By Online Solitaire Free Editorial Team · Editorial Standards
Most people know solitaire as a one-deck game. But some of the most rewarding variants — Spider, Forty Thieves, Napoleon at St. Helena — use two full decks. Here is what makes two-deck solitaire different.
Two-deck solitaire games have a fundamentally different feel from standard single-deck variants. With 104 cards to manage instead of 52, the tableau is wider, the strategies are deeper, and the games take longer. They reward players who enjoy sustained problem-solving over quick-play sessions.
The most famous two-deck solitaire. 104 cards dealt across 10 columns, with the goal of building complete 13-card same-suit sequences from King to Ace. The 4-suit version is one of the most difficult solitaire games that remains consistently winnable with optimal play. Win rates for skilled players are around 50–60%.
40 of the 104 cards are dealt face-up in 10 columns of 4. Only one card can move at a time — no sequences. This single restriction makes it extraordinarily difficult. Foundation building requires precise planning about which cards to keep accessible. Named after the 40 thieves in Ali Baba, each column represents a thief.
Emperor is Forty Thieves with 10 columns of 4 but with face-down cards in each column. The additional hidden information changes the strategy significantly — you have to balance uncovering unknowns with managing the cards you can already see. More accessible than standard Forty Thieves.
Inspired by the two-deck card game Canasta, this variant uses two decks with Jokers included (sometimes 108 cards total). The Jokers serve as wild cards that can complete sequences. The result is an unusual game that feels different from traditional patience — more like a puzzle-solver than a card sorter.
Exactly what it sounds like: Klondike with two decks and nine tableau columns instead of seven. The larger board gives more room to manoeuvre but also more complexity to manage. Win rates are comparable to standard Klondike but games run nearly twice as long.