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How to Play Bisley Solitaire

Bisley is a classic patience card game famous for its dual-direction foundation system. Aces build up while kings build down, and when they meet in the middle, the suit is complete. With flexible same-suit tableau building and 13 columns, Bisley rewards careful planning and offers a satisfying win rate of around 70-80%.

Setup

  1. Use a standard 52-card deck.
  2. Remove all four Aces and place them on the four ace-foundation piles (bottom row).
  3. Deal the remaining 48 cards face-up into 13 tableau columns (first 9 columns get 4 cards, last 4 get 3 cards).
  4. Four empty king-foundation slots are placed above the ace foundations (top row).
  5. All cards are visible from the start — no hidden information.

Objective

Move all 52 cards onto the foundations. Ace foundations build up by suit (A→K) while king foundations build down by suit (K→A). When both foundations of the same suit have consecutive top cards, that suit is complete. Win when all four suits are complete.

Rules

Ace Foundations (Build Up by Suit)

Build ace foundations up by suit from Ace toward King. Place 2♥ on A♥, then 3♥, and so on. The four aces are pre-placed at the start of the game.

King Foundations (Build Down by Suit)

When a King becomes the top card of a tableau column, move it to the king foundation row. Then build down by suit from King toward Ace. Place Q♠ on K♠, then J♠, and so on.

Foundation Meeting

When the ace foundation and king foundation of the same suit have consecutive top cards (e.g., 7♦ ascending and 8♦ descending), that suit is complete. All 13 cards are accounted for across both piles. A golden glow appears when foundations are about to meet.

Tableau Building (Up or Down by Same Suit)

Stack cards in ascending or descending order by same suit. Place a 5♠ on either a 6♠ or a 4♠. This flexible building rule is unique to Bisley and gives you many more options than most patience games.

Single Card Moves

Only the top card of each tableau column can be moved. You cannot move groups of cards or sequences — each move involves exactly one card.

Empty Columns

Empty columns cannot be filled. Once a column is cleared, it remains empty for the rest of the game. There are no free cells, no stock, no waste, and no redeals.

Strategy Tips

1. Move Kings to Foundations Early

Getting kings onto their foundations opens up two-way building for that suit. The sooner you establish both directions, the more options you have for clearing cards. Prioritize uncovering and moving kings.

2. Build From Both Directions Simultaneously

Don't focus exclusively on building up from aces or down from kings. Work both directions at once to maximize the cards you can clear. If the ace foundation has 5♥ and the king foundation has 9♥, look for ways to advance both.

3. Preserve Column Count

Empty columns can't be refilled, so avoid clearing columns unless it directly enables foundation plays. Each empty column is permanent lost workspace. Think carefully before removing the last card from any column.

4. Use Flexible Tableau Building Wisely

The ability to build up OR down on the tableau is powerful. Use it to create temporary holding stacks — move cards around to uncover the ones you need for foundations. Just remember to keep track of your sequences.

5. Plan the Meeting Point

For each suit, think about where the ascending and descending foundations will meet. If you have 6♠ on the ace foundation and Q♠ on the king foundation, the cards 7-J need to come from the tableau in the right order from both directions. Plan your moves to make this possible.

6. Use Undo to Explore Paths

Bisley has no redeals, so every move matters. Use undo liberally to test different approaches. Sometimes moving a card to a different column opens up a chain of foundation plays you wouldn't have found otherwise.

Comparison: Bisley vs Related Games

FeatureBisleyFreeCellLa Belle Lucie
Tableau layout13 columns of 3-48 cascades18 fans of 3
Tableau stackingUp or down, same suitDown, alternating colorDown, same suit
FoundationsDual (up + down)Up only (A→K)Up only (A→K)
Aces pre-placedYesNoNo
Empty column fillNoAny cardNo
Free cells040
Special ruleKing foundations (build down)NoneMerci (draw 1 buried card)
Win rate~70-80%~82%~15-20%

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes Bisley different from other solitaire games?

Bisley's signature feature is dual-direction foundations. Aces build up by suit while kings build down by suit. When ascending and descending piles of the same suit meet, that suit is complete. This two-way approach gives you much more flexibility than traditional one-direction foundation games. Combined with the ability to build tableau cards up OR down by same suit, Bisley is one of the most tactically flexible patience games.

What is the win rate for Bisley Solitaire?

Expert players can win approximately 70-80% of Bisley games. The flexible tableau building (up or down by same suit) and dual-direction foundations make it significantly more forgiving than games like Cruel (~25-30%) or La Belle Lucie (~15-20%). However, the inability to fill empty columns means poor play can still lead to deadlocks.

When do kings go to the king foundations?

Kings are moved to king foundations when they become available — meaning when a King is the top card of a tableau column. Unlike aces which are pre-placed at the start, king foundations are filled during gameplay. Once a King is on its foundation, you build down by suit from it (K, Q, J, 10...).

How do ascending and descending foundations meet?

The ace foundation builds up (A, 2, 3, 4...) and the king foundation builds down (K, Q, J, 10...). When the top cards of both foundations of the same suit are consecutive ranks — for example, 7♠ on the ace foundation and 8♠ on the king foundation — that suit is considered complete. All 13 cards of that suit are accounted for across both piles.

Can I fill empty columns in Bisley?

No. Empty columns cannot be filled with any card in Bisley. Once a column is cleared, it remains empty for the rest of the game. This is a critical constraint — while it's tempting to clear columns quickly, doing so reduces your available play space and can lead to deadlocks.

Is Bisley harder than FreeCell?

Bisley and FreeCell have similar overall win rates (both around 70-80%), but they feel quite different. Bisley gives you more building flexibility (up or down, same suit) and dual-direction foundations, but no free cells and no ability to fill empty columns. FreeCell gives you four temporary storage cells and empty columns, but has stricter building rules (alternating color, descending only).

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