Solitaire

How to play Solitaire

Solitaire, also called Klondike or Patience, is the most played card game in the world. You play alone with one deck of 52 cards. At the start, 28 cards are dealt into seven columns called the tableau. The first column has one card, the second has two, and so on up to seven. Only the top card of each column is face up. The other 24 cards wait face down in the stock.

Goal

Move all 52 cards to the four foundations at the top. Each foundation holds one suit and must be built up in order: Ace, 2, 3 and so on up to King.

Turn by turn

1. In the tableau, put a card on another card that is one rank higher and of the other colour. For example, a red 6 can go on a black 7.
2. You can move a group of face-up cards together, as long as they are already in order.
3. When you move the last face-up card off a column, the card below turns face up.
4. Only a King (or a group that starts with a King) can go into an empty column.
5. Tap the stock to turn cards onto the waste pile. Choose Draw 1 to turn one card at a time, or Draw 3 for the harder classic game. Only the top waste card can be played.
6. When the stock is empty, tap it again to turn the waste over and go through it again. You can do this as often as you like.

Playing on this site

Drag a card to move it, or tap a card and then tap where it should go. Double-tap a card to send it to a foundation or the best free spot. Hint shows a good move, and Undo takes back as many moves as you want. When every card is face up, press Auto finish and the game plays the rest for you.

Scoring and the end of the game

You get 10 points for each card you put on a foundation, 5 points for moving a waste card to the tableau and 5 points for each card you turn face up. Turning the waste over costs points. You win when all four foundations reach King. If no useful moves are left, use Undo to try another path or start a new deal.

Strategy tips

• Free the face-down cards first. Hidden cards are the real problem. Prefer moves that turn a new card face up, and start with the longest columns.
• Don't rush cards to the foundations. Low cards like Aces and 2s should go up at once, but a black 5 may be needed in the tableau to hold a red 4. Keep it there until it is safe.
• Empty a column only when you have a King ready. An empty column is only useful if a King can fill it. Think about which King you want there.
• Pick the right King. If you have two Kings for one empty column, choose the one whose Queen of the other colour is free to follow.
• Use the stock with care in Draw 3. Playing one card from the waste changes which cards come up on the next pass. Sometimes it pays to wait.