13 Solitaire Strategy: How to Win at Solitaire
Playing Solitaire is a thrilling experience, especially when you win Solitaire! If you’re losing more often than winning, brushing up on the rules can help. Mastering the basics and adding effective Solitaire strategies to your gameplay will boost your win rate. Since the game constantly evolves, your approach must adapt—explore our 13 best Solitaire strategies to triumph at Solitrd.
1. Draw from the Stockpile First
Kick off your game by flipping the first card from the Solitaire stockpile to the waste pile, revealing an extra face-up card to help you win Solitaire. This move allows you to survey the Solitaire tableau and understand how the new card might influence your strategy. Instead of playing it right away, use this insight to plan a series of moves that could trigger a cascade of plays, setting a strong foundation for success.
2. Survey the Tableau Before You Move Cards
Before making any moves, take a moment to assess the Solitaire tableau to spot potential challenges, such as low-ranking cards that might limit your options, helping you win Solitaire. This initial evaluation lets you anticipate future needs and plan strategically, ensuring you maximize your opportunities. Since the tableau changes with every move, reassess it continuously to adapt your approach and keep your game on track.
3. Plan Your Moves
Enhance your gameplay by carefully planning your moves, considering multiple scenarios to see how each affects the entire Solitaire tableau, a key part of effective Solitaire strategies. Don’t just focus on moving a single card—think about how that move opens up future plays. This foresight allows you to arrange cards purposefully, ensuring you create more opportunities to progress and succeed.
4. Prioritize Moves That Reveal Facedown Cards
To increase your chances of winning Solitaire, prioritize moves that uncover face-down cards in the Solitaire tableau, as only face-up cards are playable. For example, moving a red 5 to a black 6 can reveal hidden cards beneath, expanding your options. This approach ensures you access more cards, which is essential since all cards must eventually reach the foundation piles to secure a victory.
5. Zero In on Deep Columns
Focus on deep columns in the Solitaire tableau with the most hidden cards to maximize your chances of winning Solitaire, even if it means moving a smaller stack. For instance, if you have two red 4s, play the one covering more face-down cards to reveal key cards like Aces or Kings. This strategy prioritizes uncovering more playable cards over moving larger stacks, unlocking critical opportunities for your game.
6. Remember Cards in the Stockpile
Keep track of cards in the Solitaire stockpile as you cycle through them, a simple yet effective way to support your Solitaire strategies and make informed decisions. Knowing the hidden cards allows you to access them when needed for specific plays. However, cycling multiple times adds extra moves, so balance this with your goal of minimizing moves to maintain a high score.
7. Move Aces and Twos to the Foundation Piles
To win Solitaire smoothly, immediately move Aces and 2s to the foundation piles, as Aces start these piles, and nothing can be played on 2s in the Solitaire tableau. This clears space and often reveals more face-down cards, opening up additional moves. By prioritizing these cards, you set the stage for building your foundation piles efficiently and progressing toward victory.
8. Build Even Foundation Piles
In Klondike Solitaire, avoid building one foundation pile too quickly past the 2s, as uneven piles can limit your tableau moves and hinder your ability to win Solitaire. For example, if your red piles are at 3s, don’t play black cards above 5s to keep necessary cards in play. This balance ensures you have playable cards for tableau columns, maintaining flexibility throughout the game.
9. Empty a Column Only When You Have a King
Clear a Solitaire tableau column only if you have a King ready to place in the space, as only Kings can fill vacant columns, helping you win Solitaire strategically. For example, don’t move a red 8 to a black 9 unless a King is available, as an empty column without a King wastes a move. This prevents reducing your playable space and keeps your game on track.
10. Arrange Columns with Matching Suits
Support your goal to win Solitaire by grouping matching suits in the Solitaire tableau, such as keeping Clubs in one column and Spades in another, to build foundation piles evenly. For instance, use a 7 of Clubs on a 9 of Clubs rather than a Spade to maintain consistency. This approach makes it easier to balance foundation piles, ensuring you don’t run out of playable cards too early.
11. Keep Track of Colors While Stacking
When placing a King in an empty Solitaire tableau column, consider the color patterns by assessing the tableau and Solitaire stockpile to maximize moves and win Solitaire. For example, a King of Spades means that even ranks below it will be red, like a red Queen. Choose the King color that offers the most playable cards, ensuring you create more opportunities for stacking and progression.
12. Don’t Move Cards to Their Foundation Piles Too Quickly
In Klondike Solitaire, avoid rushing cards to foundation piles early, except for Aces and 2s, as keeping higher cards in the Solitaire tableau supports your Solitaire strategies. Focus on building tableau sequences to reveal face-down cards before moving to foundations. Once you have solid columns, build foundations evenly to maintain playable cards, ensuring you don’t stall your progress prematurely.
13. Use the Undo Button When Needed
If a move in Klondike Solitaire leads to a dead end, use the undo button to correct mistakes, such as realizing a different card should’ve been played in a free Solitaire game. This helps you explore better paths to win Solitaire, but use it sparingly since it counts as a move. Each undo effectively costs three moves—original move, undo, and new move—so balance its use with your scoring goals.
