Forty Thieves (also called Napoleon at St Helena in some books) uses two full decks, ten tableau columns, and strict same-suit descending builds. Eight foundations take ace through king — two complete decks, two piles per suit.
Empty columns accept any card, which helps when rearranging long same-suit chains.
How to play Forty Thieves
- Ten columns build down in the same suit only.
- Move only one card at a time — no packed multi-card moves.
- Eight foundations: two per suit, ace to king each.
- Stock deals one card to waste at a time; empty columns accept any card.
- Win when all 104 cards sit on foundations.
Strategy tips
- Do not bury low aces — with two foundations per suit, starting aces early doubles your outlet.
- Same-suit discipline is stricter than Spider’s color-blind builds; one off-suit card blocks a column until scooped away.
- Empty columns are precious — use them to swap a blocking card off a deep stack.
- Deal from stock only when tableau moves stall; each click adds one card to the waste pile.
- If Forty Thieves feels dense, try Baker’s Dozen for a one-deck alternative with more columns.
Common questions
Why are there eight foundations?
Two decks mean two king-to-ace sequences per suit — eight piles total.
