History of Klondike Solitaire
Klondike Solitaire is named after the Klondike gold rush of the late 1890s, though patience games with similar mechanics appear in earlier European card literature. The name was popularized in North America during the rush, and the game spread from there worldwide. It became the most-played computer game in history after Microsoft bundled it with Windows 3.0 in 1990 — originally as a tool to teach users the mouse drag-and-drop gesture.
Today “solitaire” and “Klondike” are often used interchangeably, even though hundreds of solitaire variants exist.
Full rules
The 52-card deck is dealt into seven tableau columns in a triangle: one card in column 1, two in column 2, up to seven in column 7. The top card of each column is face-up; all others start face-down. The remaining 24 cards form the stock.
Tableau columns build downward in alternating colors. A properly ordered alternating-color sequence can move as a unit. Only a King (or a King-headed sequence) may fill an empty column. Foundation piles build upward by suit from Ace to King. Draw one or three cards from the stock to the waste; the top waste card is always available. The stock recycles when exhausted (unlimited in draw-1; typically once or thrice in draw-3).
Draw-1 vs. draw-3
Draw-1 flips one stock card at a time. Every card in the stock is accessible in its natural position, making this the more forgiving and more popular option for casual play. Win rates with good strategy are roughly 15–20%.
Draw-3 flips three cards at once, but only the top one is playable. Two-thirds of the stock is effectively hidden at any moment, and reaching a specific card may require cycling through the entire stock multiple times. Win rates drop to roughly 8–12% even with careful play. Draw-3 rewards waste-card management: knowing when not to play a waste card is just as important as when to play one.
The hidden-card priority
The single most effective Klondike habit is this: always prefer a move that flips a face-down card over a move that only rearranges visible cards. Every face-down card is an unknown blocker. Revealing it costs one move; leaving it hidden may cost five later when you discover it is the Ace you needed.
Foundation timing follows a similar logic: moving a card to the foundation is safe when both opposite-color suits at rank minus one are already on their foundations. Until then, mid-rank cards may still be needed in the tableau to support alternating sequences.
Read the full Klondike strategy guide →
Klondike variants
- Yukon Solitaire — Klondike without a stock; all cards dealt at the start, any face-up card moves with everything above it
- Canfield — reserve pile replaces several columns; foundations start on a random rank and wrap around
- Easthaven — Klondike deal with Golf-style stock deals to all columns simultaneously
- Westcliff — three-card start per column, three-card stock draw, same alternating-color build rule
Related games and reference