Solitaire
Solitaire, also called Klondike, is a one-player card game played with a standard 52-card deck. Move every card into four finished suit piles, called foundations, in order from Ace to King.
How to play Solitaire
Move all 52 cards to the four foundation piles, separated by suit, from Ace to King.
The foundations are the four finish piles at the top right of the table. Follow these three steps to play.
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Turn over cards from the face-down pile.
The stock is the face-down pile at the top left. Select it to turn over new cards. They appear in the waste, the face-up pile beside the stock. Only the top waste card can be played.
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Build downward in alternating colors.
The tableau is the row of seven main columns. Place each card on a card one rank higher and of the opposite color.
A red 7 can be placed on a black 8. -
Move complete suits to the foundations from Ace to King.
Start each foundation with an Ace. Add the 2, then the 3, and continue in the same suit until the King is on top.
Understand the table
The table has four areas. Each area has a different job.
- Stock
- The face-down pile used to reveal new cards.
- Waste
- The face-up cards drawn from the stock. Only the top card is ready to play.
- Tableau
- The seven main columns where most play happens.
- Foundations
- The four finish piles, one for each suit, built from Ace to King.
Essential rules
- Build downward. Place a 7 on an 8.
- Alternate colors. A red 7 can go on a black 8.
- Use Kings for empty columns. Only a King, alone or with cards below it, can be placed in an empty tableau column.
- Turn over uncovered cards. A face-down card turns face up when it becomes the top card in its column.
- Build foundations by suit. Start with the Ace, then add cards in order up to the King.
- Move one card or a group. A valid run is a face-up group already arranged downward in alternating colors. You can move the whole valid run together or split it at any card.
- Move cards back when needed. A top foundation card can return to the tableau when it follows the downward, alternating-color rule. Cards do not move back into the stock.
What to do when stuck
Use the controls above the table to try another path.
- HintShows an available move. If no legal move remains, the game tells you.
- UndoTakes back the last move. Use it again to step back further.
- RestartOpen the Game menu and choose Restart to play the same deal again from the beginning.
- New GameDeals a different game.
Draw 1 or Draw 3
The draw mode changes how many cards turn over from the stock.
Draw 1
One card is turned over at a time. This is easier for beginners because every stock card is shown in order.
Play Draw 1Draw 3
Three cards are turned over at a time, and only the top card can be played. This makes the game more difficult.
Play Draw 3Learn Solitaire in 2 minutes: rules, setup and 5 tips
A quick video walkthrough of the Solitaire table, the goal, how to build, and five habits that raise your win rate.
Duration: 2 minutes 26 seconds.
In this video
Frequently asked questions
Is this Draw 1 or Draw 3 Solitaire?
Check the Draw mode control above to see the current mode. It may be Draw 1, Draw 2, or Draw 3, and a saved game reopens in its saved mode. Use the control to change the mode.
What should I do when no moves are available?
Select Hint to check for a legal move. If the deal is stuck, use Undo, choose Restart in the Game menu to replay the same deal, or select New Game for different cards.
When does auto-complete appear?
Auto-complete starts when every tableau card is face up and both the stock and waste are empty. The remaining cards then move to the foundations.
Can I undo a move?
Yes. Select Undo to reverse the last move. You can use it more than once to step back through earlier moves.
Does my game save automatically?
Yes. Your current game is saved in this browser as you play, provided browser storage is available. Return in the same browser to continue.
Solitaire strategy and helpful details
Good play is mostly about revealing useful information and keeping future moves open. These habits cover the decisions that matter most.
Useful habits and common mistakes
- Reveal face-down cards first. When two moves are possible, prefer the one that uncovers a hidden tableau card, especially in a longer column.
- Move Aces and 2s to the foundations early. Keep middle cards in the tableau when they may still be needed to build an alternating-color run.
- Do not empty a column without a King ready. Only a King can fill that space.
- Finish useful tableau moves before drawing. When the stock is empty, the waste turns over to form the stock again without changing its order. In Draw 3, playing one waste card changes which cards become available on the next pass.
How scoring works here
Moving a card to a foundation adds 10 points. If it moves there directly from the waste, you receive 5 extra points. Turning over a face-down tableau card adds 5 points.
Turning the waste back into the stock in Draw 3 costs 20 points. Doing this in Draw 1 has no penalty. The score never goes below zero. Undo restores both the cards and the previous score.
Why the game is called Klondike
Single-player card games are often called patience in Britain and solitaire in the United States. This version became known as Klondike around the time of the 1890s Klondike Gold Rush. Microsoft later included it with Windows 3.0 in 1990, introducing it to a much wider audience.
Other kinds of Solitaire
Spider uses two decks and asks you to complete same-suit sequences from King down to Ace. FreeCell shows every card and adds four temporary holding cells. Pyramid removes pairs that total 13, while Golf and TriPeaks clear cards one rank above or below the current waste card. You can find these games in the list below.
How long does a game take?
There is no required pace. A relaxed Draw 1 game often takes about five to ten minutes, while Draw 3 may take longer because it needs more stock planning. The timer, move count and score are optional ways to measure your own progress.
