Golf Solitaire Ace and King Rules: Easy, Medium and Hard Explained

The basic rule in Golf Solitaire is simple: play a card that is exactly one rank higher or lower than the waste card.

Most of the deck behaves exactly as you would expect.

A 7 can take a 6 or 8. A 10 can take a 9 or Jack. A 3 can take a 2 or 4.

The part that changes is what happens at the ends of the rank order.

On Solitaire Arcade, Easy, Medium and Hard all use the same layout, stock and scoring. The difference is how Aces and Kings connect.

That small rule change can alter an entire run.

If you are still learning the full game, start with the How to Play Golf Solitaire guide. This article focuses specifically on the Ace and King rules and what they mean during play.

The Three Modes at a Glance

Easy allows Ace–King wrapping.

Medium removes the wrap but still allows normal Queen–King movement in both directions.

Hard also removes wrapping, but goes one step further: once a King becomes the waste card, the run stops.

Aces are different.

An Ace can still connect with a 2 in Easy, Medium and Hard.

So the main thing to remember is:

Easy wraps. Medium does not. Hard makes Kings terminal.

Easy: Ace and King Can Wrap

Easy gives you the most flexible rank order.

Aces connect to 2s and Kings.

Kings connect to Queens and Aces.

That means you can move directly between the top and bottom of the deck.

For example:

Q → K → A → 2

is legal in Easy.

So is:

2 → A → K → Q

provided each tableau card is exposed when you play it.

This effectively turns the rank order into a loop.

Ace and King are not dead ends. They can become bridges that keep a run alive.

Medium: No Ace–King Wrap

Medium removes the Ace–King connection.

An Ace can still connect to a 2.

A King can still connect to a Queen.

What you cannot do is move directly between Ace and King.

So:

Q → K → A

is illegal in Medium.

But:

J → Q → K → Q

is legal.

That distinction matters because a King is still useful in Medium. It just cannot wrap around to an Ace.

Likewise, an Ace is not a dead end. It can still continue through a 2.

Hard: A King Ends the Run

Hard uses the same no-wrap rule as Medium, but changes how Kings behave.

You can still play a King onto a Queen.

What changes is what happens next.

Once the King is on the waste pile, nothing can be played onto it.

So:

Q → K

is legal.

But:

Q → K → Q

is not.

That makes the King a terminal card in Hard.

If the King clears the final tableau card, that is perfectly fine. The hole is already cleared.

Earlier in the hole, however, playing a King guarantees that the current run ends and you will need a stock draw before continuing.

That is the key strategic difference between Medium and Hard.

Aces Do Not End Runs in Hard

This is one of the easiest rules to misread.

Hard makes Kings terminal.

It does not make Aces terminal.

Ace and 2 still connect normally.

For example:

3 → 2 → A → 2

is legal in Easy, Medium and Hard.

So if the waste is an Ace and an exposed 2 is available, you can play it even in Hard.

If the waste is a 2, an Ace is legal too.

The Ace–King connection is gone, but the Ace itself is still a normal endpoint connected to 2.

The unusual rank in Hard is the King, not the Ace. Remembering that can save unnecessary stock draws.

Can You Play an Ace on a King?

In Easy: yes.

In Medium: no.

In Hard: no.

Easy is the only mode that allows the Ace–King wrap.

So if the waste shows a King and you have an exposed Ace:

Easy: playable.

Medium: not playable.

Hard: not playable.

In Hard, the answer is especially simple because nothing can follow a King at all.

Can You Play a King on an Ace?

In Easy: yes.

In Medium: no.

In Hard: no.

Again, only Easy allows wrapping.

An exposed King can be played onto an Ace only when you are playing Easy.

Can You Play a Queen on a King?

This is where Medium and Hard separate.

In Easy: yes.

In Medium: yes.

In Hard: no.

That means:

K → Q

is legal in Easy and Medium.

It is illegal in Hard.

Once a King reaches the waste pile in Hard, the run is over.

Can You Play a King on a Queen?

Yes in all three modes.

Easy: yes.

Medium: yes.

Hard: yes.

The difference comes after the King is played.

In Easy, the run can continue with a Queen or Ace.

In Medium, it can continue with a Queen.

In Hard, it cannot continue at all.

That makes the same move—Queen to King—behave very differently depending on the selected difficulty.

Easy Example: Using the Wrap as a Bridge

Imagine the waste is a Queen.

An exposed King is available, and behind it sits an Ace.

In Easy, you can play:

Q → K → A

If an exposed 2 is also available, the run can continue:

Q → K → A → 2

The Ace–King wrap gives you an extra bridge between the highest and lowest ranks.

This is one reason Easy can produce longer runs.

Medium Example: King Is Useful, but Not a Bridge to Ace

Now imagine the same starting position in Medium.

The waste is Queen.

You can still play the King:

Q → K

If another Queen becomes available, you can continue:

Q → K → Q

But you cannot move from King to Ace.

So if the King exposes an Ace, that Ace is not an immediate continuation.

The King remains useful, but the rank order has two clear ends.

Hard Example: Choosing Between Jack and King

Suppose you are playing Hard.

The waste is Queen.

Two exposed cards are available: Jack and King.

Both are legal.

If you play the Jack, the run can potentially continue through a 10 or another Queen.

If you play the King, the run stops immediately.

That does not automatically make the Jack correct.

The King may expose an important card or even clear the final tableau card.

But the cost of the King is known in advance: once you play it, you cannot continue the run from that waste card.

That makes King decisions especially important in Hard.

Hard Example: A King Can Still Win the Hole

A terminal King is not always a problem.

Imagine the waste is Queen and the last remaining tableau card is an exposed King.

You play:

Q → K

The tableau is now empty.

You have cleared the hole.

There is no need to draw another stock card simply because the King would normally stop the run.

The restriction matters only when tableau cards remain.

Why These Rules Matter for Stock Use

Ace and King rules change how often a run can continue without drawing.

In Easy, a King can bridge into an Ace and an Ace can bridge back into a King.

In Medium, those wrap opportunities disappear.

In Hard, Kings create a guaranteed break in the run unless they clear the tableau.

That means the same board can place different pressure on the stock depending on the mode.

A King near the end of a promising sequence may be harmless in Easy, manageable in Medium and expensive in Hard.

The cards have not changed.

The rule around them has.

Do Not Treat Every King the Same

A common mistake is to learn one King rule and carry it across all three modes.

That leads to incorrect moves.

In Easy, Kings are flexible.

In Medium, Kings are restricted but still reversible with Queens.

In Hard, Kings are terminal once played.

When a King is exposed, ask two questions:

What mode am I playing?

What happens after I play it?

That is more useful than simply asking whether the King is legal.

Rank Rules Should Influence Which Card You Expose

The Ace and King rules do not only matter when those cards are already exposed.

They matter when you are deciding which column to open.

Suppose two legal moves are available.

One exposes a King.

The other exposes a 9.

In Easy, the King may offer several continuation possibilities.

In Medium, it depends heavily on whether Queens are available.

In Hard, exposing the King may create a card that can only be used as the final step of a run.

That can change which legal move is more attractive.

This is where rules start becoming strategy.

For deeper guidance on choosing between legal moves, opening columns and conserving stock, see Golf Solitaire Strategy: How to Win More Games.

Easy, Medium or Hard: Which Should You Choose?

Easy is the most forgiving if you want longer chains and more flexibility around Aces and Kings.

Medium keeps the familiar one-rank-higher-or-lower structure without Ace–King wrapping.

Hard adds an extra planning problem by making every played King terminal.

The rest of the game stays the same.

You still have the same seven columns, stock, scoring and objective.

Changing difficulty does not change how much information you can see. It changes how valuable certain rank transitions become.

The Simple Way to Remember the Rules

If you only remember three things, make them these:

Easy: Ace and King wrap.

Medium: no Ace–King wrap, but Queen and King work both ways.

Hard: no wrap, and a King ends the run.

Aces still connect to 2s in every mode.

Once those four facts are clear, most Ace and King decisions become much easier to recognise.

If you want to see the complete setup, scoring and hole rules, read the How to Play Golf Solitaire guide.

Or play Golf Solitaire and try the three modes for yourself.

Golf Solitaire Ace and King Rules: Easy, Medium and Hard Explained

The basic rule in Golf Solitaire is simple: play a card that is exactly one rank higher or lower than the waste card.

Most of the deck behaves exactly as you would expect.

A 7 can take a 6 or 8. A 10 can take a 9 or Jack. A 3 can take a 2 or 4.

The part that changes is what happens at the ends of the rank order.

On Solitaire Arcade, Easy, Medium and Hard all use the same layout, stock and scoring. The difference is how Aces and Kings connect.

That small rule change can alter an entire run.

If you are still learning the full game, start with the How to Play Golf Solitaire guide. This article focuses specifically on the Ace and King rules and what they mean during play.

The Three Modes at a Glance

Easy allows Ace–King wrapping.

Medium removes the wrap but still allows normal Queen–King movement in both directions.

Hard also removes wrapping, but goes one step further: once a King becomes the waste card, the run stops.

Aces are different.

An Ace can still connect with a 2 in Easy, Medium and Hard.

So the main thing to remember is:

Easy wraps. Medium does not. Hard makes Kings terminal.

Easy: Ace and King Can Wrap

Easy gives you the most flexible rank order.

Aces connect to 2s and Kings.

Kings connect to Queens and Aces.

That means you can move directly between the top and bottom of the deck.

For example:

Q → K → A → 2

is legal in Easy.

So is:

2 → A → K → Q

provided each tableau card is exposed when you play it.

This effectively turns the rank order into a loop.

Ace and King are not dead ends. They can become bridges that keep a run alive.

Medium: No Ace–King Wrap

Medium removes the Ace–King connection.

An Ace can still connect to a 2.

A King can still connect to a Queen.

What you cannot do is move directly between Ace and King.

So:

Q → K → A

is illegal in Medium.

But:

J → Q → K → Q

is legal.

That distinction matters because a King is still useful in Medium. It just cannot wrap around to an Ace.

Likewise, an Ace is not a dead end. It can still continue through a 2.

Hard: A King Ends the Run

Hard uses the same no-wrap rule as Medium, but changes how Kings behave.

You can still play a King onto a Queen.

What changes is what happens next.

Once the King is on the waste pile, nothing can be played onto it.

So:

Q → K

is legal.

But:

Q → K → Q

is not.

That makes the King a terminal card in Hard.

If the King clears the final tableau card, that is perfectly fine. The hole is already cleared.

Earlier in the hole, however, playing a King guarantees that the current run ends and you will need a stock draw before continuing.

That is the key strategic difference between Medium and Hard.

Aces Do Not End Runs in Hard

This is one of the easiest rules to misread.

Hard makes Kings terminal.

It does not make Aces terminal.

Ace and 2 still connect normally.

For example:

3 → 2 → A → 2

is legal in Easy, Medium and Hard.

So if the waste is an Ace and an exposed 2 is available, you can play it even in Hard.

If the waste is a 2, an Ace is legal too.

The Ace–King connection is gone, but the Ace itself is still a normal endpoint connected to 2.

The unusual rank in Hard is the King, not the Ace. Remembering that can save unnecessary stock draws.

Can You Play an Ace on a King?

In Easy: yes.

In Medium: no.

In Hard: no.

Easy is the only mode that allows the Ace–King wrap.

So if the waste shows a King and you have an exposed Ace:

Easy: playable.

Medium: not playable.

Hard: not playable.

In Hard, the answer is especially simple because nothing can follow a King at all.

Can You Play a King on an Ace?

In Easy: yes.

In Medium: no.

In Hard: no.

Again, only Easy allows wrapping.

An exposed King can be played onto an Ace only when you are playing Easy.

Can You Play a Queen on a King?

This is where Medium and Hard separate.

In Easy: yes.

In Medium: yes.

In Hard: no.

That means:

K → Q

is legal in Easy and Medium.

It is illegal in Hard.

Once a King reaches the waste pile in Hard, the run is over.

Can You Play a King on a Queen?

Yes in all three modes.

Easy: yes.

Medium: yes.

Hard: yes.

The difference comes after the King is played.

In Easy, the run can continue with a Queen or Ace.

In Medium, it can continue with a Queen.

In Hard, it cannot continue at all.

That makes the same move—Queen to King—behave very differently depending on the selected difficulty.

Easy Example: Using the Wrap as a Bridge

Imagine the waste is a Queen.

An exposed King is available, and behind it sits an Ace.

In Easy, you can play:

Q → K → A

If an exposed 2 is also available, the run can continue:

Q → K → A → 2

The Ace–King wrap gives you an extra bridge between the highest and lowest ranks.

This is one reason Easy can produce longer runs.

Medium Example: King Is Useful, but Not a Bridge to Ace

Now imagine the same starting position in Medium.

The waste is Queen.

You can still play the King:

Q → K

If another Queen becomes available, you can continue:

Q → K → Q

But you cannot move from King to Ace.

So if the King exposes an Ace, that Ace is not an immediate continuation.

The King remains useful, but the rank order has two clear ends.

Hard Example: Choosing Between Jack and King

Suppose you are playing Hard.

The waste is Queen.

Two exposed cards are available: Jack and King.

Both are legal.

If you play the Jack, the run can potentially continue through a 10 or another Queen.

If you play the King, the run stops immediately.

That does not automatically make the Jack correct.

The King may expose an important card or even clear the final tableau card.

But the cost of the King is known in advance: once you play it, you cannot continue the run from that waste card.

That makes King decisions especially important in Hard.

Hard Example: A King Can Still Win the Hole

A terminal King is not always a problem.

Imagine the waste is Queen and the last remaining tableau card is an exposed King.

You play:

Q → K

The tableau is now empty.

You have cleared the hole.

There is no need to draw another stock card simply because the King would normally stop the run.

The restriction matters only when tableau cards remain.

Why These Rules Matter for Stock Use

Ace and King rules change how often a run can continue without drawing.

In Easy, a King can bridge into an Ace and an Ace can bridge back into a King.

In Medium, those wrap opportunities disappear.

In Hard, Kings create a guaranteed break in the run unless they clear the tableau.

That means the same board can place different pressure on the stock depending on the mode.

A King near the end of a promising sequence may be harmless in Easy, manageable in Medium and expensive in Hard.

The cards have not changed.

The rule around them has.

Do Not Treat Every King the Same

A common mistake is to learn one King rule and carry it across all three modes.

That leads to incorrect moves.

In Easy, Kings are flexible.

In Medium, Kings are restricted but still reversible with Queens.

In Hard, Kings are terminal once played.

When a King is exposed, ask two questions:

What mode am I playing?

What happens after I play it?

That is more useful than simply asking whether the King is legal.

Rank Rules Should Influence Which Card You Expose

The Ace and King rules do not only matter when those cards are already exposed.

They matter when you are deciding which column to open.

Suppose two legal moves are available.

One exposes a King.

The other exposes a 9.

In Easy, the King may offer several continuation possibilities.

In Medium, it depends heavily on whether Queens are available.

In Hard, exposing the King may create a card that can only be used as the final step of a run.

That can change which legal move is more attractive.

This is where rules start becoming strategy.

For deeper guidance on choosing between legal moves, opening columns and conserving stock, see Golf Solitaire Strategy: How to Win More Games.

Easy, Medium or Hard: Which Should You Choose?

Easy is the most forgiving if you want longer chains and more flexibility around Aces and Kings.

Medium keeps the familiar one-rank-higher-or-lower structure without Ace–King wrapping.

Hard adds an extra planning problem by making every played King terminal.

The rest of the game stays the same.

You still have the same seven columns, stock, scoring and objective.

Changing difficulty does not change how much information you can see. It changes how valuable certain rank transitions become.

The Simple Way to Remember the Rules

If you only remember three things, make them these:

Easy: Ace and King wrap.

Medium: no Ace–King wrap, but Queen and King work both ways.

Hard: no wrap, and a King ends the run.

Aces still connect to 2s in every mode.

Once those four facts are clear, most Ace and King decisions become much easier to recognise.

If you want to see the complete setup, scoring and hole rules, read the How to Play Golf Solitaire guide.

Or play Golf Solitaire and try the three modes for yourself.