Solitaire Rules

How to play Solitaire card game

Solitaire (klondike) is played by building cards downward in the tableau in alternating colors (red, black, red, black), while simultaneously building each suit upward in the foundations (Ace, 2, 3 … King). You can move single cards or correctly ordered sequences in the tableau to free up face-down cards and open columns for Kings.

Preparations

• Players: 1
• Deck: Standard 52-card deck (no jokers)
• Goal: Move all cards to 4 foundation piles (one per suit)

Set up the tableau (7 columns):

• Column 1: 1 card face up
• Column 2: 2 cards (top card face up)
• Column 3: 3 cards (top card face up)
• …
• Column 7: 7 cards (top card face up)

Create piles:

• Put the remaining cards face down as the stock pile
• Leave space for:
  • Waste pile (where drawn cards go)
  • 4 foundation piles (start empty)

Gameplay

Play continues in turns until you either complete all foundations or run out of moves.

Look for tableau moves first

• Move any face-up card that can legally stack onto another tableau card:
  • Must be one rank lower
  • Must be opposite color
• Example: 7♣ can go on 8♥, but not on 8♦ (same color)

Flip new cards when possible

• If you clear all face-up cards from a column and expose a face-down card:
  • Flip the top face-down card face up immediately

Use empty columns correctly

• Only a King (or a sequence starting with a King) can be placed in an empty tableau column

Build foundations when legal

• Move cards to foundation piles in this order by suit:
  • Ace → 2 → 3 → … → King
• Example: After placing A♠, you may place 2♠ on top of it, then 3♠, etc.

Draw from the stock pile

• If no helpful tableau moves exist, draw from the stock:
  • Draw 1 (common digital version) or Draw 3 (classic variant)
• Place drawn cards into the waste pile
• You may play the top waste card if it fits either:
  • Onto the tableau (alternating colors, descending), or
  • Onto the foundation (same suit, ascending)

Keep cycling until you finish or get stuck

• If you cannot make moves and the stock is empty (or cycling doesn’t create moves), the game ends

Here is how you win the game

You win Solitaire when all 52 cards are moved into the four foundation piles, each built by suit from Ace to King.
If you reach a position where no legal moves remain and you can’t draw anything useful, the deal is a loss.

Strategies and tips

Solitaire has luck in the deal, but smart choices matter a lot.

Prioritize flipping face-down cards

• Moves that reveal hidden cards usually beat cosmetic moves

Don’t rush everything to foundations

• Sometimes keeping a low card in the tableau helps you build sequences and unlock columns

Use empty columns as a weapon

• An empty column is powerful, but only if you can place a King (or King-led stack) that helps you uncover more cards

Track colors and ranks

• If you bury a needed color (like a red 6), you might block multiple future moves

Alternative strategies

Delay moving Aces if it blocks tableau progress

• If moving an Ace prevents you from building a needed tableau chain, consider waiting

Prefer moves that create new options

• Example: Moving a card that opens two different follow-up moves is usually stronger than a move that opens none

In Draw-3 games, plan around the waste order

• Sometimes it’s worth making a small tableau move just to allow a key waste card to become playable next cycle

Alternative versions of Solitaire

Solitaire is a family of games, and even Klondike has common rule variations.

Klondike Draw 1 vs Draw 3

• Draw 1: Draw one card at a time from the stock (usually easier)
• Draw 3: Draw three cards at a time (harder; waste order matters more)

Vegas Solitaire

• Scoring and pressure-based variant often played digitally
• You may start with a points balance
• You earn points by building foundations
• Focuses more on efficiency than perfect completion

Spider Solitaire

• Uses multiple decks
• You build sequences from King down to Ace
• Completed sequences are removed from play
• Generally more complex and longer than Klondike

FreeCell

• Almost all deals are solvable with good play
• Uses free cells as temporary holding spaces
• Highly strategic compared to standard Solitaire

Marbles Solitaire

• Not a card game, but often searched under “solitaire”
• A single-player board puzzle using pegs or marbles
• Goal is usually to remove marbles by jumping until one remains

Overview of the game rules

• Players: 1
• Deck: 52 cards, no jokers
• Goal: Build 4 foundation piles by suit from Ace to King
• Tableau: 7 columns with increasing cards (1 to 7), only top cards face up
• Legal tableau building: Descending rank, alternating colors
• Empty tableau columns: Only Kings (or stacks starting with King)
• Stock pile: Remaining face-down cards used to draw into the waste
• Waste pile: Top waste card may be played to tableau or foundation if legal
• Foundations: Ascending order, same suit
• Flip rule: When a face-down card becomes exposed, flip it face up
• Win condition: All cards placed into foundations
• Loss condition: No legal moves remain and drawing or cycling can’t create one