Josephine Solitaire Play Now

Stock and Waste Play

Ten scenarios for the hardest decision in Josephine Solitaire: play the waste card, store it, or turn the stock and lose it for good.

There are more mistakes made while playing the stock than at almost any other stage of Josephine Solitaire. The correct play depends on whether you have an empty tableau pile, on the card you turn over, on the available tableau cards and on the state of your foundations.

One pass, no redealEvery card you turn is spent. A card that gets covered in the waste only comes back once every card above it has been legally removed — which, with a single pass, you can never count on.

You have an empty tableau pile

Scenario 1The waste card can move to a foundation

Move the waste card to the foundation before turning over another stock card.

Example

Card layout for this example
Waste3♥
Heart foundationA♥-2♥
Empty pileEmpty
BEFORESTOCK3WASTEFOUNDATIONS · TWO FOR EVERY SUITA2A-2AAAAAAEMPTYPILETABLEAUAFTERSTOCKNEXTCARDWASTEFOUNDATIONS · TWO FOR EVERY SUITA3A-2-3AAAAAAEMPTYPILETABLEAUMOVE THE WASTE CARD TO THE FOUNDATION
Move the 3 of hearts to the foundation and keep the tableau pile empty.

The card leaves the waste, the foundation advances and the empty pile is untouched. There is no reason to delay this one.

Scenario 2The waste card can join a tableau sequence

Move the waste card onto the matching same-suit card in the tableau.

Example

Card layout for this example
Waste8♣
Tableau9♣
Empty pileEmpty
STOCK8WASTEFOUNDATIONS · TWO FOR EVERY SUITAAAAAAAA9TABLEAUEMPTYPILEEMPTY PILEUSE THE MATCHING TABLEAU CARD
Use the 9 of clubs. The empty pile is not needed here.

Move the 8 of clubs onto the 9 of clubs. Do not put the card in the empty pile when a legal tableau destination already exists — after the move the tableau reads 9♣-8♣ and the empty pile is still yours to spend.

Scenario 3The waste card cannot be played, but an empty pile is available

Use the empty pile when the waste card matters and has a reasonable next move.

Example

Card layout for this example
Waste7♦
Tableau Pile A9♦
Tableau Pile B8♦-4♣
Club foundationA♣-2♣-3♣
Empty pileEmpty
BEFORESTOCK7WASTEFOUNDATIONS · TWO FOR EVERY SUITAAA3A-3AAAA9PILE A84PILE BEMPTYPILEEMPTY PILE1234AFTERSTOCKNEXTCARDWASTEFOUNDATIONS · TWO FOR EVERY SUITAAA4A-4AAAA987PILE AEMPTYPILEPILE BEMPTYPILEEMPTY PILEUSE THE EMPTY PILE TEMPORARILY
The 7 of diamonds waits in the empty pile until the 8 is free.

Move the 7 of diamonds into the empty pile. Then move the 4 of clubs to its foundation, which frees the 8 of diamonds; move the 8 onto the 9, and finally bring the 7 back out of storage onto the 8.

Pile A ends as 9♦-8♦-7♦, Pile B is empty and the borrowed pile is empty again.

Scenario 4The waste card is high and has no useful next move

Usually turn the next stock card. Using the empty pile is only right when the card will soon support a sequence.

Example

Card layout for this example
WasteK♠
Tableauno available Queen of spades
Empty pileEmpty
STOCKKWASTEFOUNDATIONS · TWO FOR EVERY SUITAAAAAAAAEMPTYPILEEMPTY PILENO QUEEN OF SPADES AVAILABLEKEEP THE EMPTY PILE OPEN
No lower spades to follow the King. Leave the space open.

The King of spades can legally go into the empty pile, but nothing can be built on it. Leave the pile open and turn the next stock card.

If the Queen of spades could be uncovered in a single move, storing the King would be a different proposition.

Scenario 5The waste card and the tableau are both temporarily blocked

Apply the two-move rule.

Example

Card layout for this example
Waste6♣
Empty pileEmpty
A tableau pilethe 7♣ under one movable card
STOCK6WASTEFOUNDATIONS · TWO FOR EVERY SUITAAAAAAAAEMPTYPILEEMPTY PILEMOVABLECARD7PILE WITH THE 7TWO-MOVE RULESTORE IT ONLY IF THE DESTINATION IS CLOSE
One move away. That is inside the two-move budget.
The two-move rulePut the waste card into an empty pile when no more than two moves are needed to give it a real destination. If the destination is further away than that, keep the pile open and turn the stock instead.

Two-move example 1Store the 6 of clubs when the 7 is one move away

Example

Card layout for this example
Waste6♣
Pile A8♣
Pile B7♣-3♥
Heart foundationA♥-2♥
Empty pileEmpty
STOCK6WASTEFOUNDATIONS · TWO FOR EVERY SUITA2A-2AAAAAAEMPTYPILEEMPTY PILE8PILE A73PILE B1234THE 7 OF CLUBS IS ONE MOVE AWAY
Four moves in order, and the waste card ends up safe in a sequence.

Move the 6 of clubs into the empty pile, then the 3 of hearts to its foundation. The 7 of clubs is now available: move it onto the 8, then bring the 6 out onto the 7.

The waste card needed only one tableau move before its destination appeared.

Two-move example 2Do not store a Queen with no available King

Example

Card layout for this example
WasteQ♦
Tableauno available K♦
Empty pileEmpty
STOCKQWASTEFOUNDATIONS · TWO FOR EVERY SUITAAAAAAAAEMPTYPILEEMPTY PILECOVERINGCARDCOVERINGCARDCOVERINGCARDKPILE WITH THE KINGTOO DEEPLY BURIEDDO NOT BLOCK THE EMPTY PILE
Three cards deep is outside the budget. Keep the pile.

Do not move the Queen of diamonds into the empty pile when the King of diamonds is buried and cannot be uncovered within two moves. Keep the empty pile available for a more useful stock card.

Two-move example 3Wait when the waste card already has a tableau destination

Example

Card layout for this example
Waste10♥
Pile AJ♥
Pile BEmpty
STOCK10WASTEFOUNDATIONS · TWO FOR EVERY SUITAAAAAAAAJPILE AEMPTYPILEPILE BPLAY DIRECTLY ONTO THE JACK
A real destination exists. The empty pile stays untouched.

Move the 10 of hearts directly onto the Jack of hearts. Pile A becomes J♥-10♥ and Pile B is still empty and still useful.

You do not have an empty tableau pile

Scenario 6The waste card can move to the tableau, but no pile becomes empty

Play the waste card when it extends a same-suit sequence and keeps the card available.

Example

Card layout for this example
Waste7♠
Pile A8♠
Pile BQ♣-J♣
BEFORESTOCK7WASTEFOUNDATIONS · TWO FOR EVERY SUITAAAAAAAA8PILE AQJPILE BNO EMPTY TABLEAU PILEAFTERSTOCKNEXTCARDWASTEFOUNDATIONS · TWO FOR EVERY SUITAAAAAAAA87PILE AQJPILE BPROTECT THE WASTE CARD
No pile is emptied, but the card is out of danger.

Move the 7 of spades onto the 8 of spades. You still have no empty pile, but the waste card is protected and can travel later as part of a sequence.

Scenario 7The waste card helps you create an empty pile

Play the waste card when it lets another pile be cleared.

Example

Card layout for this example
Waste9♥
Pile A10♥
Pile B8♥
Pile C7♥
BEFORESTOCK9WASTEFOUNDATIONS · TWO FOR EVERY SUITAAAAAAAA10PILE A8PILE B7PILE C123AFTERSTOCKNEXTCARDWASTEFOUNDATIONS · TWO FOR EVERY SUITAAAAAAAA10987PILE AEMPTYPILEPILE BEMPTYPILEPILE CONE WASTE CARD CREATES TWO EMPTY PILES
One card from the waste, three moves, two empty piles.

Move the 9 of hearts onto the 10, the 8 onto the 9 and the 7 onto the 8. If Piles B and C held only those cards, Pile A becomes 10♥-9♥-8♥-7♥ and both of the other piles are now empty.

Scenario 8You turn over a low card that can move to a foundation

Move it. It clears the waste and advances the foundation at the same time.

Example

Card layout for this example
Waste2♦
Diamond foundationA♦
Tableauno empty piles
STOCK2WASTEFOUNDATIONS · TWO FOR EVERY SUITAAAAAAAAAALL TEN TABLEAU PILES ARE OCCUPIEDBUILD THE FOUNDATION
Low cards from the waste go home immediately.

Move the 2 of diamonds onto the Ace of diamonds. There is no argument for holding a 2 in the waste.

Scenario 9The waste card cannot be played and you cannot create a destination

Usually turn the next stock card. Do not make a weak tableau move just to force the waste card into play.

Example

Card layout for this example
WasteJ♣
Tableauno available Q♣
Foundationsthe club foundations have not reached the 10♣
Empty pilesnone
STOCKJWASTEFOUNDATIONS · TWO FOR EVERY SUITAAAAAAAANO QUEEN OF CLUBS · NO EMPTY PILE · CLUB FOUNDATIONS BELOW THE 10TURN THE NEXT STOCK CARD
Nothing to build on and nowhere to store it.

The Jack of clubs cannot be played. If the Queen of clubs cannot be uncovered and the club foundations are not ready, turn the next stock card and move on.

Scenario 10The waste card is blocked, but the tableau can be rearranged

Apply the two-move rule. Make the tableau moves when they create a legal destination within two moves.

Example

Card layout for this example
Waste5♠
Pile A7♠
Pile B6♠-3♦
Diamond foundationA♦-2♦
Empty pilesnone
BEFORESTOCK5WASTEFOUNDATIONS · TWO FOR EVERY SUITAA2A-2AAAAA7PILE A63PILE B123AFTERSTOCKNEXTCARDWASTEFOUNDATIONS · TWO FOR EVERY SUITAA3A-3AAAAA765PILE AEMPTYPILEPILE BCREATE A PATH FOR THE WASTE CARD
One foundation move opens the whole line.

Move the 3 of diamonds to its foundation. The 6 of spades becomes available: move it onto the 7, then bring the 5 across from the waste.

Pile A ends as 7♠-6♠-5♠, Pile B is empty, and the waste card was saved along the way.

Example 1Playing the waste card when you have no empty pile

Example

Card layout for this example
Waste8♦
Pile A9♦
Pile BK♣-Q♣
Empty pilesnone
STOCK8WASTEFOUNDATIONS · TWO FOR EVERY SUITAAAAAAAA9PILE AKQPILE BNO EMPTY TABLEAU PILEPLAY IT BEFORE IT IS COVERED
It gains no space, but it keeps the card alive.

Move the 8 of diamonds onto the 9 of diamonds. The move does not create an empty pile, but it keeps the 8 available and out of reach of the next stock card.

Example 2Turning the stock when the waste card has no useful move

Example

Card layout for this example
WasteQ♠
Tableauno available K♠
Foundationsthe spade foundations have not reached the J♠
Empty pilesnone
STOCKQWASTEFOUNDATIONS · TWO FOR EVERY SUITAAAAAAAANO KING OF SPADES · NO EMPTY PILE · SPADE FOUNDATIONS BELOW THE JACKNO DESTINATION. TURN THE STOCK
Nothing to be done. Turn the card.

Turn over the next stock card. Do not break up useful sequences or reshuffle your plans simply to rescue a Queen that has nowhere to go.

Try it on a live stock

Deal a game and make yourself justify every card you turn.

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