Klondike Solitaire Rules - How to Play

Klondike is the most famous solitaire card game in the world. When most people say "Solitaire," they mean Klondike. It is the definitive single-player card game, played by hundreds of millions of people worldwide. The game's name comes from the Klondike region of the Yukon in Canada, where gold prospectors in the 1890s are said to have played it during the Gold Rush. However, solitaire card games had been popular in Europe since the late 18th century, and Klondike's exact origins are uncertain. Klondike became truly ubiquitous when Microsoft included it in Windows 3.0 in 1990. The goal was partly to help users learn how to use a mouse — dragging cards between piles was an intuitive way to practice click-and-drag mechanics. This brilliant marketing decision turned Klondike into arguably the most played computer game in history. Today, Klondike remains the gold standard of solitaire games, beloved for its perfect balance of simplicity, strategy, and luck.

Klondike uses four distinct areas: Tableau: The main playing area with 7 columns of cards. This is where most of the game takes place. You rearrange cards between columns to uncover hidden cards and build sequences. Stock Pile: The remaining cards after dealing the tableau. You draw from the stock when you need new cards to play with. Waste Pile: Cards drawn from the stock are placed here face-up. Only the top card of the waste pile is available to play. Foundations: Four empty spaces (usually in the top right) where you build your final piles. Each foundation is for one suit, built from Ace up to King. Getting all 52 cards onto the foundations is how you win.

Dealing the Klondike tableau follows a specific pattern: Column 1 (far left): 1 card, face-up. Column 2: 2 cards — 1 face-down, 1 face-up on top. Column 3: 3 cards — 2 face-down, 1 face-up on top. Column 4: 4 cards — 3 face-down, 1 face-up on top. Column 5: 5 cards — 4 face-down, 1 face-up on top. Column 6: 6 cards — 5 face-down, 1 face-up on top. Column 7 (far right): 7 cards — 6 face-down, 1 face-up on top. This uses 28 cards total (1+2+3+4+5+6+7 = 28). The remaining 24 cards form the stock pile, placed face-down. Only the top card of each column is face-up and playable. The face-down cards create the mystery and challenge — you must uncover them by removing the cards on top.

The goal of Klondike is to build four foundation piles, one for each suit, in ascending order from Ace to King: Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King You must build each suit separately — all hearts go on one foundation, all diamonds on another, all clubs on the third, and all spades on the fourth. The game is won when all 52 cards have been moved to the four foundation piles. This requires uncovering all face-down tableau cards, playing through the stock pile, and organizing cards in the correct order.

When you have no moves available on the tableau, you can draw cards from the stock pile. In Draw 1 mode, you flip one card at a time from the stock to the waste pile. This gives you access to every card in the stock in order. In Draw 3 mode, you flip three cards at a time. Only the top card of each set of three is playable. This means you can only access every third card unless you cycle through the entire stock multiple times. When the stock pile runs out, you can flip the waste pile back over to form a new stock pile and continue drawing. There is no limit to how many times you can cycle through the stock in standard Klondike rules. The top card of the waste pile can be played to any valid tableau column or directly to a foundation.

The core of Klondike gameplay is moving cards between tableau columns. The building rules are: Descending Rank: Each card placed on a column must be one rank lower than the card it is placed on. A 9 goes on a 10, a Jack goes on a Queen, etc. Alternating Colors: Cards must alternate between red (hearts, diamonds) and black (clubs, spades). A red 7 goes on a black 8. A black Jack goes on a red Queen. Moving Sequences: Unlike FreeCell, you can move an entire face-up sequence of properly ordered cards from one column to another. For example, if a column has "black 8, red 7, black 6" you can move all three cards together onto a red 9. These rules create cascading sequences of alternating colors. A well-organized column might look like: red King, black Queen, red Jack, black 10, red 9...

Kings have a special role in Klondike: they are the only cards that can be placed in an empty tableau column. When a tableau column becomes empty (all cards removed), only a King or a sequence starting with a King can be placed there. This rule is different from FreeCell where any card can fill an empty column. This makes King placement a critical strategic decision. Choosing which King to place in an empty column can determine whether you win or lose. Ideally, you want to place a King that allows you to build a long sequence and uncover face-down cards in other columns. Since there are only 4 Kings and 7 columns, creating empty columns is less useful in Klondike than in FreeCell — you need Kings to fill them productively.

Whenever you remove the last face-up card from a tableau column, the top face-down card is automatically flipped face-up. This is one of the most satisfying moments in Klondike — revealing a hidden card and discovering new possibilities. Uncovering face-down cards is essential to winning. Each face-down card flipped is progress, and each one might be the Ace, King, or sequence card you need to advance your game. The 21 face-down cards in the initial deal (0+1+2+3+4+5+6 = 21 face-down cards) represent the unknown element that makes each Klondike game unique. Your ability to strategically uncover these cards determines your success.

You win Klondike when all 52 cards are on the four foundation piles, with each suit built from Ace to King. In practice, the game often ends with a cascade: once you have uncovered all face-down cards and organized the tableau, the remaining cards flow to the foundations in rapid succession. Not every Klondike deal is winnable. With perfect play (omniscient strategy), approximately 79-82% of deals are solvable. In practice, most players win 15-30% of their games, with expert players reaching 40-50% win rates. You lose when no more moves are possible: no tableau moves, no stock cards to draw, and no way to play the waste pile card. Some positions are clearly lost, while others require careful analysis to determine if any winning path remains.

The two main Klondike modes offer very different experiences: Draw 1 (Turn 1): You flip one card at a time from the stock. This gives you access to every stock card in sequence and makes the game significantly easier. Estimated win rate with perfect play: approximately 82%. This mode is recommended for beginners and casual players. Draw 3 (Turn 3): You flip three cards at a time, and only the top card is playable. This means two-thirds of the stock cards are initially inaccessible, requiring multiple passes through the stock to reach them. Estimated win rate with perfect play: approximately 79%. This mode adds a significant strategic layer. Draw 3 strategy differs from Draw 1 in several ways: You must plan ahead when cycling through the stock, knowing which cards are coming. Sometimes you play a less optimal card to shift the stock alignment and reveal a card you need. Multiple stock passes are usually necessary, so conservation of moves matters more. Choose Draw 1 for a relaxing experience. Choose Draw 3 for a more challenging puzzle.