Move every card to the four foundations, building each suit from Ace to King. Build the tableau downward in alternating colours, reveal hidden cards, and draw from the stock when stuck.
Read the full How to Play Solitaire guide. Also see our How to Play FreeCell, How to Play Spider Solitaire, and How to Play Tri Peaks guides.
The aim is to build four foundation piles, one for each suit.
Each foundation starts with an Ace and builds upward in order: Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King.
You win when all 52 cards have been moved to the foundations.
Classic Klondike Solitaire uses one standard 52-card deck.
The board has four main areas: the tableau, stock, waste, and foundations.
Start by looking at the face-up cards in the tableau. These are the cards you can move straight away.
You can move a face-up card onto another tableau card if it is one rank lower and the opposite colour. For example, a black 9 can be placed on a red 10. A red Queen can be placed on a black King.
When you move a face-up card and reveal a face-down card underneath, turn that face-down card over. Revealing hidden cards is one of the most important parts of the game.
If you uncover an Ace, move it to an empty foundation pile. Then build that foundation upward by suit as more cards become available.
When there are no useful tableau moves, draw from the stock. In Draw 1 Solitaire, one card is turned over at a time. In Draw 3 Solitaire, three cards are turned over at a time, and only the top available waste card can be played.
If you empty a tableau column, only a King can fill that space. You may also move a valid sequence that starts with a King into an empty column.
The best way to practice is to play Solitaire online and work through a few hands while these rules are fresh.
Focus on revealing face-down cards. The more cards you uncover, the more options you have.
Work on the longer tableau columns first when you can. They hide more cards, so clearing them often gives you better control of the board.
Move Aces and 2s to the foundations early. These cards rarely help in the tableau once they are available for the foundation.
Do not automatically move every card to the foundation. Mid-rank cards can be useful for building tableau sequences, especially when you are trying to uncover hidden cards.
Create empty columns carefully. An empty column is powerful, but only if you have a King ready to use it.
Before drawing from the stock, check the tableau. A quiet-looking tableau move may reveal a card that changes the whole hand.
For more depth on timing and tableau work, read our Klondike strategy basics article.
Move every card to the four foundations, building each suit from Ace to King. Build the tableau downward in alternating colours, reveal hidden cards, and draw from the stock when stuck.
Read the full How to Play Solitaire guide. Also see our How to Play FreeCell, How to Play Spider Solitaire, and How to Play Tri Peaks guides.
The aim is to build four foundation piles, one for each suit.
Each foundation starts with an Ace and builds upward in order: Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King.
You win when all 52 cards have been moved to the foundations.
Classic Klondike Solitaire uses one standard 52-card deck.
The board has four main areas: the tableau, stock, waste, and foundations.
Start by looking at the face-up cards in the tableau. These are the cards you can move straight away.
You can move a face-up card onto another tableau card if it is one rank lower and the opposite colour. For example, a black 9 can be placed on a red 10. A red Queen can be placed on a black King.
When you move a face-up card and reveal a face-down card underneath, turn that face-down card over. Revealing hidden cards is one of the most important parts of the game.
If you uncover an Ace, move it to an empty foundation pile. Then build that foundation upward by suit as more cards become available.
When there are no useful tableau moves, draw from the stock. In Draw 1 Solitaire, one card is turned over at a time. In Draw 3 Solitaire, three cards are turned over at a time, and only the top available waste card can be played.
If you empty a tableau column, only a King can fill that space. You may also move a valid sequence that starts with a King into an empty column.
The best way to practice is to play Solitaire online and work through a few hands while these rules are fresh.
Focus on revealing face-down cards. The more cards you uncover, the more options you have.
Work on the longer tableau columns first when you can. They hide more cards, so clearing them often gives you better control of the board.
Move Aces and 2s to the foundations early. These cards rarely help in the tableau once they are available for the foundation.
Do not automatically move every card to the foundation. Mid-rank cards can be useful for building tableau sequences, especially when you are trying to uncover hidden cards.
Create empty columns carefully. An empty column is powerful, but only if you have a King ready to use it.
Before drawing from the stock, check the tableau. A quiet-looking tableau move may reveal a card that changes the whole hand.
For more depth on timing and tableau work, read our Klondike strategy basics article.
In Klondike Solitaire, a playable stock card is not always a good stock card to play. Learn when to leave low cards in the stock or waste pile — and when moving them actually improves the board.
Compare Draw 1 and Draw 3 Klondike Solitaire — how the stock pile works, which version is easier, strategy differences, and which mode suits beginners vs experienced players.
Master Draw 3 Klondike Solitaire with stock-order planning, careful waste moves, tableau reveals, foundation timing, and the common mistakes that block wins.
Learn core Klondike Solitaire strategy for Draw 1 and Draw 3: reveal hidden cards, use empty columns wisely, build foundations steadily, and avoid the mistakes that quietly lose games.
