Klondike Solitaire Strategy: 10 Tips to Win More Games

1. Reveal Face-Down Cards First

At the start, 21 tableau cards are face down. Every one you reveal gives you new information and may unlock an Ace, a King, or the next card in a sequence.

When choosing between two legal moves, favor the one that turns over a hidden card—unless it clearly sacrifices an even more important opportunity. For example, moving a red 7 onto a black 8 to uncover a card is usually more productive than moving a red 7 that was already exposed in an otherwise empty column.

2. Pay Attention to the Deeper Columns

The later tableau columns begin with more hidden cards. A move that opens access to the fifth, sixth, or seventh column may help you uncover several cards over time.

However, don't apply “always play the rightmost column” mechanically. Choose based on what a move actually unlocks, not simply the column number.

3. Move Aces and Twos When They Are Available

An Ace is needed to start each foundation, and the matching 2 follows it. Moving low cards to foundations generally creates useful space and is rarely restrictive.

Higher ranks require more thought. A card sitting on a foundation may be needed as a base for a tableau move. Uletime lets you bring the top foundation card back to the tableau when legal, but planning ahead saves unnecessary detours.

4. Do Not Automatically Send Every Card to a Foundation

Suppose 5♣ can move to its foundation, but a red 4 is waiting to be placed on a black 5 in the tableau. Sending 5♣ upward may remove a useful building surface.

Before a foundation move, ask:

• Will this expose a hidden tableau card?
• Is another card waiting to use this one in the tableau?
• Can I recover the card later if necessary?

The goal is not to maximize foundation cards on every turn. It is to complete all four foundations eventually.

5. Treat Empty Columns as Valuable Space

Only a King—or a valid face-up sequence starting with a King—can enter an empty tableau column. An empty column can let you relocate a long sequence and uncover a hidden card beneath it.

If two Kings are available, prefer the one that gives you a concrete benefit: uncovering a card, freeing a sequence, or opening a critical destination. Moving a King merely to fill space may accomplish nothing.

6. Choose Between Red and Black Kings Carefully

An empty column can take either color of King, but the choice changes which Queens you can later place on top. A black King accepts a red Queen; a red King accepts a black Queen.

Look at the exposed Queens and other building opportunities before committing to a King. This is particularly helpful when you have only one empty column available.

7. Check Tableau Moves Before Cycling the Stock

The stock adds options, but its cards arrive in a specific order. Before drawing again, check whether a tableau move can expose a hidden card or make a waste card immediately useful.

In Draw 3, moving a card from the waste can also change which cards become accessible on later passes. Repeatedly cycling through the stock without changing the board often does not improve the position.

8. Use Undo to Compare Alternatives

When two moves look equally promising, try one and inspect the result. Undo lets you return to the earlier position and consider another line.

This is especially useful when deciding which of two Kings should fill an empty column or whether to use a foundation card as a temporary tableau building card. Undo does not reveal hidden cards you have not legitimately uncovered, but it can help you understand a position.

9. Avoid Moves That Only Repeat the Same Position

A sequence of legal moves can still leave you exactly where you started. If you move a card down from a foundation, return it, and cycle through the stock without uncovering anything, you have not gained an advantage.

Pause and identify the next real objective: uncover one face-down card, open an empty column, or make a previously inaccessible stock card playable.

10. Change Your Approach in Draw 3

In Draw 1, every stock card can be viewed in sequence. In Draw 3, only the top card of each group is immediately available. Playing one waste card can reveal a card underneath it and alter the stock sequence encountered on future passes.

Pay attention to stock order, not just the current top card. If you have a promising tableau move but no useful waste move, consider whether using it now will make an upcoming waste card playable. Read our dedicated Draw 1 vs Draw 3 comparison for examples.

Example: Which Move Is Better?

Imagine two legal actions:

In many positions, the first move has higher strategic value. But if the second move opens a space needed to relocate a King-led run, the choice may change. Klondike rewards context, not fixed rules applied blindly.

What to Do When You Feel Stuck

1. Check every exposed tableau card for an alternative destination.
2. Look for a move that reveals a face-down card.
3. Consider whether a foundation card can legally return to the tableau and unlock a useful sequence.
4. Check whether an empty column can help you move a King-led run.
5. Draw or recycle the stock and inspect the newly playable waste card.
6. Use Hint to find a legal move, or Undo to reconsider an earlier decision.

A hint identifies a permitted move; it is not a guarantee that the deal can be won from the current position. Likewise, running out of obvious moves does not necessarily prove the entire deal is unsolvable.