Solitaire Rules: Complete Guide to All 6 Variants

Solitaire Rules: The Complete Guide

Whether you’re a complete beginner or an experienced player learning a new variant, this guide covers the rules for all six Solitaire games available on Solitaire Wave. Each variant has its own setup, moves, and winning conditions — use the table of contents below to jump to the game you want to learn.

Quick Comparison: All 6 Variants

Klondike Solitaire Rules

Klondike is the classic Solitaire game — the one most people mean when they say “Solitaire.” It was the version bundled with Microsoft Windows and is the most-played card game in history.

Play Klondike Solitaire free online →

Setup

• Use a standard 52-card deck (no jokers).
• Deal seven tableau columns from left to right: the first column gets 1 card, the second gets 2, the third gets 3, and so on up to 7 cards in the seventh column.
• Only the top card in each column is dealt face-up; all other cards are face-down.
• The remaining 24 cards form the stock pile (face-down).
• Leave space for four empty foundation piles, one for each suit.

Objective

Move all 52 cards to the four foundation piles, building each suit in ascending order from Ace to King (A, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K).

Rules of Play

• Tableau building: Place cards in descending rank with alternating colors (e.g., a red 6 on a black 7, a black Queen on a red King).
• Moving sequences: You can move a properly ordered group of face-up cards as a single unit to another valid column.
• Revealing hidden cards: When you move a face-up card off a face-down card, the face-down card is flipped over automatically.
• Empty columns: Only a King (or a sequence starting with a King) can be placed in an empty tableau column.
• Stock pile: Click the stock pile to deal cards to the waste pile. In Turn 1 mode, one card is dealt at a time. In Turn 3 mode, three cards are dealt with only the top card playable.
• Recycling the stock: When the stock pile is empty, click the empty stock area to flip the waste pile back into a new stock.
• Foundation building: Move cards to the foundations by suit in ascending order (Ace first, then 2, 3, etc.).

Winning

The game is won when all 52 cards are in the four foundation piles, each built Ace to King by suit.

Common Variations

• Turn 1 vs Turn 3: Turn 1 deals one card at a time (easier). Turn 3 deals three cards (harder, only top card playable).
• Stock passes: Some versions allow unlimited passes through the stock; others limit you to 1 or 3 passes.

Quick Tips

• Prioritize uncovering face-down cards — more revealed cards means more options.
• Don’t rush cards to the foundation; you may need them in the tableau.
• Only fill empty columns with Kings that help you uncover more cards.

FreeCell Solitaire Rules

FreeCell is the most strategic Solitaire variant. All cards are visible from the start, so every win or loss is determined by your decisions — not luck.

Play FreeCell Solitaire free online →

Setup

• A standard 52-card deck is dealt entirely face-up into eight tableau columns.
• The first four columns receive 7 cards each; the remaining four receive 6 cards each.
• Four empty free cells are placed at the top-left for temporary card storage.
• Four empty foundation piles are placed at the top-right.

Objective

Move all 52 cards to the four foundation piles, building each suit from Ace to King.

Rules of Play

• Tableau building: Place cards in descending rank with alternating colors, same as Klondike.
• Moving cards: Only the top card of each column can be moved. You can move one card at a time to another column, a free cell, or a foundation.
• Free cells: Each free cell holds exactly one card temporarily. You can move any top card to an open free cell.
• Moving sequences: The game allows you to move properly ordered sequences as a shortcut, using empty free cells and empty columns behind the scenes. The maximum number of cards you can move at once is: (1 + open free cells) × 2^(empty columns).
• Empty columns: Any card can be placed in an empty column (unlike Klondike, where only Kings can fill empty columns).
• Foundation building: Build foundations by suit from Ace to King.

Winning

The game is won when all 52 cards are on the four foundation piles.

Key Differences from Klondike

• All cards are visible from the start (no hidden cards).
• No stock pile or waste pile.
• Four free cells provide temporary storage.
• Any card can fill an empty column.
• Nearly every deal (~99.999%) is solvable.

Quick Tips

• Keep free cells open — your maneuvering power depends on available free cells and empty columns.
• Empty columns are even more valuable than free cells.
• Plan 5-10 moves ahead since all information is visible.
• Get Aces and 2s to the foundations early.

Spider Solitaire Rules

Spider Solitaire is the most challenging mainstream Solitaire variant. It uses two full decks and rewards patient, strategic play.

Play Spider Solitaire free online →

Setup

• Two standard 52-card decks are shuffled together (104 cards total).
• 54 cards are dealt into 10 tableau columns: the first 4 columns get 6 cards each, the remaining 6 columns get 5 cards each.
• Only the top card in each column is face-up.
• The remaining 50 cards form the stock pile.
• There are no foundation piles on the board — completed sequences are removed automatically.

Objective

Build eight complete same-suit sequences from King down to Ace. Each completed sequence is automatically removed from the tableau. Clear all eight to win.

Rules of Play

• Tableau building: Place any card on a card one rank higher, regardless of suit (e.g., any 9 on any 10). However, only same-suit sequences can be moved as a group.
• Moving groups: A descending run of the same suit can be moved as a unit. Mixed-suit sequences must be moved one card at a time.
• Completing sequences: When you build a complete King-to-Ace run all in the same suit, the 13 cards are automatically removed from play.
• Dealing from stock: When no more moves are available, click the stock to deal one new face-up card to each of the 10 columns (all columns must contain at least one card to deal).
• Empty columns: Any card can be placed in an empty column.

Difficulty Modes

Winning

You win when all eight King-to-Ace same-suit sequences have been completed and removed.

Quick Tips

• Always build in the same suit when possible — mixed runs are dead weight.
• Create empty columns early; they’re your most valuable asset.
• Don’t deal from the stock until you’ve exhausted all moves.
• Focus on suits that have the most exposed cards.

Pyramid Solitaire Rules

Pyramid Solitaire is a completely different kind of Solitaire. Instead of building sequences, you solve a mathematical puzzle by pairing cards that add up to 13.

Play Pyramid Solitaire free online →

Setup

• A standard 52-card deck is used.
• 28 cards are dealt face-up in a pyramid shape: 1 card in row 1, 2 in row 2, up to 7 in row 7. Each row overlaps the one above.
• The remaining 24 cards form the stock pile.

Card Values

Objective

Remove all 28 cards from the pyramid by pairing cards that add up to 13.

Rules of Play

• Pairing: Select two exposed cards whose values add up to 13 and remove them both. A card is “exposed” when no cards from the row below overlap it.
• Kings: Kings equal 13 on their own and are removed individually (no pairing needed).
• Common pairs: A+Q (1+12), 2+J (2+11), 3+10, 4+9, 5+8, 6+7.
• Stock pile: Draw one card at a time to the waste pile. The top waste card can be paired with any exposed pyramid card.
• Recycling: When the stock is empty, the waste pile may be flipped to create a new stock (rules vary).

Winning

You win when all 28 pyramid cards have been removed through valid pairs.

Quick Tips

• Remove Kings immediately — they’re always free plays.
• Work from the bottom of the pyramid upward to expose more cards.
• Scan all available pairs before committing to a move.
• Track which cards have been played to know if remaining pairs are possible.

TriPeaks Solitaire Rules

TriPeaks (also called Tri Towers or Three Peaks) is the fastest Solitaire variant. Clear three peaks by chaining cards sequentially.

Play TriPeaks Solitaire free online →

Setup

• A standard 52-card deck is used.
• Three overlapping peaks are dealt with a mix of face-up and face-down cards (28 cards total in the peaks: 18 face-down, 10 face-up).
• The remaining 24 cards go to the stock pile.
• One card is turned face-up to start the waste pile.

Objective

Clear all three peaks by removing every card from the tableau.

Rules of Play

• Play cards ±1 rank from the top waste pile card. If the waste shows a 7, you can play a 6 or an 8.
• Ranks wrap around: King connects to Ace and Ace connects to King.
• Suit doesn’t matter — only rank counts in TriPeaks.
• Uncover hidden cards: Removing face-up cards reveals the face-down cards beneath them.
• Draw from stock: When no playable cards remain in the peaks, draw one card from the stock to the waste pile.
• Build chains: Keep playing ±1 cards in sequence for the longest possible chain.

Winning

You win when all three peaks are completely cleared. The game ends in a loss if the stock is empty and no more moves are available.

Quick Tips

• Choose cards that uncover face-down cards when you have multiple options.
• Build the longest chains possible before drawing from stock.
• Look for wrap-around opportunities (King↔Ace) — they’re easy to miss.
• Clear isolated peaks first to simplify the board.

Yukon Solitaire Rules

Yukon is the most challenging single-deck Solitaire variant. It’s similar to Klondike but with no stock pile and a powerful flexible movement rule.

Play Yukon Solitaire free online →

Setup

• All 52 cards from a standard deck are dealt to seven tableau columns:
  • Column 1: 1 card (face-up)
  • Columns 2–7: The same face-down cards as Klondike (1–6 face-down), plus 4 additional face-up cards each
• There is no stock pile and no waste pile — all cards are on the tableau.
• Four empty foundation piles sit above.

Objective

Build all four foundations from Ace to King by suit, same as Klondike.

Rules of Play

• Foundation building: Same as Klondike — build by suit from Ace to King.
• Tableau building: Place cards in descending rank with alternating colors (e.g., black 9 on red 10).
• Flexible group movement: You can move any face-up card along with all cards on top of it, even if the group is not in proper descending alternating-color order. The bottom card of the moved group must still land on a valid target (opposite color, one rank higher).
• Empty columns: Only Kings (or groups led by a King) can fill empty columns.
• Revealing cards: Face-down cards are automatically flipped when uncovered.

Key Differences from Klondike

• No stock pile — all cards are visible on the tableau.
• You can move any face-up card and everything above it, even unsequenced groups.
• More strategic depth but lower win rate (~25% vs Klondike’s ~30%).

Winning

You win when all four foundations are built from Ace to King by suit.

Quick Tips

• Prioritize uncovering face-down cards above all else.
• Use the flexible movement rule aggressively to expose hidden cards.
• Don’t rush cards to foundations — you’ll need tableau cards as intermediate landing spots.
• Focus on the longest columns (most hidden cards) first.

Universal Solitaire Concepts

These terms and concepts apply across most Solitaire variants:

• Tableau — The main playing area with columns of cards.
• Foundation — The piles where you build completed suits (usually Ace to King).
• Stock pile — The face-down deck of undealt cards.
• Waste pile — Where cards from the stock are placed face-up.
• Exposed/Available card — A card with no other cards on top of it, available for play.
• Face-down card — A hidden card that must be uncovered by moving cards off of it.
• Sequence/Run — A series of cards in proper descending order (and alternating colors in most variants).

Which Solitaire Game Should You Play?

• Complete beginner? Start with TriPeaks (simple rules, high win rate) or Klondike (the classic).
• Want pure strategy? Play FreeCell — no luck, all skill.
• Looking for a challenge? Try Spider (4-suit mode) or Yukon.
• Short on time? Pyramid and TriPeaks have the quickest rounds.
• Love Klondike but want more? Yukon is the natural next step.

For step-by-step beginner instructions, see our How to Play Solitaire guide.