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How to play Solitaire (2026) — when most people say solitaire, they mean Klondike: the seven-column game that shipped with every Windows computer for decades. It is a one-player game with a standard deck, and a hand takes ten to fifteen minutes. Here is how to lay it out, the moves you can make, the difference between turning one card and three, scoring, and the habits that win more games.
A good deck for daily solitaire: Bicycle Rider Back Playing Cards (12-pack)
Solitaire is hard on cards: you shuffle and lay out a full deck every game. A 12-pack means a fresh, slick deck whenever the old one starts to stick.
Price band: $20–$30 (about $25) · Check today’s price on Amazon
Solitaire basics
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Players | 1 |
| Deck | Standard 52 cards, no jokers |
| Goal | Move all 52 cards to four foundation piles, ace to king by suit |
| Time | About 10 to 15 minutes per game |
Setting up the tableau
Deal seven piles from left to right. The first pile gets one card, the second two, and so on up to seven cards in the last pile, 28 cards in total. Only the top card of each pile is face up; the rest are face down. The remaining 24 cards form the stock, placed face down above the tableau. Leave space for four foundation piles, one per suit, and a waste pile next to the stock.
Moves you can make
- Build down in alternating colors. On the tableau, you can place a card on another card one rank higher and of the opposite color, such as a red 9 on a black 10.
- Move groups. A face-up sequence (say, black 8, red 7, black 6) can be moved together onto a suitable card.
- Flip face-down cards. When you move the last face-up card off a pile, turn the next card face up.
- Fill empty columns with kings. Only a king, or a sequence starting with a king, can go into an empty space in the tableau.
- Build the foundations. Aces go to the foundations as soon as they are free, followed by the 2, 3 and so on of the same suit.
Using the stock: turn one or turn three
When you run out of moves, turn cards from the stock onto the waste pile. The top card of the waste is always available to play. In turn one, you flip one card at a time, which is easier. In turn three, you flip three at a time and can only play the top card of the three, which is harder and closer to the classic computer game. When the stock runs out, flip the waste back over to make a new stock. Rule sets differ on how many passes you get: casual players allow unlimited passes, while stricter rules limit turn-one games to a single pass and turn-three games to three.
How to keep score
- Just win: most people simply count a game as won when all 52 cards reach the foundations.
- Count foundation cards: score one point per card on the foundations and try to beat your best.
- Vegas-style scoring: imagine you pay $52 to play and earn $5 for every card that reaches a foundation. Play for points, not real money.
Solitaire strategy that wins more games
- Free the biggest face-down piles first. Columns with more hidden cards are where the trouble hides.
- Do not rush cards to the foundations. A low card in the tableau can still be useful for building. Move 2s and 3s up freely, but think before moving higher cards.
- Only empty a column if you have a king ready. An empty space you cannot fill wastes moves.
- Pick the right king. If you have a red queen waiting, move a black king into the empty space.
- Play from the tableau before the stock. Turning stock cards changes the order of future draws in turn-three games.
Popular variations to try next
- Spider: two decks and ten columns; build full suits from king to ace to clear them.
- FreeCell: all cards dealt face up with four free cells for temporary storage; nearly every deal can be won.
- Pyramid: remove pairs of cards that total 13 from a pyramid layout.
- Want a game with friends? Our guide to adult games with playing cards has group games for one deck.
Solitaire questions
How many cards do you deal in Solitaire?
28 cards into seven piles, from one card up to seven. The other 24 are the stock.
Can you put any card in an empty space?
No. In Klondike only a king, or a sequence that starts with a king, can fill an empty column.
Is every Solitaire game winnable?
No. Some deals cannot be won no matter how you play, especially in turn-three games.
What cards do you need?
A single standard deck. A Bicycle 12-pack keeps a fresh one ready.
