Choose a base rank with the reserve in mind.
The foundations build by suit, so each rank needs the right suit on the right foundation. The thirteen-card reserve and strict second stock pass make the opening choice consequential.
Last updated: September 2026
General's Patience shares base-rank planning with Canfield, but chooses among four base cards and makes the second stock pass mandatory play.
Compare all four opening cards
One of four exposed cards sets the foundation base rank. The other three begin tableau piles, and six more cards are dealt to complete the nine-column row. Examine the visible reserve before choosing: its top card can only move to a foundation, so a base rank that lets you advance its suit soon may be a better start.
Every empty foundation needs the chosen rank. Once started, a pile rises by suit, wrapping from King to Ace. Check the suit of each started foundation before moving a card there.
Use tableau space deliberately
Nine tableau piles descend in alternating colors, with Kings allowed on Aces. Only the exposed top card of a pile moves. An empty column can take an available card, so it gives you room to uncover a buried card or park a waste card while preserving a route to the foundations.
Do not fill a gap just because it is available. A spare column can help you work through a descending sequence one card at a time. The reserve is stricter: its exposed card can move only to a foundation and cannot be parked on the tableau.
Prepare for the second pass
During the first pass, stock cards turn over one at a time and may remain in the waste. When the stock is exhausted, you may redeal that waste once. The second pass is different: each newly exposed waste card must be played before the next card can be turned.
Before redealing, open tableau spaces and advance foundations so the earliest returning waste cards have destinations. If a second-pass card cannot be placed, the deal ends. A useful first-pass move may be one that prepares a home for a card you remember seeing earlier, even if it does not immediately advance a foundation.