Patience and Solitaire often name the same family of one-player card games. Klondike is a particular member of that family: the familiar game with seven columns and four foundations. In everyday conversation, “Solitaire” frequently means Klondike, but it can also mean Spider, FreeCell or another one-player game.
There is no need to correct someone who calls the seven-column game Patience. The useful question is which rules they mean. Two people can use the same name while disagreeing about drawing one or three cards, recycling the stock, or moving cards back from a foundation.
A quick guide to the three names
| Name | Usual meaning | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Patience | A family of one-player card games; sometimes Klondike | The actual layout and rules |
| Solitaire | The same broad family; often the familiar computer game | Whether the page means Klondike or another variant |
| Klondike | The seven-column game with four suit piles built from Ace to King | Draw count, redeal limit and scoring |
| Draw 1 / Draw 3 | A stock rule within Klondike | Only the top waste card can be played, even when three cards are visible |
Pagat’s history of card solitaires describes the continued use of “Patience” in Britain and other countries, and “Solitaire” in America. Those are usage patterns, not separate sets of mathematical rules. An English-language website may reasonably use either term.
Identify the game from the table
Seven columns beginning with one through seven cards, plus a stock and four Ace-to-King foundations, point to Klondike. A tableau of eight face-up columns with four holding cells points to FreeCell. Ten columns and completed King-to-Ace runs point toward Spider. For a broader visual comparison, use the game-family guide.
These visual clues are more reliable than a generic page title. A search for “Solitaire rules” can return advice for a game with different empty-column or sequence rules. First match the table, then apply the advice.
Old names can be especially misleading
The 1914 revised Cadogan collection includes a section headed “Canfield or Klondike.” Today, Canfield on this site is the four-column game with a thirteen-card reserve and a dealt foundation starting rank. You cannot safely infer today’s Canfield rules from an old title alone.
That is a practical reason to preserve a rule description when sharing a game: “Draw 3 Klondike, unlimited passes” is more informative than “the old Solitaire.” For historical context rather than naming help, read the evidence-based timeline.
What “Solitaire” means here
The homepage lets you play Klondike Solitaire. Its separate Draw 3 page changes stock access, while the tableau still builds down in alternating colors. The complete rules explain the legal moves.
If someone teaches you a different convention, ask about the stock, empty columns and foundations before comparing results. Agreeing on those three things resolves more confusion than choosing one supposedly correct name.