How To Play Solitaire

Solitaire (also called Klondike Solitaire) is the most-played card game in the world. It is a single-player game using one standard deck of 52 cards, and the goal is to move all 52 cards onto four foundation piles sorted by suit from Ace to King. This guide covers everything you need to know to start playing and winning.

The Goal of Solitaire

You win Solitaire by building four foundation piles — one for each suit (Spades, Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs) — in ascending order starting from the Ace and ending at the King. Once all 52 cards are on the foundations, you have won the game.

Understanding the Board

When you start a new game of Solitaire, the board is divided into three main areas:

The Tableau

The tableau is the main playing area — seven columns of cards spread across the middle of the board. Column one has one card face up. Column two has one card face down and one face up. Column three has two face down and one face up, and so on, until column seven, which has six cards face down and one card face up on top. The face-down cards are revealed one by one as you move the face-up cards above them.

The Stock and Waste Pile

In the top-left corner you will see the stock pile — a face-down pile of the remaining 24 cards not dealt to the tableau. Click the stock to turn cards over into the waste pile. The top card of the waste pile is always available to play. In Draw 1 mode, one card is turned at a time. In Draw 3 mode, three cards are turned at a time but only the top one is playable.

The Foundations

In the top-right corner are four empty foundation slots, one per suit. This is where you send cards to win the game, starting with the Ace of each suit and building up to the King.

How to Move Cards

Moving Cards on the Tableau

Cards on the tableau are stacked in descending order, alternating between red and black suits. For example, a black 9 can be placed on a red 10, a red 8 on a black 9, and so on. You can move a single card, or you can move an entire ordered sequence of cards together as a group — as long as the sequence follows the alternating-colour, descending-rank rule throughout.

Moving Cards to the Foundations

You can send a card to a foundation pile when it is the correct next card for that suit. The first card to go to each foundation must be an Ace. After that, only the next rank in that suit can be added — so after the Ace of Hearts goes to the Hearts foundation, only the 2 of Hearts can follow it, then the 3, and so on up to the King.

Using Empty Columns

When you clear all the cards from a tableau column, only a King — or a sequence starting with a King — can be placed into that empty space. This is an important rule because empty columns are valuable: they give you somewhere to temporarily park cards while you rearrange others.

Drawing from the Stock

Click the stock pile to turn over cards into the waste pile. The top waste card is always available to play onto the tableau or directly to a foundation. When the stock is empty, you can reset the waste pile back into the stock to go through it again, subject to the pass limit for your difficulty setting.

The Rules in Plain Language

Here is a quick summary of all the core rules:

• On the tableau, cards must be placed in descending order, alternating red and black (for example: black King, red Queen, black Jack, red 10).
• On the foundations, cards must be placed in ascending order by suit, starting from the Ace (for example: Ace, 2, 3 … up to King, all Spades).
• Only Kings can start a new pile in an empty tableau column.
• You can move a valid sequence of cards together as one unit.
• Face-down cards flip face-up automatically when they become the top card of their column.
• You can draw from the stock as many times as your difficulty setting allows.

Easy, Hard, and Hardest — What Is the Difference?

Easy Mode

Easy mode deals one card at a time from the stock (Draw 1) and allows unlimited passes through the deck. Every deal is solver-verified winnable before it is shown to you. This is the best mode for beginners and for relaxed play.

Hard Mode

Hard mode also deals one card at a time, but limits you to three passes through the stock. Once you have gone through the deck three times without winning, no further draws are available. This adds meaningful pressure to your decisions.

Hardest Mode

Hardest mode deals three cards at a time from the stock (Draw 3), and you get only one pass through the deck. Only the top card of the three turned is playable. Cards remain buried until you can access them from above. This is the classic “Vegas-style” Solitaire and demands careful long-range planning.

Common Mistakes Beginners Make

Sending Aces to the Foundation Too Quickly

It feels natural to send every Ace and low card straight to the foundation the moment you can. But cards on the foundation are out of play — you cannot bring them back to the tableau. Sometimes a 2 or 3 is more useful on the tableau helping you uncover hidden cards than it is sitting on the foundation. Think twice before moving low cards up too early.

Not Prioritising Hidden Cards

The most important thing in Solitaire is uncovering face-down cards. Every face-down card is a card you cannot use yet. When you have a choice between two equally valid moves, prefer the one that reveals a face-down card over one that simply rearranges face-up cards.

Filling Empty Columns Immediately

An empty column is one of the most powerful resources on the board — it gives you temporary storage for cards while you rearrange columns. Do not fill it with the first available King just because the space is there. Wait until you have a King that will genuinely help you uncover buried cards.

How to Win More Often

The single most reliable habit for winning Solitaire more often is to think one step ahead before every move. Ask yourself: if I move this card, what does it reveal? Does that reveal help me? Is there a different move that reveals something more useful? Most winning Solitaire games are won by players who are patient about uncovering the tableau rather than rushing cards to the foundations.

For a deeper look at strategy, visit our Solitaire Strategy guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

For quick answers to common questions about the game, rules, and this site, visit our FAQ page.