Canfield Solitaire Rules

Canfield SolitaireCanfield (also known as "Demon") is one of the world's most popular solitaire games. The origin of the name is said to have come from the owner of a saloon, who sold patrons a deck of cards for $50, and offered to pay $5 for each card they managed to move to a foundation. If they managed to win the game, they'd win $210 (52 * $5 = $260, minus the initial $50 investment).

As can be surmised from the fact that gambling houses generally like to make a tidy profit, Canfield is rather a tough game to win, or even to get close to winning.


Rules

Number of Decks: 1

Alternate Names: Demon, Fascination, Thirteen

Initial Layout: Deal thirteen cards face-down into a pile called the reserve, then turn the top card face-up. Deal the next card face-up onto the first foundation. This forms the base (starting) card of each foundation. The deal four cards face-up in a row beneath the first foundation. These cards form the basis of the tableau. The remaining cards form the stock.

Object: The object of the game is to move the remaining three base cards, as they appear, to the foundations, and build each up in suit wrapping from king to ace as necessary.

Play: Turn cards from the stock three at a time, onto the wastepile. The top card of each tableau pile, the top card of the reserve, and the top card of the wastepile are available for play. Cards within the tableau may be built downward in sequence (wrapping from ace to king as necessary) and alternating in color. Cards may be moved from tableau to tableau one at a time, or cards may be moved in blocks (the entire sequence must be moved as a unit).

Spaces in the tableau are filled immediately from the reserve. If the reserve is empty, then spaces in the tableau may be filled from the waste. When the stock is empty, turn the wastepile over to form a new stock. This redealing may be repeated until the game is won (all foundations completed), or an impasse is reached.

Variations

  • Rainbow - Same as Canfield, except turn cards from stock one at a time, and only allow two redeals.
  • Selective Canfield - Same as Canfield, except that after creating the reserve, you get to choose the foundation base card from the next five cards, the the remaining four forming the tableau.
  • Superior Canfield - Same as Canfield, except that the reserve is spread out and face-up so that all cards are visible (but only the top card is available for play). Also, you may move portions of a tableau pile from tableau to another, rather than the entire pile.
  • Chameleon - Same as Canfield, except that the tabluea consists of only three piles, and is built downwards regardless of suit. No redeals.
  • Storehouse - Same as Canfield, except that the four foundations all start with 2's already in place, and are built up in suit to aces. Cards within the tableau are built downwards in suit. Two redeals. (AKA "Provisions", "Reserve", "Thirteen Up")
  • Variegated Canfield - A two-deck variation on Canfield, with the eight aces founded at the start of a hand, and built up in suit to kings. The reserve is still thirteen cards, but all cards are visible. The tableau consists of five piles. Otherwise, it plays the same as Canfield, excapt that there are only two redeals.
  • American Toad - A two-deck variation on Canfield, played the same except that the reserve consists of twenty cards (and is called the "toad"). The tableau consists of eight piles, and are built downwards in suit. Cards are pulled from the stock one at a time. There is one redeal.

Other Sources of Canfield Solitaire Rules

Note: All rule links open in a new window.

Games Featuring Canfield Solitaire

BVS Solitaire Collection
Classic Solitaire for Mac OSX
Pretty Good Solitaire
Solavant