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What is King Albert Solitaire?
King Albert is a patience game using one deck where 45 cards are dealt into a staircase of nine tableau columns and the remaining seven cards form the Belgian Reserve, a visible row where every card is always accessible. There is no stock, no free cells, and no redeals: all 52 cards are visible from the start. Tableau builds down by alternating color, one card at a time. Win by moving all cards to four foundations from Ace to King by suit. The win rate is around 80 percent with careful play.
King Albert Solitaire history
King Albert is named after King Albert I of Belgium and appears in early 20th-century patience collections. The Belgian Reserve is the game's distinctive feature: seven face-up cards that act as a permanent buffer zone, ensuring the player always has multiple accessible cards even when the tableau is deeply stacked. The fully open information layout rewards careful planning over luck.
How to play King Albert Solitaire
All 52 cards are visible at the start. The nine tableau columns are arranged in a staircase from 9 cards (leftmost) down to 1 card (rightmost). The seven Belgian Reserve cards sit in a row below the tableau, each independently accessible.
- Look for Aces anywhere in the game: on top of tableau columns or in the reserve. Move any Ace immediately to a foundation.
- Play cards from the reserve or tableau tops onto foundations whenever a card is next in sequence for its suit.
- Build down by alternating color in the tableau to expose cards lower in the stacks. Only one card moves at a time; you cannot move a sequence as a unit.
- Use the reserve to stage cards that do not yet have a tableau destination. Reserve cards can go to any valid tableau top or directly to foundations.
- Empty tableau columns accept any single card. Use empty columns as temporary staging areas to reorganize deep stacks.
Strategies to win King Albert Solitaire
- The reserve is your most flexible resource. Cards there are always available, so use reserve cards to fill in sequence gaps rather than making tableau moves that deepen stacks unnecessarily.
- Plan several moves ahead. Because all cards are visible, you can trace the full sequence required to expose a buried card and decide whether the cost in other moves is worth it.
- Empty columns are valuable. Creating an empty column requires clearing the entire rightmost stacks, so reserve that operation for situations where you genuinely need the staging space.
- Keep foundation suits balanced. Advancing one suit far ahead while others lag can make the needed low cards of slower suits inaccessible under deep stacks.
King Albert Solitaire rules and objective
Objective: move all 52 cards to four foundations (A to K by suit). Nine tableau columns in a staircase (9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 cards); all face-up. Seven Belgian Reserve cards, all face-up and individually accessible. Build tableau down by alternating color, one card at a time. Empty columns accept any card. No stock, no redeals.
Game setup
| Element | Setup |
|---|---|
| Deck | 1 standard 52-card deck |
| Tableau | 9 columns, staircase of 9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 face-up cards |
| Belgian Reserve | 7 face-up cards; all independently accessible |
| Foundations | 4 piles, built A to K by suit |
| Build rule | Down one rank, alternating color, one card at a time |
| Empty column | Any single card |
| Stock / Redeals | None |
| Win condition | All 52 cards on foundations |
King Albert Solitaire variants and similar games
FreeCell is another fully open-information game with four free cells for staging. FreeCell allows sequence movement and has slightly different empty-column rules. Beleaguered Castle removes all Aces to foundations at the start and has no reserve, making it harder. For a more forgiving open-layout game, La Belle Lucie uses fans instead of columns.
How difficult is King Albert Solitaire?
King Albert is moderately difficult. The open layout means no surprises from hidden cards, but the single-card movement rule and deep staircase columns demand careful planning. The Belgian Reserve acts as a buffer that prevents many deadlocks. Most players with patience-game experience win roughly 80 percent of deals.
What is King Albert Solitaire win percentage?
King Albert wins approximately 80 percent of the time with careful play. The fully visible layout and seven reserve cards make it one of the more approachable patience games, though the single-card-only movement rule means patience is required to work through deep tableau columns efficiently.
King Albert Solitaire FAQ
What is the Belgian Reserve in King Albert Solitaire?
The Belgian Reserve is the row of seven face-up cards dealt below the tableau at the start of the game. Unlike a reserve pile where only the top card is accessible, every card in the Belgian Reserve is available at all times. You can play any reserve card directly to a foundation or onto a valid tableau column top.
Can you move sequences in King Albert Solitaire?
No. Only one card moves at a time. You can build a valid alternating- color descending run in the tableau, but you must move each card individually when transferring that run to another column. This is a key difference from FreeCell and Klondike where sequences move as a unit.
What can go in an empty tableau column in King Albert?
Any single card can fill an empty tableau column, whether it comes from the reserve, the waste, or the top of another tableau column. There is no restriction on rank; even a 2 can start a new column.
Is King Albert Solitaire a good game for beginners?
It is a good intermediate game. The fully visible layout removes the frustration of bad luck from hidden cards, which helps new players learn planning skills. The high win rate makes it rewarding while the staircase stacking and reserve management provide genuine strategic depth.
Other solitaire games I recommend
- FreeCell - open-information game with free cell buffers
- Beleaguered Castle - open layout, no reserve, harder
- Canfield Solitaire - reserve-based game with wrap foundations
- Yukon Solitaire - sequence movement, face-up dealing
- Classic Klondike Solitaire - the most popular patience game