What you need
One standard 52-card deck and one player. A table big enough for seven columns side by side.
Object of the game
Move all 52 cards to four foundation piles, one per suit, built up in order from ace to king.
Setup and deal
- 1Deal seven columns (the tableau) from left to right: one card in the first column, two in the second, and so on up to seven in the last—28 cards in all.
- 2Turn the top card of each column face up; the rest stay face down.
- 3Put the remaining 24 cards face down as the stock. Leave room above the tableau for four foundation piles.
How to play
- 1Any ace that becomes available goes straight up to start a foundation. Foundations then build up in suit: 2, 3, 4 and so on to the king.
- 2In the tableau, build down in alternating colors: a red 9 can go on a black 10, a black 4 on a red 5.
- 3You can move a whole face-up run as a unit, as long as its top card fits where you put it.
- 4When you move the last face-up card off a column, turn the next face-down card over.
- 5Only a king (or a run starting with a king) may fill an empty column.
- 6When you are stuck, turn cards from the stock onto a face-up waste pile. The top waste card can be played to the tableau or a foundation.
How the game ends
- You win when all four foundations are complete from ace to king.
- You lose when the stock is used up (or you have run out of passes through it) and no useful move is left.
Common variations
- Draw one or draw three: turning one card at a time is easier; turning three and playing only the top one is the classic harder version.
- Passes through the stock: some players allow unlimited redeals, others only one or three.
- Vegas scoring treats each game as a bet: you “pay” 52 points to start and earn 5 for each card that reaches a foundation.
Tips for your first game
- Prefer moves that turn over a face-down card—hidden cards are what lose games.
- Do not empty a column unless you have a king ready to fill it.
- Be careful about rushing low cards to the foundations; a 3 left in the tableau may be the only place to park a 2 of the other color.
Klondike FAQ
Is Klondike the same as Solitaire?
Yes, in everyday use. “Solitaire” means any one-player card game, but in the US the word almost always refers to Klondike, the version included with Windows.
What can go in an empty column in Solitaire?
Only a king, or a face-up run that starts with a king.
Should I draw one or three cards?
Draw one if you want to win most games; draw three for the traditional challenge, where far fewer deals can be solved.