Rules for Klondike

Klondike Solitaire, also known as Patience or simply Solitaire, is the most widely played solitaire card game in the world. The name comes from the Klondike Gold Rush of the 1890s, when miners would play this game to pass the time. When Microsoft included it in Windows 3.0 in 1990, it became familiar to hundreds of millions of people. The goal is to move all 52 cards onto four foundation piles, sorted by suit from Ace to King.

The game uses a standard 52-card deck with no jokers. It takes patience, a bit of strategy, and some luck. Not every deal is winnable. In theory around 80% of games can be solved, but most players win roughly 30% of the time.

Cards are dealt into seven columns on the table (called the tableau):

• Column 1: One card (face up)
• Column 2: Two cards (one down, one up)
• Column 3: Three cards (two down, one up)
• Column 4: Four cards (three down, one up)
• Column 5: Five cards (four down, one up)
• Column 6: Six cards (five down, one up)
• Column 7: Seven cards (six down, one up)

The remaining 24 cards form the stock pile, placed face down. Four empty spaces in the upper right are reserved for the foundation piles.

The main rules for moving cards:

• In the tableau: Build down in rank with alternating colors (red and black). For example, a red 6 can be placed on a black 7.
• Moving sequences: You can move an entire sequence of cards together, as long as it follows the alternating color rule.
• Empty columns: Only a King, or a sequence starting with a King, can be placed in an empty column.
• Turning cards: When the top card of a column is moved, the card underneath is turned face up.
• Foundations: Build up by suit from Ace to King (A-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-J-Q-K).

There are two common ways to draw from the stock pile:

• Turn One: Draw one card at a time. This is the easier version and gives you a higher chance of winning (around 30-40%).
• Turn Three: Draw three cards at a time, but only the top card can be played. This is harder, with a win rate of around 10-15%.

Cards you draw but cannot use go to a waste pile. When the stock runs out, you can turn the waste pile over to form a new stock. In most versions, you can do this as many times as you like.

A few things that tend to improve your results:

• Draw the first card from the stock before making any other moves.
• Move Aces and Twos to the foundations as soon as you can.
• Focus on uncovering hidden cards, particularly in the longer columns.
• Think twice before sending higher cards (3 and above) to the foundations too early.
• Do not empty a column unless you already have a King ready to place there.
• When choosing between a red and black King, consider which cards are currently blocked.
• Moving cards within the tableau is generally better than relying on the stock.

Traditional scoring (as used in Microsoft Solitaire):

• Waste to foundation: 10 points
• Tableau to foundation: 10 points
• Waste to tableau: 5 points
• Turning a tableau card: 5 points
• Foundation back to tableau: -15 points
• Going through the deck again (after the 3rd pass): -20 points per pass

Vegas scoring works differently: you start by betting $52 and earn $5 for each card placed on a foundation.

Some popular variations of Klondike Solitaire:

• Vegas Solitaire: Only one pass through the deck is allowed, with stricter rules overall.
• Thoughtful Klondike: All cards are visible from the start. This version is mainly used in research.
• Double Klondike: Uses two decks and a larger tableau.
• Spider Solitaire: A related solitaire game with different rules.
• FreeCell: All cards are visible from the start, and four free cells are available for temporary storage.

Digital versions often include features like undo, hints, and auto-complete.

You win when all 52 cards are placed on the four foundation piles in the correct order. The game is lost when no legal moves remain and you have gone through the stock without finding anything useful.

Keep in mind that not every deal can be won. Even with good play, some games are simply unwinnable. That is part of what makes Klondike interesting.