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How to Play Solitaire – Step-by-Step Guide

People have started taking an interest in the classic games. Staying indoors and enjoying games has become their preference. Solitaire game is very simple to play. Still, most beginners do not know what the rules of the game are and how to play Solitaire. Solitaire is one of the most classic games. Our elders played it a lot. People these days are also interested in it. So, they want to know how to play it. That’s what will be elaborated here in this article. You’re going to learn this game in a simple step-by-step guide. Let’s get into it.

Solitaire is an old classic type of card game that was initiated by Germans, and it became really popular in 1788. People have evolved it in multiple versions according to their preferences. The standard Solitaire game is dependent on a deck of 52 cards that excludes Jokers. It’s a single-player game and you can play it alone.

Let’s try to comprehend some of the terminologies of this game.

  • The playing area, such as the table where you are going to arrange the cards, is called the tableau.
  • Four piles of cards from each suit running from ace to king on the tableau are called foundation piles.
  • The cards other than the cards used to make tableau are called stockpiles.
  • The cards that are not involved in legal moves of the game are also known as stockpiles.
  • The cards other than stockpile are talon or waste pile.

Before diving into the game directly, you should know all the rules that how to play Solitaire properly so that you can win more often. All variations of Solitaire follow these basic rules. Let’s have a look at these rules as follows.

  1. Cards must be arranged in alternative colors, such as if the above-arranged card is in the color Black, the other one should be in Red.
  2. You cannot move cards from multiple piles at a time. Users can also switch between the piles.
  3. Moving them frees up the face-down card.
  4. The foundation pile must have cards that match a specific suit, and the cards must be arranged in ascending order.
  5. When you move a whole column to a new position, it will empty the tableau.
  6. If you are out of your moves, then you can go for the stockpile, and if stockpiles are not helpful, then they will go to the waste piles.
  7. Three cards can be turned at a time and passed via deck to the waste.
  8. Players can turn a card at once through the deck to the waste with three passes.
  9. With a single pass through the deck, you can turn one card.
  10. You have to move all the cards from the tableau and piles to the foundation pile.
  1. All the face-up cards must be in 1st pile.
  2. All the face-down cards must be in the 6th pile.
  3. Place a face-up card in 2nd pile.
  4. Place face-down cards in all the next 5 piles.
  5. Place a face-up card followed by the 4 face-down cards on the 3rd pile.
  6. The 7th pile should contain 6 cards with one face-up and one face-down card.
  7. Put the remaining cards facing down on the left corner of the tableau.

If you want to know how to play Solitaire traditionally then you must need a standard deck with 52 cards. You would not need wild cards and jokers in it. Get a table to arrange cards and foundation piles and start the game.

How to play Solitaire
  • Notice the face-up cards on your tableau, and to build your foundation, place your aces over the 7 piles.
How to play Solitaire
  • You can move your face-up cards and rearrange them if you do not have any aces.
  • Place a card under your card that is of alternative color and has less value than the card over it.
How to play Solitaire
  • Do not stop to pile up the cards to make your foundation until you are out of your move.
  • Make sure that you are arranging them in descending order of king to ace.
  • Every pile should have a face-up card so that you can see it.
How to play Solitaire
  • All the 7 piles should start with different aces.
  • Use the stockpile if you are out of moves, and then move it to the waste pile.
How to play Solitaire
  • If you are making a new column, then make sure to start with the king.
  • Try to move aces to the foundation pile as soon as possible.
How to play Solitaire
  • Do not rush to create empty spaces on the tableau if you do not have a king to place on the free space.
  • Placing king on empty space will let you reveal more cards with fewer moves.
How to play Solitaire
  • Move more cards from the columns that are with more hidden cards.

Playing Solitaire game comes with a bunch of benefits. Some of the major ones are discussed below:

  • It gives you relaxation as you try to finish the game.
  • It is a good way to connect with your friends during your playtime.
  • Playing this game improves your memory to a great extent. That is because you need a lot of concentration while playing it.
  • When you win this game, it gives you a sense of accomplishment. This feeling is good for doing other tasks in your life with more focus.
  • It also improves your sense of strategic thinking.

You can play this game with the below methods.

The second method of playing this game is on online platforms. There are many websites available that have this game. Just access them via a search engine and start playing. However, you’ve to make sure to choose a safe site to do that. You can also play Google Solitaire for a better online experience.

The first method of playing this game is with the help of physical cards. You can simply purchase a deck of cards and start playing it.

Wrapping Up

The core secret of how to play Solitaire and win this game is how you arrange the decks on the tableau and how you rearrange face-up cards to see the face-down cards to make your foundation pile. The rules of this game may sound difficult. But they become easy to understand when you practice.
The beauty of this game is that it comes with some benefits. These benefits are related to increasing your memory and strategic skills. Besides this, you can play this game both physically and on online platforms. We have discussed all of this data in the information given above. 

Is there only one type of Solitaire game?

No. Solitaire game is versatile. There are different versions of it. All of these versions have a different set of rules. Some of these versions are Klondike, FreeCall, and Spider.

Does every game of Solitaire lead to a victory?

No. It’s not possible. That is because some of the games are going to be unsolvable. It happens due to the shuffling of cards.

How to get better at playing this card game?

You can do it by practicing. It’s recommended to give some time to this game. You will gradually get better at it.

Can I play this game online?

Yes. You can play this game online also. There are several websites that you can utilize for this certain purpose.

Is this game any good for kids?

Indeed. This game is very good for kids. It can be a little hard to learn, however. But this can improve their memory.

Can I play this card game with my friends?

Not really. This game isn’t designed to be played with other people. You have to play it individually.

Faisal Iqball

Faisal Saim is professional writer and content strategist with over 03 years of experience in the industry. specializes in creating engaging and informative content for businesses and individuals across a variety of niches, from Technology and Travelling to Health and finance. Saim writing has been published on numerous platforms.

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