top left pile.  Pick it up and place it on the pile to its right.  Then pick up that pile and place it on top of the pile to its right.  Continue clockwise around the tableau until all of the piles are collected.  Flip the deck over so that it is face down and begin dealing the tableau piles again.  Deal one card at a time face up around the perimeter of the foundations.

The rules for card movement change after the redeal.  Now, players may move top tableau cards to any foundation for a legal play.  

WINNING

The game is won when all eight foundation piles have been built.  If the game becomes blocked after the second redeal, it is lost.

Mark Ball
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