How to Play Solitaire: Klondike Rules, Setup and 9 Tips to Win More Games

Solitaire is probably the most-played card game in the world. Generations of people learned it on a work computer, played it on long flights or laid it out on a kitchen table with a real deck. It's calm, it's quick and it's strangely satisfying when the last king slides into place.

This guide covers the rules of classic Klondike Solitaire: how to set up, how cards move, Draw 1 vs Draw 3, and nine tips that will help you win more often. When you're ready, you can play Solitaire free online right in your browser.

The goal of Solitaire

Move all 52 cards onto four foundation piles, one for each suit, built up in order from Ace to King. When all four foundations are complete, you win.

How to set up Klondike Solitaire

The layout has four areas:

• The tableau: seven columns of cards. The first column has 1 card, the second 2 cards, and so on up to 7 cards in the last column. Only the top card of each column is face up; the rest are face down.
• The stock: the remaining 24 cards, face down, which you draw from.
• The waste: where cards from the stock are turned face up.
• The foundations: four empty spaces where you build each suit from Ace to King.

The rules: how cards move

1. Build down in alternating colours. In the tableau, you can place a card on another card that is one rank higher and the opposite colour. A red 6 can go on a black 7. A black Jack can go on a red Queen.
2. Move groups of cards together. A correctly ordered run (like 8 black, 7 red, 6 black) can be moved as a unit onto a suitable card.
3. Turn over hidden cards. When you move the face-up card off a column, flip the next card face up.
4. Only Kings fill empty columns. If a column becomes empty, only a King (or a run starting with a King) can be placed there.
5. Build foundations by suit. Start each foundation with an Ace, then add the 2, 3 and so on of the same suit.
6. Use the stock when you're stuck. Turn cards from the stock to the waste. The top waste card can be played to the tableau or a foundation. When the stock runs out, you can turn the waste back over and go through it again.

Draw 1 vs Draw 3

There are two common ways to play the stock:

• Draw 1: turn one card at a time. You see every card in the stock, so it's easier and great for beginners.
• Draw 3: turn three cards at a time, and only the top one is playable. It's much harder, because some cards stay buried until the order shifts.

Start with Draw 1. Switch to Draw 3 once you're winning regularly and want a challenge.

9 Solitaire tips to win more games

1. Always play Aces and 2s to the foundations straight away. They can't help you anywhere else.
2. Uncover hidden cards first. Prioritise moves that flip a face-down card, especially in the longest columns. Hidden cards are what make games unwinnable.
3. Work on the biggest columns. The column of seven hides six cards. Freeing it opens up the most options.
4. Don't empty a column unless you have a King ready. An empty column is only useful if you can fill it with a King.
5. Choose your King carefully. If you have a choice, move the King whose colour helps the cards you're waiting for. Need a red Queen to go somewhere? Pick a black King.
6. Don't rush cards to the foundation. Sometimes a 5 or 6 is more useful in the tableau, where it can hold a lower card of the opposite colour.
7. Play from the tableau before the stock. Tableau moves reveal hidden cards. Stock cards will still be there later.
8. Think one move ahead. Before moving, ask: what will this uncover, and what will it block?
9. Use undo to learn. When you're playing online, undo lets you test a line and go back if it fails. It's the fastest way to improve.

Can every game of Solitaire be won?

No. Some deals are impossible to win however well you play, because key cards end up buried in the wrong order. That's part of the charm: win a few, lose a few, deal again. Draw 1 games are winnable far more often than Draw 3.

Play Solitaire online free

The MillionDollarJoke Card Room has classic Klondike Solitaire with no download and no sign-up:

• Switch between Draw 1 and Draw 3 with one tap
• Undo button for testing moves
• Auto-finish once every card is face up
• A timer and move counter so you can beat your best
• Every win earns Hype Points for the global leaderboard and your Company Cup team

Want something with other people? Try Hearts, Spades or Crazy Eights in the same Card Room.

Solitaire FAQ

How many cards are in each column in Solitaire?

The seven columns hold 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 cards, with only the top card face up. That uses 28 cards, and the other 24 form the stock.

What can go in an empty column in Solitaire?

Only a King, or a run of cards starting with a King.

What is the difference between Draw 1 and Draw 3?

In Draw 1 you turn one card from the stock at a time. In Draw 3 you turn three, and only the top one is playable, which makes the game harder.

Is Klondike the same as Solitaire?

Klondike is the most popular version of Solitaire, and it's what most people mean by "Solitaire". Other versions include Spider and FreeCell.