Play La Belle Lucie Solitaire Online - The Elegant Fan

La Belle Lucie (French for "The Beautiful Lucy") is an elegant solitaire game where cards are arranged in fan-shaped piles of three cards each. With limited redeals and only top cards available, it requires careful planning and strategic choice of which sequences to build!

How to Play La Belle Lucie Solitaire

Objective: Build four foundation piles up by suit from Ace to King.

Game Setup

• Tableau: Seventeen fans of 3 cards each, plus one single card
• Fan Layout: Each fan spreads three cards with all visible
• Foundations: Four empty piles for Aces
• No Stock: All 52 cards dealt at the start

Basic Rules

• Available Cards: Only the top card of each fan is available
• Building: Build down by suit (e.g., 7 on 8)
• Moving Cards: Move top card to another fan or to foundation
• Empty Fans: Cannot be filled (they disappear)
• Foundation Building: Build up by suit from Ace to King
• Redeals: Two redeals allowed (three total passes through the deck)

How Redeals Work

When stuck, you can redeal twice:

• Gather all cards remaining in tableau (not foundations)
• Shuffle and redeal into fans of 3 cards
• Any remainder becomes single-card fans
• Foundations remain unchanged
• After two redeals (three passes total), game ends

Winning Strategy for La Belle Lucie

1. Prioritize Foundation Building

Unlike many solitaire games, aggressive foundation building helps:

• Move Aces to foundations immediately
• Build foundations whenever possible
• Foundation cards are safer than tableau cards
• Reduces number of cards in the redeal

2. Expose Buried Cards

Focus on revealing cards trapped in fans:

• Prioritize moves that uncover two cards
• Look for Aces buried in fans
• Plan moves to expose key building cards
• Don't block fans unnecessarily

3. Suit Awareness

Same-suit building is crucial:

• A 7 can only go on 8 (same suit required)
• Track which suits are in which fans
• Don't break up useful same-suit sequences
• Look for suits that can chain together

4. Timing Your Redeals

You only get two redeals total:

• Don't redeal too early - exhaust all moves first
• Make sure you've built foundations as much as possible
• Fewer cards in tableau = better redeal layout
• Save second redeal for critical situations

5. Empty Fan Strategy

Once a fan is empty, it's gone:

• Emptying fans is good (reduces tableau clutter)
• But can't be refilled - plan carefully
• Fewer fans = fewer available cards
• Balance creating empties with maintaining options

6. Look for Sequences

Identify buildable sequences early:

• Find cards that can build on each other
• Plan multi-move sequences
• Sometimes moving to a fan opens up another move
• Think 2-3 moves ahead

The Name and History

La Belle Lucie translates to "The Beautiful Lucy" in French:

• One of the oldest recorded solitaire games
• Known since at least the 1870s
• Also called "The Fan," "Clover Leaf," or "Alexander the Great"
• The fan-shaped layout is visually striking

Variations

Trefoil (Easier)

• All four Aces start in foundations
• Only 48 cards in tableau
• Slightly easier to win

Super Flower Garden (Harder)

• No redeals allowed
• Much more difficult
• Requires excellent planning

Shamrocks (Similar)

• Can't build fans higher than 3 cards
• Adds an extra challenge
• Also fan-based layout

Tips for Success

For Beginners

• Focus on building foundations first
• Don't rush to redeal - make all possible moves
• Look for cards trapped in the middle of fans
• Build evenly across all four suits

For Advanced Players

• Plan redeal timing for maximum foundation building
• Memorize which cards are in which fans
• Calculate probabilities of useful redeals
• Master the art of exposing buried cards

Frequently Asked Questions

What's a good win rate for La Belle Lucie?

La Belle Lucie is quite difficult - even skilled players only win 15-25% of games. The two redeals help, but the fan structure and same-suit building make it challenging. Don't get discouraged by losses!

Why can't I fill empty fans?

This is a core rule that distinguishes La Belle Lucie. Once a fan is emptied, that space is gone. This adds strategic depth - you must balance clearing fans with maintaining options.

Should I redeal as soon as I'm stuck?

No! Always exhaust every possible move first. The fewer cards you have when redealing, the better your chances. Build foundations as much as possible before redealing.

Can I move sequences of cards?

No, only single cards can be moved. You must move the top card of a fan to another fan top or to a foundation. This makes the game more challenging.

What happens after my third pass through the deck?

After using both redeals (three passes total), you must win with the remaining cards or lose. There are no more redeals available.

Is the fan layout just decorative?

While it is beautiful, the fan layout serves a purpose - it clearly shows which cards are available (top of each fan) and which are blocked. It's both functional and aesthetic!

Experience the elegant challenge - play La Belle Lucie now!