Things You'll Need:
- Deck of cards
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Step 1
Start the game Abacus by dealing out the aces: one to the first pile (also called the foundation), the second to the second, and so on. You will have four different foundations, all of a different suit.
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Step 2
Dealing the cards face up, start a new pile with the first card in your hand. These piles will be called the tableaus. Deal one card to the first tableau. Deal two cards to the second pile, three to the third, etc., until you have seven piles of cards.
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Step 3
Begin your game, bearing in mind its object, which is to build up the four foundation piles to the king of their respective suits.
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Step 4
To move cards, you will want to build your cards down in suit within the tableau. Match the order with the foundation. For example, if the top card of the third tableau is a 6 of diamonds, then only a 5 of diamonds or less can be placed on that pile.
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Step 5
Cards can be moved either in a group or by themselves, no matter of the suit or the sequence. This means that any card that is face-up in one of the tableaus can be built upon, even if it is deep in the pile. However, the cards that are covering it must be moved, too.
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Step 6
Each foundation can have a different order, which makes this game unique. For instance, foundation No. One can go 2-4-6-8-10-Q-A-3-5-7-9-J-K, while one pile may go in the regular order of 2 through king.
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Step 7
The game ends when all cards from the tableaus are moved onto the foundations.
