Hello!
Welcome, to Triple Topper!
Rules to Lake Effect Solitaire
Updated August 18, 2016
Set Up:-----------
1. Use the Squares deck (i.e. a 64 card deck with no backs, blobs, or question marks.)
2. Deal out like Klondike solitaire. Deal out i rows. 1 card in the first column (face up), 2 cards in the second column (with only the last card up), and keep adding one until you get 7 rows with 7 cards in the 7th. Only the last card of each row is face up.
3 Put the rest of the cards face down in a draw pile.
Play:
1. If a card matches in 2 variables with another card, you can move one on top of the other. In the easier version of the game, order doesn't matter, so either can be on either. For the harder version of the game, The cards must be in descending order. It need not be consecutive.
a. in color: blue (high), green, yellow, red
b. in suit: square (high), triangle, heart, circle
c. in number: 4 (high), 3, 2, 1
2. At any time you may take 3 cards from the top of the draw pile and flip them over as a unit. so the third card is in front. (Just like Klondike)
3. If at any time the top most card in that pile of 3 is able to match according to which ever way you decide in rule 1, take it and put it on the layout.
4. Payoff piles:
4a. The first card in the payoff grid is a red circle 1, and that's the only thing you can start with.
4b. Additional cards can be placed according the following rules
4b1. The next number up of the same color and suit can be played on top of a card below, provided the card to its left in the same row and the card closer to you in the same column BOTH have a number equal to or higher than the one you'd be laying. So the first layer you must build is a red circle 2 on top a red circle 1. A green heart 4 can be played on a green heart 3 only if the yellow heart pile has a legally played 4, and green circle 4 has been legally played too.
4b2 A 1 can start a new color and suit pile, and will be placed to the right, provided that all other sequential rows and columns have been placed with a 1, in ascending order. So the next piles to start are the red heart 1 and the yellow circle 1. So a yellow heart 1 can only be placed if the yellow circle 1 and the red heart 1 is placed.
4b3. No card can be placed until its respective previous cards are played. However, you do not have to play it as a perfect square or cube.
Example: In the picture below, if X represents cards legally played, then O represents which cards and where cards can be placed into the payoff grid.
5. If a down card is exposed, turn it over.
6. If a empty column becomes exposed, place any card with either a 4, a blue, or a square. (or maybe even more than 1)
7. If you place a card from the draw pile somewhere else, you can use the card underneath. You are allowed to view all 3 cards so you can strategically plan their use. If you use all 3, look at the top card in the discard pile, and see if you can use it.
8. If you can't use a draw card, place all cards in your hand into the discard pile face up. If all cards from the drawpile are either played or in the discard pile, turn the deck over and start again. To make the game tougher, use a limited number of recycles, preferably 3.
9. For an easier game, you can take cards from the grid and put them back into the playfield. For a harder game, once cards are in the scoring grid, you cannot move them.
10. If you get all cards in the grid, you win.