Forty Thieves
Added 02/2026
Forty Thieves Solitaire: The Legendary Two-Deck Challenge
By Martin Petroff
If you thought Spider Solitaire was a massive undertaking, let me introduce you to the grandfather of all two-deck patience games: Forty Thieves. Also known in some circles as Napoleon at St. Helena, this variation is notoriously difficult, incredibly prestigious, and requires a massive amount of table space. The name comes from the 40 cards dealt face-up at the very beginning of the game. Because you can see every single card in the tableau right from the start, it feels like a generous, open-information puzzle—until you realize that you are only allowed to move one single card at a time. It is a brilliant, unforgiving brain-burner that rewards intense forward-planning and punishes hasty decisions.
How to Play
Forty Thieves requires two full decks and a very careful approach. Because the movement rules are so highly restrictive, managing your empty columns is the absolute key to victory.
The Objective: Your goal is to move all 104 cards into eight "Foundation" piles at the top of the board, building them up by suit from Ace to King (e.g., a complete sequence of 13 Spades, 13 Hearts, etc.).
The Setup (The 40 Thieves):
Shuffle two standard 52-card decks together (104 cards total).
Deal the cards into 10 columns from left to right.
Every single column receives exactly 4 cards, dealt completely face up and overlapping so you can see every card.
These 40 face-up cards are the "Thieves."
The remaining massive stack of 64 cards forms your face-down Stockpile at the bottom of the board. Leave room next to it for a single Waste pile.
Above the tableau, reserve space for your 8 Foundation piles.
How to Play:
Building the Columns: You can only build down the tableau columns in descending order by the exact same suit (for example, you can only place a 9 of Clubs onto a 10 of Clubs).
The "One Card" Rule: This is what makes the game a legendary challenge. You can only move one single card at a time. You cannot pick up a correctly stacked sequence and drag it together. If you have a 9, 8, and 7 of Clubs stacked perfectly, and you want to move them to a 10 of Clubs in another column, you will need empty spaces on the board to temporarily hold the 7 and 8 while you move the 9!
Empty Columns: If you completely clear one of your 10 columns, you can move any single card into that empty space. Because you can only move one card at a time, these empty columns act as vital "stepping stones" for rearranging your tableau.
The Draw: When you cannot make any more moves on the board, draw one card from your Stockpile and place it face up on the Waste pile. You can play the top card of the Waste pile onto the tableau or the foundations.
No Redeals: In the strict, classic rules of Forty Thieves, you only get one pass through the Stockpile. When the Stockpile is empty, you cannot flip the Waste pile over. Make every single draw count!