How to play Klondike Solitaire

The tableau builds down in alternating colors: a red 9 goes on a black 10. Only kings can fill empty columns. Foundations build up by suit from the ace. Win by getting all 52 cards onto the foundations.

The single biggest strategy mistake is racing cards to the foundations too early. A low card on the foundation can't be used to build in the tableau — and you'll often need that black 2 to hold a red ace's neighbor while you dig. Rule of thumb: keep foundations within two ranks of each other and don't send a card up unless both cards of the opposite color one rank below are already up or unneeded.

Prioritize uncovering face-down cards, especially in the deep right-hand columns — every face-down card is information and ammunition. Prefer moves that flip a card over moves that merely rearrange face-up cards.

Empty columns are powerful but only for kings, so don't empty a column unless you have a useful king ready. In turn 3, count the stock: which cards are reachable this pass changes every time you play a card from it, and one well-timed tableau move can unlock a whole new sequence of draws.