Learn Klondike Solitaire rules step by step. Perfect for beginners.
Klondike solitaire is the classic card game most people picture when they hear the word solitaire. It's the foundation of free solitaire as we know it — simple to set up, satisfying to play, and endlessly replayable. When you play Klondike solitaire online, the setup happens automatically the moment you click New Game, but understanding how the cards are arranged helps you see the logic behind every move you make.
Klondike solitaire is the classic card game most people picture when they hear the word solitaire. It's the foundation of free solitaire as we know it — simple to set up, satisfying to play, and endlessly replayable. When you play Klondike solitaire online, the setup happens automatically the moment you click New Game, but understanding how the cards are arranged helps you see the logic behind every move you make.
A standard game of Klondike solitaire uses a single deck of 52 playing cards. The playing area is divided into four sections: the tableau, the stock pile, the waste pile, and the foundation piles. Each section has a specific role, and together they form the complete solitaire card game you see on screen.
The tableau is the large central area made up of seven columns. This is where most of the action takes place.
The stock pile sits in the top-left corner and holds the remaining undealt cards.
The waste pile is the face-up discard area next to the stock.
The foundation piles are four empty slots in the top-right corner — one for each suit — where you build your winning stacks from Ace to King.
In a physical game of Klondike solitaire, dealing the cards is the first thing you do. Online, this happens automatically — but here's exactly what the deal looks like so you understand what you're working with.
Cards are dealt to the tableau in seven columns. The first column receives one card, the second receives two, the third receives three, and so on until the seventh column has seven cards. Only the top card of each column is placed face-up; all the cards beneath it are face-down. This means the first column has one face-up card, the second has one face-up and one face-down, the third has one face-up and two face-down, and the seventh has one face-up and six face-down.
In total, 28 cards are dealt to the tableau at the start of the game. The remaining 24 cards form the stock pile in the top-left corner, ready to be drawn one at a time (or three at a time in the harder variation).
The goal of Klondike solitaire is to move all 52 cards to the four foundation piles. Each foundation must be complete — running from Ace to King in the correct suit. When all four foundations are full, the game is won.
In most free solitaire online platforms, a winning animation plays automatically when you complete the foundations, and your score and time are recorded. Some platforms even allow the game to auto-complete the final moves once all cards are face-up and in order — a satisfying moment that signals your well-earned victory.
When you play Klondike solitaire online, the setup is done for you automatically. A 52-card deck is dealt into seven tableau columns — one card in the first column, two in the second, three in the third, and so on up to seven in the seventh. Only the top card of each column is face-up. The remaining 24 cards form the stock pile.
There are four core moves in Klondike solitaire. First, you can move a face-up tableau card (or a sequence of cards) onto another tableau card that is one rank higher and the opposite colour — for example, a red 6 onto a black 7. Second, you can draw a card from the stock pile and place it on the waste pile, then play it from there if it fits. Third, you can move any Ace or correctly sequenced card to a foundation pile. Fourth, you can place a King (or a King-headed sequence) into an empty tableau column.
You win Klondike solitaire by moving all 52 cards to the four foundation piles. Each foundation must contain one complete suit, built in ascending order from Ace through to King. Focus on uncovering face-down cards in the tableau, building useful sequences, and sending cards to the foundation as soon as the correct rank and suit become available.