Solitaire (Klondike)
The timeless solo card game. Build four foundation piles from Ace to King by suit.
Setup
Deal 28 cards into 7 columns (1 to 7 cards). Flip the top card of each column. Place remaining cards face-down as the draw pile.
How to Play
- Move cards onto columns in descending order, alternating red and black.
- Flip the top card of any face-down pile after moving cards off it.
- Draw from the stockpile when stuck.
- Move Aces to the four foundation piles and build up by suit (A→K).
How to Win
All 52 cards moved to the four foundation piles.
Always move Aces and 2s to foundations immediately. Expose hidden cards before drawing from the stock.
Is Solitaire (Klondike) Right for You?
Klondike is the solitaire everyone means when they say 'solitaire' — the one built into every computer for decades. It is the perfect single-player game to fill ten quiet minutes with a real deck, and it teaches the foundational patience-game ideas (foundations, tableau, stock) that nearly every other solitaire variant builds on.
Maybe skip it if: If you want a solitaire you can almost always win with good play, Klondike is not it — even perfect play loses a meaningful share of deals, which frustrates players who dislike unwinnable hands. Try FreeCell instead.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Rushing Aces and low cards to the foundations too aggressively, then finding you needed that 2 or 3 in the tableau to receive a card.
- Emptying a column without a King ready to fill it, leaving a dead space you cannot use.
- Flipping through the stock without a plan, instead of working the tableau to expose face-down cards first.
- Forgetting whether you are playing draw-one or draw-three — draw-three is far harder and changes every decision.
Strategy Tips
- Always expose face-down tableau cards before drawing fresh stock — information is everything.
- Hold low cards in the tableau when they can still receive an opposite-colour card you need to move.
- Only empty a column when you have a King to fill it, or the space is wasted.
- Plan a few moves ahead before committing an Ace; sometimes leaving it builds a better sequence.
Popular Variations
Draw One vs Draw Three
Draw-one flips a single stock card at a time and is much more winnable; draw-three flips three and is the classic, harder version.
Vegas scoring
You 'buy' the deck for 52 and earn 5 per card sent to foundations, turning Klondike into a gambling-style score chase across deals.
Our Take
Klondike is the comfort food of card games: familiar, quick, and just luck-dependent enough to keep you dealing 'one more game.' It is not the most skill-rewarding patience out there, but as the universal solo standby with a physical deck, nothing else comes close.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Klondike solitaire always winnable?
No. Even with perfect play a significant share of deals are unwinnable, especially in the draw-three version. Draw-one is considerably more winnable.
What is the difference between draw-one and draw-three?
Draw-one turns over a single stock card per pass and is easier; draw-three turns three at a time so you can only play every third card unless you cycle the deck, which is the harder classic mode.
How many cards do you deal in Klondike?
Twenty-eight cards into seven tableau columns (one through seven, only the top of each face-up), with the remaining twenty-four forming the stock.