Emperor (solitaire)

In its most common form, Emperor is considered to be a more difficult form of Rank and File, a variant of Forty Thieves. The goal is to put the aces in the foundations as soon as they are available and build each of them up to kings.

Forty cards are set up into ten columns of four cards each. Each column should have its bottom three cards face down (collectively known as a "sealed" packet) and its top card face up.

All the exposed (face-up) cards are available for play, to be built on the foundations or on other exposed cards on the tableau, and when a face-down card becomes fully exposed, it is turned face-up. Building in the tableau happens in descending order and by alternating color. Some rule sets allow moving of packed sequences as a single unit (like Rank and File), while other rule sets don't allow moving of sequences.

When all possible moves are made, the stock is dealt one at a time. A card that cannot be played yet onto tableau or on the foundations is placed on the waste pile, the top card of which is available for play.

The game ends soon after the stock has run out. The game is won when all cards are built onto the foundations.

• "Emperor" (p.311) in Bicycle Official Rules of Card Games by Joli Quentin Kansil (ed.), 1999. ISBN 1-889752-06-1

• Forty Thieves
• List of solitaires
• Glossary of solitaire