How to Play Forty Thieves Solitaire

Forty Thieves solitaire is a challenging 2-deck solitaire game that requires a little luck and a good deal of strategy. Build 8 foundations from ace to king in suit to win this advanced solitaire game.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Shuffle 2 standard decks of playing cards, minus the jokers, together. Lay 40 cards face up on the table, dealing 4 rows of 10. The cards should be placed so that each card is partially on top of the card directly above it. The value and suit of the underneath cards should be showing, but only the 10 cards on the bottom row are playable.

2. Place any available aces above the 10 tableau piles, as the object of the game is to build up from ace to king in 8 piles. The foundation piles should be built upon with matching suits.

3. Move cards around on these 10 tableau piles by placing cards of the same suit in descending order. Play aces and other cards as they become available.

4. Turn over a card from the remaining deck and play it if you can. Continue turning over cards, playing them on the tableau or foundation piles, and moving cards around the tableau.

5. Win the game by getting all the cards onto the 8 foundation piles. There is no re-deal in Forty Thieves solitaire, so it must be done in one time through the deck.

Tips & Warnings

• Be careful when it comes to burying lower-value cards. Think about what you've already played into the foundations and what you'll need and don't bury cards so that they'll be impossible to get to later.