How Is the Opening Klondike Deal Laid Out?
Klondike begins with 28 cards in the seven tableau columns and the remaining 24 cards in the stock. The distinction is practical, not merely verbal.
Klondike begins with 28 cards in the seven tableau columns and the remaining 24 cards in the stock.
The columns contain one through seven cards, so the total is 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7 = 28.
Only the top card of each opening column is face up; the other 21 tableau cards begin face down. The useful distinction is between a card that looks possible and a move that satisfies every condition at once.
How the rule works
When a face-down card becomes the exposed end of a column, it is turned face up and becomes available.
A card can be visible on screen and still be unavailable because another card controls access to it.
Progress is useful, but the game is won only when its full objective has been completed.
In Klondike, placement and access are inseparable. A move may obey the red-black or foundation order yet still cover a needed waste card, spend the only empty column, or leave a hidden card untouched.
Read the board in two layers: first test whether the move is legal, then ask which face-down card, stock card, or empty lane will be affected next.
Worked card examples
The cards below turn the rule into a position you can verify rather than a phrase to memorize.
Column 1 starts with one face-up card, while column 7 starts with six face-down cards under one face-up card.
Check both the immediate connection and the card that will become available after the move. That second consequence is often where two apparently similar choices diverge.
If moving 6♣ uncovers a face-down card beneath it, that card is turned before the next decision is made.
The counterexample matters just as much: it shows which single condition fails and prevents an accidental rule from being learned.
A reliable check before moving
Before committing the move, run three separate checks:
- Check that the card is actually available, not merely visible beneath another card.
- Verify that the destination satisfies every rank, color, suit, and space rule that applies.
- Look at the position after the move: what becomes exposed, blocked, or newly usable?
If all three checks pass, make the move and reassess the new endpoints. A legal move can change access, available workspace, and the value of the next legal move.
How to use this at the table
Use the rule as a small decision procedure, not as an isolated sentence. Identify the available card, test its destination, and then inspect what the move uncovers or consumes.
To test the explanation on a live deal, open Play Klondike Draw 1 and reproduce the card example before extending the plan.
Sources used
- SRC-001 PlaySoli implementation and editorial specification.
- SRC-002 Current PlaySoli product rules: Solitaire Turn 1.
This guide distinguishes PlaySoli's current game rules from historical variants and marks disputed claims instead of presenting them as settled facts.