How to Win Solitaire: The Ultimate Strategy Guide

Klondike Solitaire isn’t just about luck. While the initial shuffle plays a big role, your decisions determine whether you win or lose. Mathematically, around 80% of Klondike Solitaire deals are theoretically winnable. By applying the right strategies, you can dramatically improve your win rate and clear the board.

Strategy 1: Always Expose Hidden Cards First

The most important rule in Solitaire is to turn over face-down cards in the tableau as quickly as possible. Hidden cards are your biggest obstacle to victory. Whenever you have a choice between making a move from the waste pile or making a move from the tableau that uncovers a face-down card, always choose the tableau move.

Strategy 2: Don’t Empty a Spot Unless You Have a King

Empty columns in the tableau can only be filled by Kings (or sequences starting with a King). If you empty a column but don’t have a King ready to fill it, you’ve just lost a valuable space that could have been used to maneuver other cards. Wait to clear a column until you actually need the empty space for a King.

Strategy 3: Treat the Foundations Carefully

It’s tempting to move every card to the foundation as soon as possible. However, cards in the tableau are often needed to help move other cards. A good rule of thumb is: don’t move a card to the foundation if you might need it to place a lower card of the opposite color on it.

For example, if you move a black 6 to the foundation, you won’t be able to place a red 5 on it in the tableau. Only move cards to the foundation when you are sure they won’t block future moves.

Strategy 4: Manage the Stock Pile Wisely

In a Turn 3 game, the order of cards in the stock pile is critical. Sometimes it’s better to leave a playable card in the waste pile if picking it up would mess up the sequence of cards you need on your next pass through the deck.

Strategy 5: Build Evenly

When moving cards to the foundations, try to build them up evenly. Having one foundation pile up to a Jack while another is stuck on a 2 can severely restrict your mobility in the tableau.