Solitaire Rules and Variants: Klondike, FreeCell, and Spider Explained

When people say 'Solitaire' they usually mean Klondike, the Windows default. But Solitaire is actually a family of three distinct games - Klondike, FreeCell, and Spider - with different rules and very different skill ceilings. This guide covers all three, plus the strategy hooks that beginners miss.

Klondike: The Classic

Setup

Seven tableau columns, each starting with one face-up card on top of face-down cards. Top-left corner gets 1 card, next gets 2, etc - so the first column has 1 card, the last has 7. The remaining cards form the stock pile, with three cards drawn at a time by default.

Goal

Move all 52 cards to four foundation piles, one per suit, building from Ace up to King.

Allowed moves

• Tableau to tableau: build alternating colors downward (red on black, black on red).
• Tableau to foundation: build same-suit sequences up from Ace.
• Stock to waste: draw three cards (or one, depending on variant) from the stock to the waste pile.
• Waste to tableau or foundation: top waste card is playable like any other.

Klondike strategy hooks

1. Always play Ace and 2 of any suit to the foundation as soon as possible.
2. Empty tableau columns are valuable - leave them for King placements, do not fill them with small cards.
3. When stuck, dig through the stock pile carefully - each draw is a chance to expose more face-down cards.
4. Avoid moving face-down cards to the foundation - keep digging to maximize your unlocks.

FreeCell: Pure Strategy

Setup

All 52 cards dealt face-up into 8 tableau columns (4 columns of 7, 4 of 6). Four foundation piles, four free cells (top-left).

Goal

Move all cards to foundations, building up by suit from Ace. Same as Klondike, but the entire board is visible from the start.

What makes FreeCell different

FreeCell is the most deterministic card game ever - basically every deal is solvable. The challenge is solving it in as few moves as possible.

FreeCell strategy hooks

• Use free cells sparingly - empty cells are more valuable than most plays.
• Build long sequences before using free cells - it maximizes cell value.
• Plan 3-4 moves ahead before clicking - FreeCell punishes impulsive moves.
• When stuck, move a low card to an empty cell, not a high card - low cards become free faster.

Spider Solitaire: The Marathon

Setup

Ten tableau columns, 54 cards dealt across them. Top 4 columns get 6 cards, bottom 6 get 5. Only the top card of each column is face-up.

Goal

Remove 8 sequences of 13 cards each (King down to Ace, same suit in 4-suit Spider). Easier Spider variants use 1 or 2 suits.

Spider strategy hooks

1. Fill empty columns only with King-starting sequences - never with mid-sequence cards.
2. Expose face-down cards whenever possible, even at the cost of breaking a partial sequence.
3. Plan 10+ moves ahead - Spider rewards long-term planning over short-term plays.
4. When given the choice, sacrifice a partial run to expose more face-down cards.

Which Variant to Learn First

Start with Klondike if you have never played card games on a computer. It is forgiving, the rules are simple, and it is the most-played Solitaire variant. Move to FreeCell when Klondike feels automatic - FreeCell will reward your planning skills. Spider is the marathon - play it when you have 20+ minutes to focus.

Why Solitaire Endures

Solitaire is the single game that survived the transition from physical cards to computers to phones. Microsoft shipped it with Windows 3.0 in 1990 and never removed it. Every operating system since has included a Solitaire variant. That staying power comes from a perfect balance of luck, skill, and length - games resolve in 5-30 minutes, no two deals are the same, and the rules fit on one screen.

Open Solitaire in your browser - Klondike, draw-one or draw-three, no signup needed. If you like card strategy, Mastermind next door offers similar decision-making in a tighter format.