How to Play Solitaire: Rules You Need to Know
A red seven is waiting for a black eight, an ace is ready to start a foundation pile, and a face-down card could be the key to opening up the tableau. At first glance, Solitaire looks like a simple game of moving cards around. But after a few games, you’ll realize just how much the order of your moves can affect the outcome.
If you’re wondering how to play Solitaire, start with Klondike, one of the most popular versions of the game. The goal is to move all 52 cards to four foundation piles, one for each suit, building each pile in ascending order from ace to king. To do this, you’ll work through seven tableau columns and draw cards from the stockpile.
Unlike live casino games, Klondike lets you play at your own pace and take your time deciding what to do next. You don’t need an opponent or have to wager any money, either.
What Is Solitaire, and Which Version Do These Rules Cover
Solitaire is a family of card games usually played by one person. Klondike is one of the most popular versions, but there are others, including Spider and FreeCell, each with its own layout and rules. This means that instructions for one version of Solitaire won’t necessarily apply to every game that goes by that name. This guide focuses on Klondike.
In the tableau, you build sequences in descending order, alternating between red and black cards. The foundation piles work the other way around: cards are arranged in ascending order, from ace to king, with each pile containing cards of the same suit.
This distinction is central to how the game works. The tableau columns help you uncover face-down cards and create new moves, while the foundation piles are where all the cards need to end up. Even if every card is face up, that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve won.
How to Set Up a Game of Solitaire
You’ll need a standard 52-card deck without jokers, the same type of deck used in Texas Hold’em poker.
Shuffle the deck, then deal the cards into seven columns from left to right:
- The first column contains one card, face up.
- The second column contains two cards: one face down and one face up.
- The third column contains three cards: two face down and one face up.
- Continue this pattern until you reach the seventh column, which contains seven cards: six face down and one face up.
You’ve now dealt 28 cards. Place the remaining 24 cards face down in the stockpile. Set aside space next to it for the waste pile, where drawn cards will be placed face up. Above the tableau, leave four spaces for the foundation piles, one for each suit: hearts, diamonds, spades, and clubs.
Arrange the cards in each column so they overlap slightly, keeping the value and suit of every face-up card visible. This makes it easier to keep track of your available moves as the sequences grow.
Basic Rules for Moving Cards
In the tableau, you can place a card on another card that is one rank higher and of the opposite color. For example, you can place a red seven on a black eight. You can’t place a black seven on a black eight or a red seven on a black nine.
It’s important to distinguish between color and suit. Hearts and diamonds are red, while spades and clubs are black. In the tableau, you alternate between red and black, so the seven of hearts can be placed on either the eight of spades or the eight of clubs. On the foundation piles, however, every card must belong to the same suit.
Sequences in the tableau descend from king to ace: king, queen, jack, ten, and so on. In Klondike, the ace is the lowest-ranking card, and no cards can be placed on top of a king.
You can move a single face-up card or a correctly ordered sequence of face-up cards, together with any cards beneath it. If moving a sequence reveals a face-down card at the top of a column, turn that card face up. Face-down cards cannot be moved until they are turned face up.
For example, you can move a sequence consisting of a black nine, a red eight, and a black seven onto a red ten. The black nine can be placed on the red ten, and the other cards remain in the same order.
You can fill an empty tableau column only with a king or a correctly ordered sequence that starts with a king. No other card, not even an ace, can be placed in an empty column.
How to Build the Foundation Piles
Each of the four foundation piles starts with an ace. The two of hearts goes on the ace of hearts, followed by the three of hearts, and so on until you reach the king of hearts. The same rule applies to diamonds, spades, and clubs.
Unlike the tableau, the foundation piles don’t alternate colors. The two of diamonds can’t be placed on the ace of hearts, even though both cards are red. You also can’t skip ranks: the four of spades goes on the three of spades, not the five.
You can move only one card at a time to a foundation pile, provided it is available to play. This can be a card from the tableau or the top card of the waste pile. You can’t move an entire sequence from the tableau to a foundation pile in a single move. A card from a foundation pile can be moved back to the tableau if it can be legally placed there: on a card that is one rank higher and of the opposite color.
You win when all 52 cards have been moved to the four foundation piles. Each pile will then contain 13 cards of the same suit, arranged from ace to king. The stockpile, waste pile, and tableau columns will all be empty.
Drawing One or Three Cards from the Stock Pile
The stockpile is where you draw new cards from. You can choose between drawing one card at a time and drawing three cards at a time. Choose your preferred option before starting and stick with it for the entire game.
With the one-card draw, turn over the top card of the stockpile and place it face up on the waste pile. You can move it to a tableau column or a foundation pile if it fits. If you don’t play it, the next card you draw is placed on top of it.
With the three-card draw, only the top card of the three-card group is available to play. If you move that card, the card beneath it becomes available. Even if you can see the values and suits of the other cards, you can’t play them until they become the top card. If fewer than three cards remain in the stockpile, turn over the remaining cards, and only the top card is available to play.
Once you’ve gone through the stockpile, whether you can go through it again depends on the rules you’ve chosen. If another pass is allowed, turn the waste pile face down to create a new stockpile without shuffling the cards. Some versions limit the number of passes, while others allow unlimited passes.
For beginners, drawing one card at a time is usually easier to follow. You can no longer make progress when there are no legal moves left and no further draws or passes through the stockpile can help you move cards to the foundation piles.
What the Start of a Game Looks Like
Imagine that a black eight is available at the bottom of the first tableau column and a red seven is available at the bottom of the second. You can move the seven onto the eight, then turn over the face-down card that was underneath it in the second column. If that card is the ace of clubs, move it to the clubs foundation pile.
Next, check whether the two of clubs is available. If it is, you can place it on the ace. If not, look for other moves in the tableau or draw a card from the stockpile. You can’t skip the two and place the three directly on the ace.
This example illustrates the usual flow of the game: moving face-up cards reveals face-down cards, and newly available cards can then be moved to the appropriate foundation piles. Sometimes a single move opens up several possibilities in a row. Other times, you’ll need to go through the stockpile to find the card you need.
Solitaire Tips for Beginners and Common Mistakes
Before moving a card, consider what the move will uncover. A move that reveals a new face-down card is often more useful than moving an existing face-up sequence without opening up any new possibilities. This is a helpful guideline, not a rule that guarantees a win.
An empty tableau column gives you space to move a king and uncover the cards beneath it. Before filling that space, though, consider which king or sequence is likely to open up the most useful moves. If you have two options, look at what each one leaves behind.
The most common mistakes occur when players confuse the rules for tableau columns with those for foundation piles. In the tableau, cards descend in rank and alternate colors. In the foundations, cards ascend in rank and must belong to the same suit. Another frequent mistake is trying to play a card from the stockpile before it becomes available.
Not every deal is winnable. If you run out of useful moves, it doesn’t automatically mean you’ve played incorrectly. Digital versions may offer deals designed to be winnable, but even then, you still need to find the right sequence of moves.
Solitaire with Physical Cards vs. Playing on a Screen
With a physical deck, you set up the layout yourself and keep track of each move as you play. It’s a good way to learn the rules and understand the differences between the tableau, stockpile, waste pile, and foundation piles. All you need is a deck of cards and enough table space to keep everything visible.
A digital version usually deals the cards automatically and prevents you from making illegal moves. Some apps offer undo options, hints, or the option to choose a winnable deal. Before you start, check whether the game uses the one-card or three-card draw and whether there are limits on how many times you can go through the stockpile. Scoring systems and time bonuses also vary by version.
The choice comes down to whether you prefer handling real cards or playing a quick game on your phone. And if you’re in the mood for an opponent across the table, two-player card games offer a different kind of fun with a deck you already have.
The Satisfaction of Completing a Game of Solitaire
Once you understand how to play Solitaire, the seven columns stop looking like a random arrangement of cards. You start noticing which card needs to be uncovered, where an empty space would help, and why a move that looks promising might be better left for later.
For your first game, try Klondike with the one-card draw and take your time. Remember two key patterns: in the tableau, build downward while alternating colors; in the foundation piles, build upward by suit. The rest comes with practice, careful planning, and the occasional fresh start.
Frequently Asked Questions About Solitair
How many cards do you need to play Solitaire?
Klondike requires a standard 52-card deck without jokers. At the beginning of the game, 28 cards are dealt into seven tableau columns, while the remaining 24 cards form the stockpile.
Is Solitaire played with just one deck?
Klondike uses a single deck. Other versions may use multiple decks, so check the rules for the specific game before you start.
Can an ace go on a king?
Not in Klondike. In the tableau, cards are placed in descending order, alternating between red and black, so an ace can only be placed on a two of the opposite color. In the foundation piles, the ace is the starting card.
Which card can go into an empty tableau column?
In Klondike, only a king or a correctly ordered sequence beginning with a king can be placed in an empty tableau column.
Can every game of Solitaire be won?
No. A randomly dealt game of Klondike isn’t necessarily winnable. Some digital versions offer deals known to be winnable, but you still need to make the right moves.
What’s the difference between drawing one card and drawing three?
With the one-card draw, you turn over one card at a time. With the three-card draw, you turn over three cards at a time, but only the top card is available to play.
