Solitaire (Klondike) Rules - Complete Guide#

Quick Answer#

What is Solitaire? Klondike Solitaire (also called Patience) is the most famous single-player card game in the world. The goal is to move all 52 cards to four foundation piles, building each suit from Ace to King.

How long does a game take? 5-15 minutes per game.

What is the difficulty level? Easy to learn, challenging to master.

How many players? 1 player (solo game).

Card Setup#

The Deck#

Klondike Solitaire uses one standard deck of 52 playing cards with no jokers. All four suits (hearts, diamonds, clubs, spades) are used equally.

Tableau Layout#

The tableau consists of seven columns dealt from left to right:

1. Column 1: 1 card (face up)
2. Column 2: 2 cards (1 face down, 1 face up)
3. Column 3: 3 cards (2 face down, 1 face up)
4. Column 4: 4 cards (3 face down, 1 face up)
5. Column 5: 5 cards (4 face down, 1 face up)
6. Column 6: 6 cards (5 face down, 1 face up)
7. Column 7: 7 cards (6 face down, 1 face up)

This uses 28 cards total. The top card of each column is placed face up; all others are face down.

The Stock and Waste Piles#

• Stock pile: The remaining 24 cards form the stock pile, placed face down.
• Waste pile: Initially empty. Cards turned from the stock go here.

The Foundation Piles#

Four empty spaces above the tableau are reserved for the foundation piles. Each foundation builds up by suit from Ace to King.

Moving Rules#

Tableau Moves#

Cards in the tableau are arranged in descending order with alternating colors:

• A red card (hearts or diamonds) can be placed on a black card (clubs or spades) of one rank higher.
• A black card can be placed on a red card of one rank higher.
• Example: A red 6 can be placed on a black 7. A black Queen can be placed on a red King.

Moving stacks: You can move a face-up card along with all cards below it as a group, provided the entire stack is in valid descending order with alternating colors.

Revealing Face-Down Cards#

When you move a face-up card (or stack) and expose a face-down card beneath it, that face-down card is automatically flipped face up and becomes available for play.

Empty Columns#

When a tableau column becomes completely empty (all cards removed), only a King (or a valid stack headed by a King) may be placed in the empty space.

Stock Pile Rules#

1. Draw one (standard Klondike): Flip the top card of the stock pile to the waste pile.
2. Draw three (harder variant): Flip three cards at once to the waste pile, but only the top card is playable.
3. When the stock pile is exhausted, flip the entire waste pile back over to re-form the stock. This counts as one pass through the stock.

Foundation Building#

• Foundation piles start with an Ace of any suit.
• Cards are added to the foundation in ascending order by suit: Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King.
• You may move cards from the tableau or waste pile to the foundation.
• In standard rules, you may also move cards back from the foundation to the tableau if needed.

Winning the Game#

You win when all 52 cards have been moved to the four foundation piles, each built up from Ace to King in a single suit. At this point, all tableau columns are empty and the stock and waste piles are depleted.

Scoring Systems#

Standard Scoring (Microsoft Solitaire Style)#

• Waste to Tableau: +5 points
• Waste to Foundation: +10 points
• Tableau to Foundation: +10 points
• Turn over Tableau card: +5 points
• Foundation back to Tableau: -15 points
• Recycling stock: -20 points (draw three) or -100 points (draw one)

Vegas Scoring#

• Start with a debt of -52 points (you invest to play).
• Each card moved to the foundation earns +5 points.
• Maximum score: 208 (52 x 5 minus 52).

Important Rule Clarifications#

Unlimited vs. Limited Redeals#

• Unlimited redeals: You may go through the stock pile as many times as you wish (standard casual play).
• Limited redeals: Some variations restrict you to 1, 2, or 3 passes through the stock. After the limit, the game ends if not won.

Can You Move Cards Back from the Foundation?#

In standard rules, yes. Moving a card back from the foundation to the tableau can sometimes unlock blocked positions. However, some strict variants prohibit this.

What Makes a Game Unwinnable?#

Not all Klondike deals are solvable. Approximately 79-82% of random deals are winnable with optimal play. The remaining deals have no possible solution regardless of strategy.

Tips for Beginners#

1. Always expose face-down cards first before making other moves.
2. Move Aces and Twos to the foundation immediately - they serve no purpose in the tableau.
3. Create empty columns strategically - they give you flexibility to reorganize.
4. Don't rush to the stock pile - exhaust all tableau moves first.
5. Prioritize moving cards from columns with the most face-down cards to reveal more of the tableau.