How to Play Standard Klondike Solitaire

Klondike solitaire is the most iconic single-player card game in the world. This page explains the official standard rules and how to play this free online solitaire. If you’re looking for how to play our spreadsheet version, see the Sneaky Solitaire controls guide.

Objective

The goal is to move all 52 cards into four foundation piles at the top right of the board, building each pile up in suit from Ace (low) to King (high).

Setup

The game uses a standard 52-card deck. The cards are dealt into seven tableau columns:

• Column 1 — 1 card
• Column 2 — 2 cards
• Column 3 — 3 cards
• Column 4 — 4 cards
• Column 5 — 5 cards
• Column 6 — 6 cards
• Column 7 — 7 cards

Only the top card of each column is dealt face-up. All other cards in the tableau are face-down. The remaining 24 cards form the stock pile, placed face-down.

The Playing Areas

• Tableau — The seven columns where most of the game action happens. Cards are arranged here in descending order, alternating colors.
• Stock — The face-down pile of leftover cards. You draw from the stock to get new cards into play.
• Waste — Cards drawn from the stock are placed face-up in the waste pile. The top card of the waste is available to play.
• Foundation — The four home-cell piles where you build up each suit from Ace to King.

Rules for Moving Cards

Building in the Tableau

Cards in the tableau must be stacked in descending order (King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, etc.) and with alternating colors (red on black or black on red). You may move a card or a sequence of cards (if they are in valid descending alternating order) from one column to another.

Empty Tableau Columns

When a tableau column becomes empty, only a King (or a sequence starting with a King) may be placed into the empty space.

Building the Foundation

The four foundation piles are built up in suit from Ace to King. Start each foundation with an Ace. Once a card is placed in the foundation, it can only be moved back to the tableau if the game variant allows it (standard scoring allows pulling cards back; Vegas scoring does not).

Drawing from the Stock

In Draw 1, you flip one card at a time from the stock to the waste. In Draw 3, you flip three cards at a time. Only the top card of the waste is available to play. When the stock is empty, you may recycle the waste back to the stock. There is no limit on the number of passes.

Winning the Game

You win when all 52 cards are moved to the four foundation piles — one complete Ace-through-King stack for each suit — and the tableau and stock are both empty.

Scoring (Standard)

• Moving a card to foundation — 10 points
• Moving a card from the waste to the tableau — 5 points
• Turning a face-down card face-up in the tableau — 5 points
• Moving a card from foundation back to tableau — −10 points
• Passing through the stock (recycling) — in Draw 1 mode, −100 points each pass after the first, in Draw 3 mode, −20 points each pass after the third

What Is the Tableau in Solitaire?

The tableau is the main playing area in Klondike solitaire — the seven columns where most of the game takes place. Each column starts with a specific number of cards, and only the top card of each column is face-up at the beginning.

Cards in the tableau must be built in descending order (King > Queen > Jack > 10 > 9 > 8 > 7 > 6 > 5 > 4 > 3 > 2 > Ace) and with alternating colors (red suits on black suits or black suits on red suits). This means a black 7 can only be placed on a red 8, and a red 7 can only be placed on a black 8.

When a tableau column becomes empty, only a King (or a sequence starting with a King) can be moved into the empty space. This is the only way to start rebuilding a cleared column. Any face-down cards remaining in a column must be turned face-up before they can be moved.

Can You Move Cards from the Foundation Back to the Tableau?

Yes, in standard scoring you can move a card from the foundation back to the tableau, but it costs −10 points each time. This rule exists because sometimes you need to free up a card to unlock a sequence elsewhere on the board. Being able to pull cards back makes the game more forgiving and allows for more strategic play.

In Vegas scoring, cards placed in the foundation cannot be moved back — they are locked in permanently. This makes Vegas scoring much more punishing and is why many solitaire variants use standard scoring for casual play.

How Many Cards in a Solitaire Deck?

A standard Klondike solitaire game uses a single 52-card deck. Here is how the cards are distributed at the start:

• Tableau — 28 cards (1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7)
• Stock — 24 cards (the remainder after dealing the tableau)
• Foundation — 0 cards (all four piles start empty)
• Waste — 0 cards (the waste pile starts empty)

The stock contains 24 cards because the 7 tableau columns consume 28 of the 52 cards. As you draw from the stock, cards move to the waste pile, and from there they can be played to the tableau or foundation.

What Happens When You Run Out of Moves in Solitaire?

Running out of moves does not mean the game is over. When the stock is empty and no cards remain to draw, you can recycle the waste pile back into the stock. All cards in the waste are turned face-down and become the new stock, allowing you to keep playing.

This recycling action is called a pass. In standard scoring, you have unlimited passes (though each pass after the first few incurs a scoring penalty). Some game variants limit the number of passes to increase difficulty. Even after recycling, if no moves are possible from the new stock draws, the game is considered lost.

Glossary of Solitaire Terms

• Tableau — The seven columns where cards are arranged in descending alternating colors during play.
• Foundation — The four piles at the top where you build each suit from Ace to King to win.
• Stock — The face-down pile of undealt cards that you draw from during the game.
• Waste — The face-up pile where drawn stock cards are placed; the top card is available to play.
• Draw 1 — A mode where one card is drawn from the stock at a time. Easier to plan ahead.
• Draw 3 — A mode where three cards are drawn at a time. More challenging and faster to cycle through the stock.
• Pass — Recycling the waste pile back into the stock to continue play when the stock is empty.
• Exposed card — A face-up card that can be selected and moved. Only exposed cards are playable.
• Covered card — A face-down card that must be uncovered by removing the cards above it.
• Marathon scoring — Standard scoring with unlimited passes, common in casual solitaire play.

Play Sneaky Solitaire

Ready to play? Try Sneaky Solitaire — a free spreadsheet solitaire that follows standard Klondike rules, disguised as a work spreadsheet so you can play discreetly at the office.