How to Play Klondike Solitaire Step by Step

Klondike Solitaire is played by dealing seven tableau columns, building them down in alternating colors, and moving every card to four foundation piles that run from Ace to King by suit. You win when all 52 cards reach the foundations. The steps below follow the rules described on Solitaire Owl, where the game runs online in full screen with no download required.

Set Up the Tableau

Shuffle a standard 52-card deck and lay out seven piles in a horizontal line:

• The first pile gets 1 card.
• Each next pile gets one more card than the pile before it, so the seventh pile has 7 cards.
• Only the top card of each pile is face up; the rest stay face down.

This leaves 24 cards in the stock, the face-down pile you draw from during play.

Build the Foundations

The four foundation piles sit at the top of the screen. Each one starts with an Ace, then continues in ascending order by suit: Ace, 2, 3, and so on up to King. For example, if the Hearts foundation already holds an Ace and a 2, the 3 of Hearts is the next card you can place there.

You can move a card to a foundation from either the tableau or the waste pile, as long as it is the next rank up in that suit.

Draw From the Stock and Waste

Click the stock to turn cards over into the waste pile. Cards in the waste can then be played onto the tableau or sent straight to a foundation. When the stock runs out, you can typically recycle the waste back into the stock to keep drawing, depending on the draw mode the game uses.

Move Cards in the Tableau

Cards move between tableau columns only when they are one rank lower and the opposite color. A red 6 goes on a black 7, for example. You can move a single card or a group of cards that is already in correct descending, alternating-color sequence.

An empty tableau space accepts only a King. You can move a King alone or with a valid sequence built on top of it into that empty column.

Win the Game

The goal is to move all 52 cards to the four foundation piles. Once every suit runs from Ace to King in its foundation, the game is won.

Quick Reference

Tips to Win More Often

• Prioritize Aces and low cards for the foundations early, since they unlock more legal moves.
• Expose face-down tableau cards whenever you can; each one you turn over adds new options.
• Keep empty columns in reserve for Kings rather than filling them immediately.
• Use the unlimited hints feature on Solitaire Owl when you are stuck, and check the statistics page to see how your win rate changes as you adjust your strategy.