Solitaire rules

Game setup

Solitaire uses a standard 52-card deck. The cards are dealt into several areas:

The tableau (main playing area)

• Seven columns of cards are dealt from left to right
• Column 1: 1 card (face up)
• Column 2: 2 cards (1 face down, 1 face up)
• Column 3: 3 cards (2 face down, 1 face up)
• Column 4: 4 cards (3 face down, 1 face up)
• Column 5: 5 cards (4 face down, 1 face up)
• Column 6: 6 cards (5 face down, 1 face up)
• Column 7: 7 cards (6 face down, 1 face up)

The stock pile

The remaining 24 cards form the stock pile (face down) in the upper left corner.

The waste pile

An empty space next to the stock pile where cards from the stock will be placed.

The foundation piles

Four empty spaces in the upper right corner where you'll build your winning sequences.

How to play

Basic moves

1. Tableau to tableau: Move cards between columns following these rules:
   • Cards must be placed in descending order (King, Queen, Jack, 10, etc.)
   • Cards must alternate colors (red on black, black on red)
   • You can move single cards or sequences that follow these rules
   • Only Kings can be placed in empty tableau columns
2. Tableau to foundation: Move cards to foundation piles:
   • Start each foundation with an Ace
   • Build up in suit order (A, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K)
   • Only the next card in sequence can be added
3. Using the stock pile:
   • Click the stock pile to deal cards to the waste pile
   • Typically deals 1 or 3 cards at a time (depending on difficulty)
   • Only the top card of the waste pile can be played
   • When the stock is empty, click it again to flip the waste pile back to stock
4. Revealing hidden cards:
   • When you move a face-up card from a tableau column, flip the face-down card beneath it
   • This reveals new cards you can use in your strategy

Winning and losing

How to win

You win when all 52 cards are moved to the four foundation piles, with each pile containing a complete suit from Ace to King.

When you're stuck

The game ends in a loss if:

• No more moves are available in the tableau
• The stock pile has been cycled through completely with no new moves
• All face-up cards are blocked and cannot be moved

Scoring (optional)

Traditional Solitaire scoring awards points for:

• +10 points for each card moved to a foundation pile
• +5 points for each card moved from waste to tableau
• -15 points for each card moved from foundation back to tableau
• -100 points for each pass through the stock pile after the first

Common rules variations

Draw 1 vs Draw 3

• Draw 1 (Easy): Deal one card at a time from stock to waste
• Draw 3 (Standard): Deal three cards at a time, only the top card is playable

Stock pile limits

• Unlimited passes: Cycle through the stock pile as many times as needed
• Limited passes: Only cycle through the stock pile 1-3 times total

Strategy tips

1. Expose hidden cards first: Focus on revealing face-down cards before moving cards to foundations
2. Build tableau sequences: Create long sequences in the tableau to free up more cards
3. Empty columns are valuable: Try to create empty tableau columns - they can only hold Kings
4. Don't rush to foundations: Sometimes keeping cards in the tableau gives you more options
5. Plan ahead: Consider how each move affects your future options
6. Use the undo feature: Most digital versions allow you to undo moves - use this to explore different strategies

Common mistakes to avoid

• Moving cards to foundations too quickly: This can block important sequences
• Not planning empty columns: Empty columns are powerful - plan how to create and use them
• Ignoring the stock pile: Don't forget to check what's available in your stock
• Focusing on one suit: Work on all four foundations simultaneously when possible