The Ultimate Guide to Klondike Solitaire

Oh no, not another boring Solitaire variant again.” We hear you, and yes, Klondike is a Solitaire variant, but it’s far from boring. In fact, it’s one of the most challenging card games to play, whether online or in person.

Despite the long history of Klondike, there have been relatively few major changes. Microsoft’s version of Klondike, included in Windows 3.1, is popular. The company included it to help teach its users skills. Some of these skills include managing time productively and learning to be organized. But for many, it is a computer game being played for pleasure.

Similarly, many sites offer computer versions of Klondike. Most do little more than replicate the classic game, showing virtually no new features. However, that doesn’t mean they don’t have entertainment value at all. As they say, classic doesn’t go out of style.

If you haven’t played Klondike yet, don’t worry. We will guide you through the rules and give you some tips on increasing your chance of winning.

Card Layout

Klondike is unlike other card games where you can send any card from the table. It is played with a deck of 52 cards with the Jokers removed. At the start of the game, seven cards are dealt to each player.

These cards are shuffled, and you can start creating the layout. Start making a pile on the left with a single card facedown. The second stack will have two cards, and your third one will have three. This process is repeated until you develop seven piles; the final stack has seven cards. Then, for each pile, flip over the first card on top of each pile. You should have seven face-up cards atop seven separate piles. These seven piles will be your tableau.

Place the remaining cards nearby face-up. This will be your waste pile.

Next, it’s time to build the foundation, which will be on top of the tableau. This is where your cards will be categorized by suit and arranged in ascending order. The ace should be the first card in each foundation, followed by cards numbered 2 through king. Some versions let you transfer cards from the foundations back to the tableau. But originally, this is not allowed. Once a card is placed in the foundations, it cannot be withdrawn.

Objective

You need to create the four foundations in ascending rank order: ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, jack, queen, and king. The queens and jacks have the same value as the corresponding number card, while the kings are worth 13 of the underlying suit. For example, if you have a king of clubs and 9 of diamonds, then the king of clubs would be worth 13 of clubs. The ace can also represent any value, but in the case of a tie, the ace is the lowest value among the cards.

Rules

While playing this card game, you will turn over one card at a time (some versions let you turn up to three at once) and play it if you want, or discard it and put it in the waste pile. You can use the top card in the waste pile if you need a better card.

You may only go over the draw pile once to make the game more challenging. After the draw pile is empty, you may refill it by turning the discard pile over and going through it again. There is no rearranging of the waste pile. As cards are revealed, move them about the tableau using the previously outlined procedures to uncover concealed cards.

To elaborate, examine your cards and attempt to make plays that will help you win the game. To do this, you must fill all four foundations. The foundation cards must be arranged in ascending order, starting with the ace. The ace is the lowest value in Klondike Solitaire. All ecards in a foundation must be the same suit.

Assume you placed the ace of diamonds in the first foundation. Then, all of the succeeding cards in this foundation must also be diamonds.

The cards in the tableau must be in descending sequence, with suits alternating between colors. Pick a card from the tableau and place it on the foundation. If you can build a descending series of different colors, you may add a tableau card to another column.

If the top card in the series is one lower and an opposite color to the card you’re placing it on, you can move a whole sequence of tableau cards to that other column. Flip the newly revealed card face upwards each time you transfer a card from one tableau pile to another.

Make sure every card underneath it is visible, even if they are face down. This lets you view how many cards remain in each pile, which is crucial strategic information to win.

It’s crucial to remember that in Klondike Solitaire, you can only put kings in empty tableau columns. The effectiveness of the game also relies on the fact that if you can’t make any moves with the face-up cards you have, draw a card from the draw pile. If you still can’t move, discard it and draw another card. The face-up discard pile card may be played.

Winning the Game

You must end up with all the cards in the deck to win the game. To do this, you must try to match cards that are 1 higher or lower than the card you’ve drawn from the deck. For example, if you draw a 3, you can put a 4 down or a 2 down. The king of hearts goes with the queen of spades, etc. The ace of spades is used to go with the top card that you pull from the deck. The king of hearts is placed on the jack of diamonds. The ace of spades goes on the top of the deck. The game is usually won in around 10 minutes, but you can play with the time to make it longer or shorter.

After playing all the cards in the draw pile, the game is finished. You win the game if you complete the four foundations with ascending cards of the same suit and lose if no more movements are available.

Klondike Solitaire Variations

Reuse the draw pile up to three times for simpler gaming. Turn the waste pile over without reshuffling it to create your refilled draw pile.

Another option to make the game more interesting is to place the first three draw pile cards face up on the table. Just the third card in the stack should be displayed. You may only use the top card of each set. If you can play this card, you can play the one below it.

Pick three additional cards from the draw pile if you can’t play the card.

Wrap Up

Klondike Solitaire is not your average solitaire game. It’s challenging to master, so it will keep your brain active from start to finish. There is no dull moment when your play this card game.

If you find learning the game hard, don’t worry. Online versions will give you instructions step-by-step until you get the hang of it.

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