How to Play Blondes and Brunettes Solitaire

A two-deck variant where a single dealt card determines the starting rank for all foundations, which then build up in opposite colors as you work through the waste and reserve piles. The goal: Move all 104 cards to the eight foundations to win.

Setup

1. One card is dealt to the first foundation pile, determining the base rank for the entire game (that rank will start in all eight piles)
2. Deal 1 card to each of 9 tableau piles
3. Set aside 10 cards as a reserve pile, with only the top card playable
4. The remaining 84 cards form the stock

How to play

• Build each foundation up by the starting rank in opposite colors (if the base is 7, play 7, 8♣, 9♦, 10♣, etc.)
• Ranks wrap around (King continues to Ace)
• On the tableau, build downward by alternating colors (red 7 on black 8)
• Only the top card of each tableau, reserve, or waste pile is playable
• Click the stock to deal one card to the waste; only the top waste card is playable, and there's no redeal once the stock runs out
• When you empty a tableau pile, it is immediately refilled with the top card from the stock, or from the waste if the stock is empty

How to win

Objective: Move all 104 cards to the eight foundations to win.

You win when all 104 cards reach the foundations. The random base rank means every game is different.

Tips

• The reserve is fixed; use it strategically when it holds cards you need
• Build tableau sequences carefully to expose buried cards
• Watch the foundation base rank—it affects your entire strategy

Play Blondes and Brunettes free on Windows

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Related games

More games from the Canfield family:

• Demons and Thieves — A two-deck game with the tableau split in two: the left side builds down in opposite colors, the right side builds down in the same suit.
• Kansas — Start each game with a random base rank that sets the tone for your foundations.
• Balcony — An unusual solitaire where the foundation base rank is randomized each game instead of always being Ace, and a reserve of seven cards sits to the side for strategic play.