Solitaire Strategy and Tips

Turn over face-down cards first

Lesson 1

The sooner you turn over face-down cards, the more cards you can move. When unsure, pick the move that reveals a face-down card, and start with the column that hides the most.

In a race, the order you open up moves affects your time. Look for a card to reveal before you look for cards to send up; more cards become available to send up later.

Here, moving the seven of clubs from the left column onto the eight of hearts next to it turns over the card beneath.

Columns that hide the most cards open up the most new moves once you reach them. A column that already holds a run of movable cards can wait. In a race, moving in the order that creates moves also shortens the time you spend thinking.

Kings go into empty columns

Lesson 2

When a column empties, only a king can go there. Moving a king into it turns over the card beneath and gives you a base for a long run.

Moving a king that is already alone in its column just swaps columns and gains nothing. Move a king that has a face-down card under it.

Here, moving the king of spades from the left column into the empty column turns over the card beneath it.

An empty column is a precious spot. Emptying one before a king is within reach gives you nothing to put there and tends to stall you. Keep the order in mind: open a column once you can see a king, and you waste fewer moves.

Send aces up at once

Lesson 3

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

Higher cards are often better left in the columns, where they give other cards a place to go. Don't rush them; send up the low cards with confidence.

Here, sending the ace of hearts from the left column up to the foundation turns over the card beneath it.

When an ace appears, send it up before you think about anything else. Cards from three upward may still serve as places for other cards in the columns, so send them once the smaller cards of the same suit are up, a little at a time.

Use the waste card while you can

Lesson 4

The top card of the waste pile should be played as soon as it fits a column. If you keep drawing, you will meet the same cards again, and that costs time.

You can tell whether a drawn card is usable just by comparing it with the top cards of the columns. If a column has a card of the other colour one rank higher, put it there.

Moving a card from the waste to a column uncovers the one below it, and often a new move appears. How many cards you use in one pass through the stock is what separates fast from slow.

Here, the seven of hearts in the waste pile can go on the eight of spades.

When unsure, look at the waste pile first and then the columns; that order cuts down on missed moves.