Open the foundations before cards disappear into waste.
Eight empty foundations and one redeal put special pressure on the Aces and Kings. The nine-card reserve is your way to keep useful cards visible.
Last updated: September 2026
Find the first card for each foundation
Each suit has an ascending foundation that requires an Ace and a descending foundation that requires a King. Unlike Patriarchs, all eight base cards are shuffled into the deck. A middle rank cannot move until its foundation begins and reaches it. Watch for the bases in the reserve and on top of the waste.
Once an Ace or King is exposed, moving it to an empty foundation makes the next rank of its suit playable. You cannot reverse cards between foundations in Picture Patience, so every foundation placement is final.
Use reserve moves to uncover waste
Moving a reserve card to a foundation fills that reserve spot with the waste top. This can save a useful card that would otherwise be covered by the next stock draw. If the waste is empty, the spot instead takes the next stock card.
Before playing a reserve card, look at the waste top. Its destination will remain open in the reserve even if the card is not yet ready for a foundation. This is especially valuable when the card is a missing base or the immediate next rank for a developing suit.
Plan the one redeal
Stock cards are turned one at a time, and only the waste top is playable. At the end of the stock, the waste can be turned over once without shuffling. Cards left in waste during the first pass become available in the same order on the second pass.
Use the first pass to start as many foundations as possible. During the second, prioritize cards that unlock a sequence of later ranks. Once the stock and redeal are exhausted, buried waste cards can block a win.