Solitaire is a family of single-player card games. Each variant plays differently, pick yours below.
The classic. Seven columns, four foundation piles, alternate colors. The game everyone means when they say "Solitaire."
View rulesAlmost always winnable. Four free cells act as temporary parking spaces. Logic over luck.
View rulesBuild and move complete suits within the tableau. Available in 1, 2, or 4 suits.
View rulesPair cards that add up to 13. Uncover the entire pyramid before your deck runs out.
View rulesThree overlapping peaks. Remove cards one higher or lower than the current card.
View rulesRemove as many cards as possible from the tableau to match the discard pile. Lowest score wins.
View rulesKlondike is the definitive Solitaire variant, the game that ships with Windows and the one most people simply call "Solitaire." This guide covers everything from basic rules to advanced strategy and probability math.
Klondike Solitaire is a single-player card game. Your goal is to move all 52 cards to 4 foundation piles, one per suit, built up from Ace to King in order. You rearrange cards across 7 tableau columns and draw from a stock pile to find playable cards. The game is won when all foundations are complete (A through K in each suit). It is lost when no legal moves remain.
| Area | Description |
|---|---|
| Stock Pile | 24 face-down cards. Draw from here on your turn. |
| Waste Pile | Cards flipped from the stock. Top card is available to play. |
| Foundation (4 piles) | Built up by suit: A, 2, 3... K. One pile per suit. |
| Tableau (7 columns) | Main play area. Build down in alternating colors. |
| Feature | 1-Card Draw (Flip 1) | 3-Card Draw (Flip 3) |
|---|---|---|
| Cards flipped per draw | 1 | 3 (only top card usable) |
| Difficulty | Easier | Harder |
| Win rate (approximate) | ~43% of games are winnable | ~83% are solvable in theory; ~11% won in practice |
| Best for | Beginners, casual play | Challenge seekers, classic experience |
The Windows version historically defaults to 3-card draw. Most mobile apps default to 1-card draw. The win rate for 3-card draw appears low in practice because even solvable games require optimal play that most casual players do not execute.
Each of the 4 foundations must be built with cards of one suit, starting with the Ace and ending with the King. You cannot skip ranks. The only source of cards for the foundation is tableau columns and the waste pile. Once a card is placed on the foundation, in most rules it stays there (though some variants allow returning foundation cards to the tableau).
A game is auto-complete (and most digital versions will finish it for you) when all 52 cards are face-up and available -- at that point, every remaining move is deterministic and you have won.
Your highest priority is always to reveal face-down cards. A hidden card is a potential blocker. Prefer moves that flip a new card over moves that rearrange already-visible cards.
Empty tableau columns are valuable but useless without a King to fill them. Before clearing a column, confirm you have a King available in the waste pile, stock, or another column. An empty column with no available King is dead space.
The columns with more face-down cards (columns 5, 6, 7 in the initial deal) have more hidden cards blocking you. Focus draws and moves on exposing those first.
Moving cards to foundations too early can trap sequences in the tableau. If you have a black 8 and a red 9 on the table, sending the red 8 to the foundation prevents you from extending the black 8 sequence later with a red 7. Balance foundation building with tableau needs.
In 3-card draw, the buried cards cycle in a fixed order. After one pass through the stock, note which key cards (Aces, low cards) are trapped. Plan which tableau moves will open them up in subsequent passes.
Klondike's solvability has been studied extensively:
Solitaire games originated in 18th-century Scandinavia and northern Germany, where single-player card games called "Patience" were recorded from approximately 1783. The games spread to France and England through the early 19th century, becoming fashionable parlor games particularly associated with Napoleon Bonaparte (who reportedly played Patience during his exile on St. Helena).
Klondike specifically is named for the Klondike region of Canada (now Yukon), associated with the 1896-1899 gold rush. It became popular in North America in the late 19th century. The game's global dominance arrived when Microsoft included it in Windows 3.0 (1990) as a subtle way to teach users mouse drag-and-drop mechanics. It became one of the most-played computer games in history as a result. Windows Solitaire has been played by an estimated 1 billion people since its introduction.
In 1-card (flip 1) mode, you turn one card at a time from the stock and can access every card individually. In 3-card (flip 3) mode, you flip three at a time but only the top card of the three is playable. 1-card is easier with a higher practical win rate (~43%). 3-card is harder with a lower practical win rate (~11-15%).
No. Only a King or a King-led sequence may be placed in an empty tableau column.
Move all 52 cards to the 4 foundation piles, one per suit, built from Ace to King in order. The game is won when all foundations are complete.
In 1-card draw mode, roughly 79-91% of deals are theoretically solvable. In practice with average play, about 43% are won. In 3-card draw, about 82-91% are theoretically solvable but only about 11-15% are won in practice.
By standard rules, yes. However, many digital versions disable this. Check your game's specific settings.
Flip the waste pile over to create a new stock pile. In 1-card draw you can typically do this unlimited times; in 3-card draw the same applies, though some variants limit redraws.
The name likely references the Klondike gold rush region of Canada (1896-1899), where miners reportedly played this version. It became widely known as Klondike to distinguish it from other Solitaire variants.
Auto-complete triggers when all 52 cards are face-up and accessible. At that point, all remaining moves are deterministic and guaranteed to win. Digital versions typically complete the game automatically at this point.