Klondike Solitaire Rules: A Complete Playing Guide

Short answer: PlaySoli Klondike uses one standard 52-card deck, seven tableau columns, four foundations, a stock, and a waste pile. Build tableau cards downward in rank while alternating red and black; move only exposed cards or complete legal sequences; place only a King or a King-led sequence into an empty column; and build each foundation by suit from Ace through King. Draw 1 turns one stock card, while Draw 3 turns up to three and exposes only the top available waste card. Both PlaySoli modes allow unlimited passes through the stock.

Klondike is easy to recognize but frequently misplayed because several rules interact at once. A move can be correct by rank and still fail by color. A card can be visible in the waste yet remain unavailable because another card lies above it. An empty tableau column looks flexible, but it accepts only a King or a sequence beginning with a King. Historical books also use different stock-pass limits, so rules remembered from another app or a physical rulebook may not describe PlaySoli.

This guide defines the current PlaySoli implementation. It covers the shared tableau and foundation rules first, then explains the exact difference between Draw 1 and Draw 3. Strategy is intentionally separated into the Klondike strategy guide; here the question is whether a move is legal and what each area of the layout does.

Contents

• The layout at a glance
• How the opening deal is built
• Legal tableau moves
• What may enter an empty column
• How foundations work
• Draw 1 stock and waste rules
• Draw 3 stock and waste rules
• How sequences move
• Turning exposed cards and finishing the game
• A complete worked example
• Historical rules versus PlaySoli rules
• Common rules mistakes
• In brief
• Frequently asked questions

The layout at a glance

A Klondike deal has five functional areas.

Area	Purpose	Core rule
Tableau	Seven columns where most rearrangement happens	Build down by rank while alternating colors
Foundations	Four suited destination piles	Build up from Ace to King in the same suit
Stock	Undealt cards waiting to be turned	Draw one card or up to three, depending on the mode
Waste	Face-up cards turned from the stock	Only the top available waste card can be played
Empty tableau column	A cleared working lane	Accepts only a King or a legal sequence led by a King

The game uses one 52-card deck and seven tableau columns SRC-001 SRC-002 SRC-003. There are no jokers. Red means hearts or diamonds; black means clubs or spades. Rank order in the tableau descends from King toward Ace. Foundation order rises from Ace toward King.

The objective is to place every card on the four foundations. Each foundation contains one suit, so a completed heart foundation is Ace of hearts, 2 of hearts, 3 of hearts, and so on through the King of hearts. The same applies independently to diamonds, clubs, and spades.

How the opening deal is built

The tableau receives 28 cards. Column one receives one card, column two receives two, and the pattern continues until column seven receives seven. Only the top card of each column is face up at the start. The remaining 24 cards form the stock.

The staircase can be summarized as follows:

Column	Total cards	Initially face down	Initially face up
1	1	0	1
2	2	1	1
3	3	2	1
4	4	3	1
5	5	4	1
6	6	5	1
7	7	6	1

This arrangement matters because exposing those 21 hidden tableau cards is a central part of play. The opening position is not chosen by the player, and the visible cards may offer several legal moves, one legal move, or no useful tableau move at all.

A computer interface performs the deal automatically, but the same layout can be made with physical cards. For a paper setup, deal one face-up card to the first column, then one face-down card to each remaining column. Return to the second column, deal its face-up top card, then continue the pattern until all seven columns have an exposed top card.

Legal tableau moves

A card may be placed on a tableau card exactly one rank higher and of the opposite color SRC-001 SRC-002 SRC-003. Both conditions are mandatory.

Legal examples:

• a black 8 on a red 9;
• a red Queen on a black King;
• a black 4 on a red 5;
• a red 10 on a black Jack.

Illegal examples:

• a black 8 on a black 9, because the colors do not alternate;
• a red 8 on a black 10, because the rank gap is two;
• a red 9 on a black 8, because tableau order must descend;
• any non-King card into an empty column.

Suits do not have to alternate in a particular pattern. A club may go on a heart or diamond of the next higher rank, and a spade may do the same. The rule is color, not suit. This distinction is important when moving between Klondike and Spider: Spider has a different relationship between rank, suit, and group movement.

Only face-up cards can participate in a tableau move. A face-down card remains unavailable until every card above it has been moved away. When the exposed top of a column is face down, it is turned face up. That reveal creates new information and often creates the next legal move.

What may enter an empty column

An empty tableau column accepts only a King or a properly ordered sequence whose first card is a King SRC-001 SRC-002 SRC-003. “First card” here means the highest card that will touch the empty space.

For example, these moves are legal:

• a single black King;
• a red King with a black Queen beneath it;
• a black King–red Queen–black Jack sequence.

These moves are illegal:

• a Queen by itself;
• a Jack-led sequence;
• a King followed by a Queen of the same color;
• a face-down King.

The King-only restriction applies even when an empty column seems like the only open area. An empty lane is not a universal holding cell. The rule preserves the shape of Klondike and makes clearing a column a consequential event.

Moving a King-led sequence into an empty column does not change the internal construction requirement. Every adjacent pair within the sequence must already descend by one rank and alternate colors.

How foundations work

There are four foundations, one for each suit. A foundation begins with an Ace. It then rises in exact rank order within that suit:

Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King.

A 5 of clubs may be placed only on the 4 of clubs foundation. It cannot go on a 4 of spades, even though both suits are black. A red Ace does not accept a black 2; foundation construction is by suit, not alternating color.

Foundation placement and tableau placement therefore use opposite organizing rules:

• tableau: downward by rank, alternating red and black;
• foundation: upward by rank, same suit.

Cards can reach a foundation from the tableau or from the top available waste card. A card buried under another tableau card or under the top waste card is not available merely because the foundation is ready for it.

PlaySoli also permits the exposed top card of a foundation to return to a legal tableau destination. It must satisfy the same descending, alternating-color rule; the move is manual and undoable SRC-001.

The game is won when all four suited foundations reach their Kings. Emptying the stock or exposing all tableau cards is useful progress but is not, by itself, the win condition.

Draw 1 stock and waste rules

In Draw 1, selecting the stock turns one card face up onto the waste SRC-001 SRC-002. That card becomes the top waste card and may be moved if it has a legal tableau or foundation destination.

If the card is not played, the next stock action places another face-up card over it. The older card remains in the waste but is covered and unavailable. It may become available again after cards above it are played or during a later pass.

When the stock is exhausted, PlaySoli allows the waste to be recycled into a new stock. The number of passes is unlimited SRC-001 SRC-002. Unlimited does not mean that all waste cards are simultaneously available; it means the player may traverse the stock again. At any moment, only the top available waste card can move.

A simple Draw 1 example:

1. The stock turns a black 7.
2. The tableau contains a red 8, so the black 7 may move there.
3. Removing the 7 exposes the prior waste card, a 2 of hearts.
4. If the Ace of hearts is already on its foundation, the 2 of hearts may now move to that foundation.

Each action changes which card is on top. The waste should be read as a stack, not as a row of selectable cards.

Draw 3 stock and waste rules

In Draw 3, a stock action turns up to three cards onto the waste SRC-001 SRC-003. Fewer than three are turned when fewer than three remain. Only the top card of the dealt group—the top available waste card—may be played.

Suppose the next three stock cards, in turn order, are a red 6, a black Jack, and the 3 of clubs. After they are turned, the 3 of clubs is on top. The red 6 and black Jack are visible in the packet but are unavailable. If the 3 of clubs has a legal destination and is moved, the black Jack becomes the top waste card. If the Jack is then moved, the red 6 becomes available.

Playing a top card can therefore expose another card immediately. It can also alter the grouping encountered during a later pass because the waste contains fewer cards than before SRC-001 SRC-003. This access behavior is the main mechanical reason Draw 3 requires different planning.

When the stock is exhausted, PlaySoli permits another pass, and the number of passes is unlimited SRC-001 SRC-003. The same caution applies as in Draw 1: a new pass does not make every card selectable. Packet order and the top-waste restriction still govern access.

For a focused comparison, including a longer packet-order example, see Klondike Draw 1 versus Draw 3.

How sequences move

A complete face-up sequence may move as one unit when it is already arranged in legal Klondike order and its leading card has a legal destination SRC-001 SRC-002 SRC-003. The leading card is the highest card in the moved group.

Example: a tableau segment contains a red 9, black 8, red 7, and black 6, all face up in that order. If another column ends with a black 10, the entire red-9-through-black-6 sequence may move onto it. The red 9 is one rank lower than the black 10 and has the opposite color, and every pair within the moved sequence is already legal.

A player may also move a shorter suffix. In the same sequence, the red 7 and black 6 could move together onto a black 8 elsewhere. The black 6 alone could move onto a red 7. The chosen segment must start with a card that fits the destination.

A mixed or broken group cannot move together. Red 9–red 8 is illegal because the colors match. Red 9–black 7 is illegal because the rank gap is two. Face-down cards can never be included.

Turning exposed cards and finishing the game

When a tableau move removes the last face-up card above a face-down card, the newly exposed card is turned face up. It then becomes available for legal play. If a column becomes empty instead, the King-only empty-column rule applies.

A deal continues while the player chooses legal moves, turns stock cards, and recycles the stock as allowed. A position can have no useful move even though a legal cosmetic move exists, and it can have no legal move that changes access. The interface may offer restart, new deal, or undo functions, but those controls do not alter the underlying card rules described here.

Victory requires all 52 cards on the foundations. The four final cards are the four Kings. PlaySoli does not claim that every deal can be won; solvability depends on the exact deal, rules, and information model. The terminology and evidence issues are explained in the guide to winnability.

A complete worked example

Consider this simplified position:

• Column two ends with a black 10 above one hidden card.
• Column five shows a red 9–black 8–red 7 sequence.
• Column seven is empty.
• The top waste card is the King of hearts.
• The 3 of spades foundation is ready for the 4 of spades, which is exposed in column four.

Several moves are legal.

First, the red 9–black 8–red 7 sequence may move onto the black 10. The leading red 9 is one lower and opposite in color. Moving the sequence uncovers the face-down card in column five, which can then be turned face up.

Second, the King of hearts may move from the waste into the empty column. No Queen or lower card could use that lane. If a black Queen were attached beneath the King in a legal tableau sequence, the group could enter together.

Third, the 4 of spades may move to its suited foundation because the 3 of spades is already there. It could not move to a club foundation, and it could not skip over the missing 3.

The order is a strategic choice, but legality is clear. A careful player might first reveal the hidden tableau card before committing the King lane. That preference belongs to strategy; the rules merely identify all three moves as legal.

Historical rules versus PlaySoli rules

The recognizable seven-column game appears in an inspected 1907 rulebook with alternating-color tableau construction, suited foundations, King-only spaces, and group movement SRC-020. Its stock section describes three-card dealing as the main procedure and a one-card alternative with a single pass. A later inspected rulebook also describes one-card stock play ending after one pass SRC-021.

PlaySoli deliberately defines a different pass policy: Draw 1 and Draw 3 both allow unlimited stock passes SRC-001 SRC-002 SRC-003. This is not a contradiction. Klondike has long existed as a family of closely related rulesets. The correct rule depends on the stated implementation.

When explaining PlaySoli, avoid importing these external conventions unless they are explicitly enabled:

• a three-pass limit;
• a single pass in Draw 1;
• scoring deductions for recycling;
• unrestricted cards in empty columns;
• selecting any visible waste card;
• moving a broken or same-color tableau sequence.

Historical development and naming are covered separately in the history of Klondike.

Common rules mistakes

Using suit instead of color in the tableau

A black club can go on a red heart or diamond of the next higher rank. It cannot go on a black spade merely because the suits differ.

Using color instead of suit on a foundation

Foundations are stricter. The 6 of hearts needs the 5 of hearts, not any red 5.

Treating an empty column as free storage

Only a King or King-led sequence may enter. A Queen cannot be parked there temporarily.

Selecting a covered waste card

A visible card below the waste top is not available. Cards above it must be removed, or a later stock pass must expose it.

Moving an invalid group

Every adjacent pair in a moved sequence must descend by one and alternate colors. A legal leading card does not repair an illegal internal pair.

Importing a pass limit from another version

PlaySoli Draw 1 and Draw 3 both allow unlimited passes. A remembered one-pass or three-pass rule belongs to another ruleset.

Declaring victory after the tableau is open

Exposing all hidden cards is major progress, but the deal is complete only when every card reaches a suited foundation.

In brief

• One 52-card deck is dealt into seven tableau columns, with 24 cards remaining in the stock.
• Tableau builds descend by one rank and alternate red and black.
• Face-up legal sequences may move together.
• Only a King or King-led sequence may enter an empty column.
• Foundations rise by suit from Ace to King.
• Draw 1 turns one card and allows unlimited passes.
• Draw 3 turns up to three, allows only the top waste card, and also permits unlimited passes.
• The win condition is all 52 cards on the four foundations.
• Historical books may use other pass limits; PlaySoli’s implementation controls on PlaySoli.

Frequently asked questions

Can I place any card in an empty Klondike column?

No. The empty column accepts only a King or a legal face-up sequence led by a King SRC-001 SRC-002 SRC-003.

Do tableau cards build by suit or by color?

They build downward by rank while alternating colors. Suit matters on foundations, not for ordinary tableau placement.

Can I move several tableau cards at once?

Yes, when the cards form a complete face-up descending alternating-color sequence and the leading card fits the destination SRC-001 SRC-002 SRC-003.

Which waste card is playable in Draw 3?

Only the top available waste card. A card can be visible in the packet and still be blocked by one or two cards above it SRC-001 SRC-003.

How many times may I recycle the stock?

PlaySoli allows unlimited passes in both Draw 1 and Draw 3 SRC-001 SRC-002 SRC-003.

Can a foundation start with any low card?

No. Each foundation starts with an Ace and rises in exact suit order through the King.

Is every legal move a good move?

No. Legality and quality are separate questions. A move may obey the rules while reducing future options. See Klondike strategy and common Klondike mistakes.

Are these rules identical to every paper Klondike rulebook?

No. Historical and modern rulesets vary, especially in stock passes and scoring. These are the exact PlaySoli rules described by the product specification and current game pages SRC-001 SRC-002 SRC-003.

Related PlaySoli guides

• Klondike strategy — how to choose among legal moves.
• Draw 1 versus Draw 3 — the stock-access difference in detail.
• Common Klondike mistakes — symptom-based troubleshooting.
• Klondike history — early printed rules and disputed origin stories.
• How to play solitaire — orientation across the wider family.

Sources used

• SRC-001 PlaySoli implementation and editorial specification: primary source for the current rules summarized in this guide.
• SRC-002 PlaySoli Solitaire Turn 1 product page: current Draw 1 implementation summary.
• SRC-003 PlaySoli Solitaire Turn 3 product page: current Draw 3 implementation summary.
• SRC-020 Hoyle’s Games (1907), “Seven-Card Klondike”: historical comparison for tableau construction and stock procedures.
• SRC-021 The Official Rules of Card Games, Klondike section: evidence for a historical one-card, one-pass ruleset.

Material checked: 2026-07-17.

Disputed or unverified facts: None of the current PlaySoli rules above are presented as disputed. Historical Klondike books differ on stock handling, and a rule from another edition or app should not be treated as universal.

Editorial responsibility: PlaySoli Editorial Team.