Tabby Cat Solitaire
How to play Tabby Cat
Tabby Cat is a one-deck solitaire in four piles built down regardless of suit, where a King may go on an Ace and a tail can hold one run at a time.
One deck dealt a card to each of four piles, built down regardless of suit with a King on an Ace, and a tail that holds one run.
The goal of Tabby Cat
Build four runs of thirteen cards, each from King down to Ace in any suits. A finished run leaves the table at once, and the game is won when all four are gone.
How to set up Tabby Cat
Tabby Cat is played with one deck of 52 cards. One card is dealt face up to each of four piles, and the other 48 are the stock. Beside the piles stands the tail, which starts empty.
Tabby Cat rules
A card can be laid on any card one rank higher, whatever its suit, and a King can be laid on an Ace, so a pile may run on from the Ace to the King and down again.
A card moves together with the cards above it when each of them is one rank below the card under it, however many there are and whether or not they pass from Ace to King. An empty pile takes any card or any run that may move.
When the tail is empty, it takes any run that may move. The run in the tail leaves only all at once, onto a pile whose top card its bottom card can be laid on, or into an empty pile. A run never goes from the tail straight to a foundation.
Press the stock to deal one card face up onto each of the four piles, empty ones included. You can deal whenever you like, twelve times in all.
When the top thirteen cards of a pile run from King down to Ace, in any suits, they leave the table at once for a foundation, whether a move or a deal completed them. Thirteen cards that pass from Ace to King on the way are not a finished run.
Click a card to move it with the run above it onto a pile it can be laid on, one topped by its own suit first, else into the first empty pile, else into the tail. Click any card in the tail to move the whole run the same way. Drag a card to choose its place yourself.
How to win at Tabby Cat
You win when all four runs are off the table. There is no redeal and no auto complete, since finished runs already leave on their own.
Tabby Cat strategy tips
Since a King can go on an Ace, a pile can grow into one long chain, and a run leaves only when its King is the thirteenth card from the top. Move the part of a chain from a King upwards into an empty pile or the tail to give that run a clean start.
The tail holds one run, and that run comes out whole. Keep it free until you need somewhere to park a run while you rearrange the piles.
The stock deals onto empty piles too, so a pile you emptied gets a card at the next deal. Use an empty pile before you press the stock.
Tabby Cat questions and answers
How do you play Tabby Cat solitaire?
Deal one card from a 52-card deck face up to each of four piles and keep the other 48 as the stock. Lay any card on one a rank higher, a King on an Ace, move runs together whatever their suits, park one run in the tail, and deal a card onto every pile whenever you like. You win when four runs from King down to Ace have left the table.
What is the tail in Tabby Cat?
The tail is one extra place beside the piles. When it is empty it takes any run that may move. The run comes out only all at once, onto a pile its bottom card can be laid on or into an empty pile, and never straight to a foundation.
What is the difference between Tabby Cat and Spider?
Tabby Cat uses one deck instead of two and starts with just four cards on the table. A King can be laid on an Ace, runs move whatever their suits, finished runs may mix suits, and the tail can hold one run. The stock deals onto empty piles as well, so there is no need to fill a gap before dealing.
Can every Tabby Cat deal be won?
The game's solver has not found one that cannot. Of 503 shuffled Tabby Cat deals it searched, at up to a million positions each, it proved every one can be won, though that does not prove every deal can. With Winnable on, in the menu beside New deal, every new board is a deal the solver has proved can be won. Hint asks the same solver for a winning line before it suggests a move.
Is there a daily Tabby Cat game?
Yes. Tabby Cat has a daily board, the same deal for everyone that day, dealt the way a Winnable board is. You need to be logged in to play it.