twopile

The term "twopile" most commonly refers to a specific configuration in the card game of Solitaire, also known as Klondike. In this setup, the player aims to move all cards from the tableau and the stock onto the four foundation piles, sorted by suit and in ascending order from Ace to King. The tableau is the initial arrangement of cards laid out face-down and face-up in seven columns. The stock, or reserve, is the pile of remaining cards from which players draw.

The "twopile" aspect specifically relates to the strategy employed when the stock has been exhausted and all available cards have been moved to the tableau. At this point, the game becomes a matter of carefully revealing and moving the remaining tableau cards to the foundations. The challenge lies in the limited options for uncovering face-down cards. Players must strategically move face-up cards to create empty spaces or to combine sequences of alternating colors, thereby revealing hidden cards. The term highlights the stage of the game where only the tableau and foundations are the active areas of play, with no further cards to be drawn from the stock. Successful completion of a Solitaire game often hinges on effective management of the tableau during this "twopile" phase, where every move can open up new possibilities or lead to a dead end.