diff --git a/board.lua b/board.lua
index 4090497..76a9343 100644
--- a/board.lua
+++ b/board.lua
@@ -44,63 +44,23 @@ function board:init(ruleset)
 end
 
 function board:deal()
+ local deal=deal(self.ruleset)
  local n_usable_slots=self.ruleset.n_slots - 1
- -- first, pull the aces
- local available={}
- for card=1,#self.ruleset.deck.cards do
-  available[card]=true
- end
+
  for i=1,#self.ruleset.deck.aces do
   local well=self.wells[i]
   local ace=self.ruleset.deck.aces[i]
   well:add(ace)  -- temporarily, so would_accept will work
   self:animate_move_ace_to_well(ace,i)
-  available[ace]=false
  end
 
- local eligible_bottom_row={}
- for card=1,#self.ruleset.deck.cards do
-  local skip
-  if not available[card] then 
-   skip=true
-  else
-   for w in all(self.wells) do
-    if (w:would_accept(card)) skip=true break
-   end
+ local rows=#deal[1]
+ for y=1,rows do
+  for x=1,#deal do
+   local outx=x
+   if (x>n_usable_slots\2) outx+=1
+   self:animate_move_new_card_to_slot(deal[x][y],outx)
   end
-  if (not skip) add(eligible_bottom_row,card)
- end
-
- -- let the animation install the aces for real
- for w in all(self.wells) do
-  w:clear()
- end
-
- function i_to_slot(i)
-  if (i<n_usable_slots\2) return i+1
-  return i+2
- end
-
- local bottom_row={}
- shuf(eligible_bottom_row)
- for i=1,n_usable_slots do
-  local card=eligible_bottom_row[i]
-  add(bottom_row,card)
-  available[card]=false
- end
-
- eligible={}
- for card=1,#self.ruleset.deck.cards do
-  if (available[card]) add(eligible,card)
- end
- shuf(eligible)
- for card in all(bottom_row) do
-  add(eligible,card)
- end
- for i=1,#eligible do
-  local ix=i_to_slot((i-1)%n_usable_slots)
-  local slot=self.slots[ix]
-  self:animate_move_new_card_to_slot(eligible[i],ix)
  end
 end
 
diff --git a/dealer.lua b/dealer.lua
index 9b3e642..648adcf 100644
--- a/dealer.lua
+++ b/dealer.lua
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ function deal(ruleset)
    if (card and accepts(lst[#lst-1],card)) return pop(lst)
   end
 
-  local function find_home(odds,card,source,exclude) 
+  local function find_home(prefer_acceptor,card,source,exclude,ignore_acceptorhood) 
    assert(card!=0)
    local acceptors={}
    local start_points={}
@@ -41,17 +41,20 @@ function deal(ruleset)
      -- don't place it here ever
     elseif ruleset.deck.instantly_accepted[card] and n==max_height[s]-1 then
      -- can't place an instantly accepted card at the bottom of a slot
-    else
-     if (accepts(pek(slots[s]),card)) add(acceptors,s)
-     if (n<max_height[s]) add(start_points,s)
+    elseif not ignore_acceptorhood and accepts(pek(slots[s]),card) then 
+     add(acceptors,s)
+    elseif n<max_height[s] then
+     add(start_points,s)
     end
    end
 
-   local acceptor=rnd(acceptors)
-   local start_point=rnd(start_points)
-   if (acceptor and rnd()>odds) acceptor=nil
+   local a
+   if prefer_acceptor then
+    a=rnd(acceptors) or rnd(start_points) or source
+   else
+    a=rnd(start_points) or rnd(acceptors) or source
+   end
 
-   local a=acceptor or start_point or source
    if (a) add(slots[a],card) return true
   end
 
@@ -65,22 +68,18 @@ function deal(ruleset)
    if w <= ruleset.n_suits then 
     local c=pop(slots[0])
     assert(c!=0)
-    if (c and not find_home(1.0,c,nil,0)) return 
+    if (c and not find_home(false,c,nil,0)) return 
     exclude = 0
    end
 
    local card=pop(wells[w])
    assert(card!=0)
-   if (not find_home(1.0,card,nil,exclude)) return 
+   if (not find_home(true,card,nil,exclude)) return 
 
-   local n_moves=48
-   for i=1,n_moves do
-    local src=flr(rnd()*(#slots+1))
-    local card=pop_accepted_card(slots[src])
-    if card then
-     local odds=0.0
-     if (not find_home(odds,card,src,nil)) return
-    end
+   local src=flr(rnd()*(#slots+1))
+   local card=pop_accepted_card(slots[src])
+   if card then
+    if (not find_home(false,card,src,nil)) return
    end
   end
 
@@ -89,7 +88,7 @@ function deal(ruleset)
   for i=0,#slots do
    while #slots[i]>max_height[i] do
     local card=pop(slots[i])
-    if (not find_home(0.0,card,nil,nil)) return
+    if (not find_home(false,card,nil,nil,true)) return
    end
   end
 
diff --git a/main.p8 b/main.p8
index be20ccb..a714863 100644
--- a/main.p8
+++ b/main.p8
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ __lua__
 #include layout.lua
 #include ruleset.lua
 #include progression.lua
+#include dealer.lua
 #include main.lua
 __gfx__
 00000000070000007770000000700000007000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
diff --git a/ruleset.lua b/ruleset.lua
index 59903ea..cfd041f 100644
--- a/ruleset.lua
+++ b/ruleset.lua
@@ -32,17 +32,19 @@ function ruleset:init(
  local usable_slots = n_slots - 1
  assert(usable_slots%2==0)
 
- local total_n_cards = n_arcana + n_suits * n_cards_per_suit
+ local n_total_cards = n_arcana + n_suits * n_cards_per_suit
  -- aces aren't usable because they are initially placed in the wells
- local usable_n_cards = total_n_cards - self.n_suits
+ local n_usable_cards = n_total_cards - self.n_suits
 
  -- deal has to be symmetrical
- assert(usable_n_cards % usable_slots == 0, usable_slots-(usable_n_cards%usable_slots))
+ assert(n_usable_cards % usable_slots == 0, usable_slots-(n_usable_cards%usable_slots))
 
  -- these cards would be instantly moved to the wells and
  -- therefore cannot be in the bottom row
  local instantly_placed_cards = self.n_suits + 2
- assert((total_n_cards-instantly_placed_cards)-usable_slots >= 0)
+ assert((n_total_cards-instantly_placed_cards)-usable_slots >= 0)
+
+ self.n_usable_cards = n_usable_cards
 
  self:generate_deck()
  self:generate_layouts()
@@ -55,6 +57,7 @@ function ruleset:generate_deck()
   aces={},
   suits={},
   cards={},
+  instantly_accepted={},
   rank_name="a23456789tjqk"
  }
  self.deck=deck
@@ -67,12 +70,14 @@ function ruleset:generate_deck()
   for rank=1,self.n_cards_per_suit do
    add(deck.cards,{suit=suit,rank=rank})
    if (rank==1) add(deck.aces,#deck.cards)
+   if (rank==2) deck.instantly_accepted[#deck.cards]=true
   end
  end
 
  -- arcana
  for rank=0,self.n_arcana-1 do
   add(deck.cards,{suit="a",rank=rank})
+  if (rank==0 or rank==self.n_arcana-1) deck.instantly_accepted[#deck.cards]=true
  end
 
  function deck:draw_card(x,y,c,shadow)