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FreeCell Strategy and Tips

Here is how to think about winning at FreeCell, split into short lessons. Each one reads on its own, and each one comes with a real position: press Try it on the board and you play the move yourself.

Free cells are a last resort

Lesson 1

The free cells in FreeCell are four spots that each hold one card temporarily. The more you use, the fewer cards you can move at once.

When a card can move, look for a column to stack it on before you put it in a cell. The emptier the cells, the longer the runs you can move later.

In a race, having room in the cells matters more for your late-game speed than any single move. Fill the cells and you lose time sitting on moves you can see but cannot make.

Once a card in a cell has a place to go, send it back to a column right away; the next move gets easier.

Here, the eight of hearts can go on the nine of clubs, so no cell is needed.

Send aces and twos up first

Lesson 2

An ace starts a foundation and never needs to sit under another card, so send it up as soon as you find it. A two is almost the same: sending it up rarely causes trouble.

In FreeCell, freeing an ace or a two buried deep in a column directly creates room. Decide where the cards on top will go before you move them.

Higher cards often serve as places for other cards in the columns, so there is no hurry to send them up. Send the low cards up with confidence.

Here, the ace of hearts on top of the left column can go up to the foundation.

Once an ace is up, check whether its two and three are buried below.

Make an empty column

Lesson 3

An empty column takes any card, and each empty column doubles how many cards you can move at once. That is why people say it is worth more than a cell.

A column with only one card left becomes empty as soon as you can stack that card elsewhere. Look for columns like that first.

Using a cell to empty a column is a fine move, but filling the cells shrinks how many cards you can move at once. Keep the balance.

Here, putting the six of diamonds on the black seven (clubs) empties the left column.

Once a column is empty, do not use it at once; decide which card goes there first.

Move a run in one go

Lesson 4

Cards that run down in alternating colours can move together. Tap the top card you want to move and the cards below it that follow on are selected with it.

How many you can move depends on your free cells and empty columns: the more free cells, the longer the run. If you try too many, a reason tag appears.

Moving a run in one go takes fewer moves than moving card by card, which saves time in a race.

Here, the eight of hearts and the seven of spades can move together onto the black nine (clubs).

Get into the habit of counting your free cells and empty columns before you move.

Try it on the board

Pick a lesson and the board starts from that position. Start over as often as you like.

Now put it to work

Play with friendsLearn how to play (3 min)

Last updated 2026-10-05 · Run by Qdan, Inc.