Klondike Solitaire: five habits that win more games
Most lost games are lost early, to a card left face down too long.
Klondike is the Solitaire most people know: seven columns, a stock to draw from, and four foundations to build from ace to king. These five habits will win you more deals.
- Turn over face-down cards first. When you have a choice, make the move that uncovers a hidden card, and favor the column with the most hidden cards.
- Save empty columns for kings. Only a king can go into an empty column. Don’t empty one unless a king is ready to move in.
- Send aces and twos up at once. Higher cards can wait. A 5 left on the table may be the only place for a red 4 later.
- Choose between twins. When two cards could make the same move, such as two black 7s, pick the one whose move frees more.
- Use the stock with a plan. Check what the stock can give you before you rearrange the columns.
Draw 1 or Draw 3?
In Draw 1 you turn one card at a time from the stock and can reach every card. In Draw 3 you turn three and can play only the top one, so some cards stay out of reach until the order shifts. Draw 1 wins far more often. Draw 3 is the classic challenge, and the app also has Draw 2 in between.