How to Play Klondike Solitaire
The classic solitaire. Move all 52 cards into four piles, each running A♥ up to K♥ in one suit.
The table
- 7 tableau columns, holding 1 to 7 cards. Only the last card in each is face up
- 4 foundations, empty at the start. One per suit
- The stock, the 24 cards left over, and the waste beside it
The rules
- Foundations build up in suit, starting with the ace: A♠ then 2♠ then 3♠, and so on.
- Tableau columns build down in alternating colours: a red 7♥ goes on a black 8♠.
- Move runs together. A properly stacked sequence moves as one block.
- Turn over face-down cards whenever you expose one.
- Only a king can go into an empty column.
- Deal from the stock when you're stuck. When it runs out, flip the waste and go again.
You win when all four foundations are complete.
Quick tips
- Turn face-down cards first. Every one you flip is new information; a move that reveals nothing usually achieves nothing.
- Don't rush cards to the foundations. A 4♦ sent up early can't catch a 3♠ later.
- Empty a column early if you can, but only if you have a king to fill it.
- Prefer the longer column when you have a choice of two identical moves. it has more buried cards to dig out.
The order to think in
Most Klondike decisions come down to a priority list, and following it mechanically will beat improvising.
- Play an ace or a two to the foundation. These can never be useful in the tableau.
- Make the move that flips a face-down card. Preferring the column with the most cards still hidden.
- Make the move that empties a column, if you hold a king to fill it.
- Move from the waste pile rather than the tableau, when both work. A card taken from the tableau might have been covering something you need.
- Only then consider a move that merely rearranges face-up cards.
The single most common beginner error is at the top of that list in reverse: sending everything to the foundations as soon as it's legal.
Why rushing the foundations loses games
A card on a foundation is out of play. If you send the 4♦ up early and later turn over the 3♠, you have nothing red and low to put it on. And that column stops moving.
The rule of thumb is to keep a card in the tableau if the opposite-colour cards one rank below it are still buried. In practice: hold a card back unless both of the cards that could need it have already gone up, or you need the space immediately.
Late in the game this reverses. Once the tableau is mostly turned over and you can see everything, foundations are free. Send everything.
Empty columns
An empty column is the most valuable thing on the board, and the most commonly wasted. It can hold any king, which means it can unbury a column that has a king sitting on top of six face-down cards.
The mistake is filling an empty column with the first king that comes along. A king in a column is stuck there. Nothing goes on top of a king except in sequence, so filling the space commits it. Before you place one, ask which king you actually want there, and whether the space is worth more empty for one more turn.
Draw one against draw three
The two modes are almost different games.
Draw one turns the stock over a card at a time, so you can reach every card in it. Most deals are winnable and the game is a gentle puzzle. If you're learning, or want a game that usually goes out, this is the one.
Draw three turns three at a time and only the top of each triple is playable, so you can reach roughly a third of the stock unless you change the alignment by playing a card, which shifts everything after it. The win rate falls a long way. The extra skill is deliberately playing cards from the waste to re-order what the next pass will expose.
You can switch between them here without starting a new deal.
Not every deal is winnable
This is worth repeating because it's the source of most frustration with Klondike. A significant proportion of deals can't be won by any sequence of moves. The estimates vary with the rules, but somewhere around one in five to one in six for draw three, and far fewer for draw one.
If a deal beats you, replaying it's the honest test: the same cards in the same order, with what you now know. If it beats you again, it may simply have been unwinnable.
Common variations
| Variation | What changes |
|---|---|
| Draw one / draw three | How many stock cards turn at a time |
| Limited passes | The stock may be recycled only once or three times |
| Vegas scoring | You "buy" the deck and earn per card on the foundations |
| Thoughtful | All cards are dealt face up; a pure puzzle |
| Any card to an empty column | Not just kings; much easier |
The version here is the standard one: draw one or three as you choose, unlimited passes through the stock, kings only in empty columns.
Frequently asked
Can I move a partial sequence? Yes. Any face-up card and everything below it moves together, as long as the sequence is properly ordered by alternating colour.
Can I take a card back off a foundation? Not here. Some versions allow it; this one doesn't, which is why holding cards back matters.
Does the stock recycle forever? Yes, in this version. Some scoring variants limit you to one or three passes.
What is a good win rate? For draw one, a strong player wins most games. For draw three, winning around a third is respectable.
Why is it called Klondike? It's named for the Yukon gold rush, presumably for the digging.
Last updated 2026-09-02