🎯 Start Here

Beginner's Guide to Solitaire

Everything you need to know to start playing solitaire, from basic rules to winning strategies

New to Solitaire? Start With These Games

These three games are perfect for beginners

♠️

Klondike Solitaire

The classic Windows solitaire. Most popular and easiest to learn.

Learn Klondike →
🕷️

Spider Solitaire

Start with 1-suit version. Great for learning pattern recognition.

Learn Spider →
🏰

FreeCell

Almost every game is winnable. Perfect for strategic thinking.

Learn FreeCell →

Solitaire Basics Every Player Should Know

Essential Solitaire Terms

Stock (or Deck)
The pile of face-down cards you draw from
Waste
Face-up cards from the stock that aren't used yet
Foundation
Where you build complete suits from Ace to King
Tableau
The main playing area with columns of cards
Build
Placing cards in sequence (like 7 on 8)

Universal Solitaire Rules

  • ✓ Most solitaire games use a standard 52-card deck
  • ✓ Goal is usually to move all cards to foundation piles
  • ✓ Foundations build up by suit (A, 2, 3... K)
  • ✓ Tableau typically builds down in alternating colors
  • ✓ Empty spaces can often be filled strategically
  • ✓ Planning ahead is more important than speed
Most Popular

How to Play Klondike Solitaire

Game Setup

Layout

  • • 7 tableau columns
  • • First column: 1 card (face up)
  • • Second column: 2 cards (1 face down, 1 up)
  • • Continue to 7th column: 7 cards
  • • Remaining cards form the stock

Objective

Move all 52 cards to four foundation piles, organized by suit from Ace to King.

1

Check for Aces

First, look for any Aces in the tableau. Move them immediately to start foundation piles.

2

Build in the Tableau

Place cards on tableau columns in descending order with alternating colors (red 6 on black 7).

3

Reveal Hidden Cards

Focus on moves that flip face-down cards. More revealed cards mean more options.

4

Use the Stock Wisely

Draw from the stock when stuck. In Draw-3, you might need multiple passes.

💡 Beginner Tips

  • • Always move Aces and 2s to foundations immediately
  • • Prioritize revealing face-down cards
  • • Empty columns are valuable - only fill with Kings
  • • In Draw-1, about 80% of games are winnable
  • • Don't rush - plan your moves ahead
Best for Beginners

How to Play Spider Solitaire

Choose Your Difficulty

1 Suit (Easy)

All spades. Perfect for beginners. 90%+ win rate possible.

2 Suits (Medium)

Spades and hearts. Good challenge. 50% win rate.

4 Suits (Hard)

All suits. Very difficult. 30% win rate for experts.

Basic Spider Rules

  • ✓ Goal: Create 8 complete sequences from King to Ace in the same suit
  • ✓ Building: Place any card on a card one rank higher (5 on 6)
  • ✓ Moving: Can only move sequences of the same suit together
  • ✓ Dealing: Click stock to deal 10 new cards (one per column)
  • ✓ Empty Columns: Can be filled with any card or sequence

🎯 Beginner Strategy

  • • Start with 1-suit Spider until comfortable
  • • Focus on creating empty columns - they're powerful
  • • Build in-suit sequences whenever possible
  • • Don't deal new cards until necessary
  • • Plan multiple moves ahead before acting
Most Winnable

How to Play FreeCell

Why FreeCell is Great for Beginners

All Cards Visible

Every card is face-up from the start. No luck involved - pure strategy!

99.99% Winnable

Only 1 in 32,000 games is impossible. If you lose, you can always win with better play.

FreeCell Layout

🎯

4 Free Cells

Temporary storage for single cards

♠️♥️♣️♦️

4 Foundations

Build suits from Ace to King

📊

8 Columns

Build down by alternating colors

Power Moves Formula

FreeCell limits how many cards you can move at once:

(Empty FreeCells + 1) × 2^(Empty Columns)

Example: 2 empty cells + 1 empty column = 6 cards maximum

✅ FreeCell Success Tips

  • • Free up Aces and 2s first
  • • Keep free cells empty when possible
  • • Create empty columns - they double your power
  • • Plan several moves ahead
  • • Don't fill all free cells unless you have a clear plan

Common Beginner Mistakes to Avoid

❌

Moving Too Fast

Solitaire rewards planning, not speed. Take time to consider multiple options.

✓ Better approach: Think 3-5 moves ahead

❌

Ignoring Empty Spaces

Empty columns are powerful. Don't fill them without good reason.

✓ Better approach: Save empty spaces for strategic moves

❌

Building Foundations Too Fast

Moving cards to foundations too early can block important moves.

✓ Better approach: Keep low cards available for building

❌

Not Learning From Losses

Every loss is a learning opportunity. Identify what went wrong.

✓ Better approach: Replay games to find better strategies

Ready to Start Playing?

Choose your path to solitaire mastery

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Solitaire Tools

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