📋 Contents
1 Game Overview
Klondike Solitaire is the most played card game in history, it's the one on every Windows PC. The goal is to move all 52 cards to four Foundation piles, sorted by suit from Ace to King. You'll rearrange the Tableau using alternating colors while drawing from the Stock pile.
Not every deal is winnable, roughly 80% can be solved with perfect play, but most people win 30-50% of the time.
2 What You Need
- 1 standard deck of 52 cards
- Enough table space for 7 columns and 4 foundation piles
3 Setup
- Deal 7 columns (the Tableau): column 1 gets 1 card, column 2 gets 2 cards, column 3 gets 3 cards, and so on through column 7 (7 cards). Only the top card of each column is face-up. The rest are face-down.
- Place remaining 24 cards face-down as the Stock (draw pile) in the upper left.
- Leave 4 empty spaces for the Foundations in the upper right.
4 How to Play
On each turn, you can make any combination of these moves:
Tableau Moves
Move face-up cards between columns. A card (or stack of face-up cards) can be placed on a card that is one rank higher and the opposite color. Example: black 7 on red 8.
When a face-down card is exposed (all face-up cards above it are moved), flip it face-up.
A King (or a stack starting with a King) can be moved to any empty column.
Foundation Moves
Move cards to the Foundations. Each Foundation must start with an Ace, then build up in suit order: A, 2, 3... Q, K. You can move any card from the Tableau or Waste pile to the correct Foundation.
Drawing from Stock
When you have no more moves, draw from the Stock. Draw 1 card at a time (beginner) or 3 cards at a time (standard). Drawn cards go face-up to the Waste pile; only the top Waste card is playable.
When the Stock is empty, flip the Waste pile over to form a new Stock. You can cycle through the stock as many times as needed (or limit to 3 passes through for a challenge).
5 Winning
You win by moving all 52 cards to the four Foundations, sorted by suit from Ace to King. If you run out of moves and can't complete the foundations, the game is stuck (lost).
6 Tips
- Expose face-down cards first. Every face-down card is potential. Prioritize moves that flip hidden cards.
- Empty a column early. An empty column is a staging area. It can hold any King and his entourage.
- Don't rush Aces to foundations. Sometimes keeping an Ace or 2 in the tableau helps move other cards around.
- Move Kings that have Queens available. Moving a King to an empty column is only useful if you have a Queen of the opposite color ready to build on it.
- Draw 1 variant: Use draw-1 when learning, it gives you more control. Draw-3 is the traditional casino version with more challenge.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the goal of Klondike Solitaire?
The goal is to move all 52 cards to the four foundation piles, one per suit, built up from Ace to King. You do this by arranging cards in the tableau columns in alternating red-black sequences, descending in rank.
Can every game of Solitaire be won?
No. A significant portion of Klondike Solitaire deals are unwinnable regardless of play. Studies suggest that with perfect play, roughly 80 percent of deals in the "draw one" variant are winnable, but less than half are winnable in the "draw three" variant.
What is the difference between draw one and draw three Solitaire?
In draw one, you flip one card at a time from the stock pile. In draw three, you flip three at a time and can only play the top card of the three. Draw one is easier; draw three requires more planning.
Can you move a sequence of cards in Solitaire?
Yes. In the tableau, you can move a partial column (a built sequence) as a unit, as long as the bottom card of the sequence can legally be placed on the destination column.
What happens when the stock pile runs out?
When the stock pile is empty, flip the discard pile over to form a new stock pile and continue drawing. In some rulesets, you can only go through the stock a limited number of times.
8 Draw-1 vs Draw-3: Win Rates & Strategy
Draw-1 (Flip One Card at a Time)
In Draw-1 mode, you flip one card from the stock pile at a time and can play it immediately. Every card in the stock becomes accessible on each pass through the deck. Computer simulations estimate the win rate at approximately 15–20% with reasonable play, and up to 33–34% with near-optimal algorithmic play. Draw-1 is significantly more winnable and is the recommended starting mode for new players or anyone who wants a relaxed, winnable experience.
Draw-3 (Flip Three Cards at a Time)
Draw-3 flips three cards at a time, exposing only the top card of each triplet. You can only play the visible top card — the two below it are hidden until the top card is played or the stock is cycled. This means on any given pass through the stock you access only roughly one-third of the available cards. Win rate drops to approximately 8–12% with good play. Draw-3 is the classic version most associated with Windows Solitaire and rewards deliberate card-counting play.
Cycling and Pass Limits
Standard rules allow unlimited passes through the stock pile in both modes. Some stricter rule sets limit Draw-3 to 3 passes total — if no win is achieved by the third pass, the game is declared lost. Unlimited passes are more forgiving and are recommended for casual play. Confirm which rule you are using before starting, especially if playing for score.
Draw-3 Card Counting
The defining skill in Draw-3 is tracking card positions through the stock. If you know the stock has 21 cards remaining, the current top card is card 1, the next accessible card is card 4, then 7, and so on. Expert players mentally track 2–3 critical cards through the stock to plan moves 2–3 cycles ahead. This is the primary reason Draw-3 is considered the more challenging and skillful variant.
9 Advanced Tips & Common Mistakes
Flip Face-Down Cards First
Every face-down card in the tableau represents hidden potential. Any move that exposes a face-down tableau card should be prioritized over moves that merely rearrange face-up sequences. Uncovering face-down cards expands your options faster than any other tactical choice.
Use Empty Columns Strategically
When a tableau column empties, resist placing a King immediately. An empty column is a powerful flexible workspace. Use it to reorganize sequences, break up buried chains, or create temporary holding spots that enable face-down card exposures. Only fill an empty column with a King who leads a genuinely useful and long sequence.
Foundation Timing
Moving cards to the foundation is the win condition, but premature foundation moves can strand tableau cards. If moving the 3♥ to the foundation prevents a black 4 from moving onto a red 5 in the tableau — blocking a chain that would flip face-down cards — delay the foundation move until the tableau reorganization is complete.
Common Mistakes
- Moving stock cards to tableau prematurely: A stock card placed in the tableau locks access to the cards below it in the stock. Only move stock cards to the tableau when doing so directly enables a face-down card flip or continues a productive sequence.
- Cycling stock without scanning the tableau first: Before cycling the stock again, take 5 seconds to scan all tableau columns for any move you may have overlooked. A missed move often means an extra stock cycle — and in Draw-3, that can be decisive.
- Giving up too early: Many winnable Klondike games appear completely stuck until the correct sequence of moves is found. Before declaring a game lost, reorganize the tableau through any available empty columns. Games that seem dead often have one critical hidden move that unlocks everything.
🎲 House Rules
Play Solitaire (Klondike) your way?
Save your house rules and share a link or QR code — friends can pull them up at the table.