Solitaire.City
Variant strategy

Your first click in Selective Canfield is your most important.

The base rank you select from the 5 dealt cards shapes every foundation and tableau decision that follows. A well-chosen rank gives you an immediate head start; a rushed choice can leave you fighting the layout for the entire game.

Play Selective CanfieldRead general strategy

Core Selective Canfield tips

  • Count how many of the 5 selection cards you can immediately place given each candidate rank.
  • Prefer a base rank where 2–3 of the remaining 4 cards can usefully go to tableau columns you want to fill.
  • Mid-range ranks (6–9) are statistically safer bases because the foundation wraps faster in both directions.
  • After selection, treat the 4 auto-dealt tableau cards as your starting hand — build around them immediately.
  • Unlimited redeals let you take your time, but use the extra cycling to free the reserve, not to delay decisions.
  • The selection phase is the highest-leverage decision in the game — invest 30 seconds thinking before clicking.

How to evaluate the 5 selection cards

For each of the 5 candidate ranks, ask: how many of the other 4 selection cards build naturally from that foundation, and how many deal to the tableau in a useful position? The rank that maximizes both immediate foundation progress and tableau quality is usually the right choice.

Common mistake

Players often pick the highest or lowest rank out of habit (Ace or King feel 'special') without evaluating the actual position. The selection phase is the only moment of genuine free choice in the game — use it deliberately.