All 52 cards are dealt face up into eight columns: four columns of seven cards and four of six. The free cells and foundations start empty.
FreeCell uses one standard 52-card deck, dealt face up into eight columns. The first four columns get seven cards each and the last four get six, so there are no hidden cards and no stock to draw from.
The rest of the layout
- Four free cells above the columns, all empty at the start.
- Four foundations, one per suit, also empty.
Why it is a planning game
Because you can see every card, the deal can be studied before the first move: find the aces and twos first and see what covers them (the FreeCell strategy guide). Next, see how to build columns, or the full FreeCell rules.