How to win at Klondike solitaire

What decides a game

In Klondike, 21 of the 52 cards start face down in the seven columns, and 24 more wait in the deck. Every one you can't see is a card you can't plan around. So the game comes down to one thing: turning those face down cards over in the right order before you run out of moves.

Some random deals can't be won however well you play. Many more are lost because of a few early moves that looked harmless. The tips below are about not making those moves.

Ten tips that win more games

1. Flip a face down card whenever you can

If one move turns over a hidden card and another doesn't, the first one is almost always better. New information is the most valuable thing in Klondike.

2. Work on the tallest columns first

The rightmost column starts with six hidden cards, the leftmost with none. When you have a choice, take the move that digs into a deeper column. Those hidden cards are the ones that trap you at the end.

3. Play from the columns before the deck

A column move often uncovers a card. A deck move usually doesn't. When both are possible, the column move tends to be the better one. Check the table each time before you tap the deck.

4. Don't empty a column without a King ready

In Klondike only a King, or a run starting with a King, can fill an empty column. Clearing a column with no King to put there leaves a hole that does nothing for you.

5. Choose your King carefully

If a red King and a black King both want the same empty column, look at the Queens. If the free Queen is black, it needs a red King to land on, so put the red King down.

6. Don't rush every card to the foundations

Aces and 2s should go up straight away. Middle cards are different: a 6 on its foundation can no longer catch a 5 from the table. Hold a card back if a column still needs it as a stepping stone.

7. Split runs to dig

You don't have to move a whole run. Moving just the 7 and 6 off an 8 can let you put that 8 somewhere better and expose what's underneath.

8. Keep colors balanced

If all the black 8s are buried and you keep building red 7s, those 7s have nowhere to go. When you can pick between two similar moves, choose the one that keeps both colors open.

9. Look ahead before you go through the deck

Before you flip through the deck, know what you're hoping to find. If you need a black 9, you'll spot the useful moment instead of tapping past it.

10. Use Undo to explore, then play clean

When you're unsure, try a line and back out. Once you know a deal, replay it without Undo. In Canyon Klondike a win without Undo is worth 150 extra points and unlocks a card back.

Draw 1 vs Draw 3

In Draw 1 you see every deck card on every pass, so nothing stays hidden. It's the gentler game and the place to learn.

In Draw 3 each tap turns three cards and only the top one can be played. Here's the trick most players miss: when you play a card from the waste, every group of three after it shifts by one on the next pass. So a card you couldn't reach last time may be on top this time. Sometimes it's worth skipping a playable card to keep a card you need lined up for later.

In Canyon Klondike you pick Draw 1 or Draw 3 at the start, and Draw 3 scores 25% higher. Both use unlimited passes through the deck in standard scoring.

Vegas scoring changes the plan

Vegas scoring charges $52 a deal and pays $5 for each card you send home, so 11 cards is roughly even. The catch is the deck: one pass in Draw 1 and three in Draw 3. With so few passes, every deck card you skip may be gone for good. Play deck cards to the columns whenever they don't block something important, and look a few cards ahead before you send one home.

Can every game of solitaire be won?

No. Some Klondike deals have no solution, and some are only solvable if you happen to make the right blind choice. That's why Canyon Klondike deals from a set of shuffles we've checked can be won, a thousand for Draw 1 and a thousand for Draw 3. If you'd rather take your chances, turn off the Winnable deals chip for pure random deals.

The Daily Deal is a Draw 1 game that's the same for everyone and can always be won, and the calendar lets you play back through about three months of past days to collect a crown for each one.

For full rules and controls, see our Canyon Klondike guide. Once Klondike feels easy, Four Cells puts every card face up so it's all planning, and Moonlit Spider is the two deck challenge.

Questions