You have probably seen solitaire on a computer or in a deck of real cards. It is the card game you can play all by yourself. But what is it really, and how does the whole thing work? Let's break it down in simple steps.
- Solitaire is a one-player card game. You play against the deck, not another person.
- The goal is to sort every card into four piles by suit, from Ace up to King.
- Klondike is the most famous version, but there are many others like Spider and FreeCell.
- You win by planning ahead and clearing the board before you run out of moves.
The basics of solitaire
Solitaire is a card game made for one person. The name even points to that. It comes from the word "solitary," which means alone. You do not need a friend, a team, or a second player. You just need one deck of cards and a flat spot to lay them out.
Most solitaire games use a normal 52-card deck. That is the same deck you might use for Go Fish or Poker. The cards get shuffled and dealt into a set pattern. Then you start moving them around by following a few simple rules. The solitaire rules tell you which cards can move and where they can go.
People have played card games alone for hundreds of years. If you want the full story, our post on the history of solitaire covers how it grew from a paper game into the one on nearly every computer.
The goal of the game
The main goal is almost always the same. You want to build four piles of cards, one for each suit. Those suits are hearts, diamonds, clubs, and spades. Each pile starts with the Ace and goes up in order: Ace, 2, 3, and so on, all the way to the King.
These four piles are called the foundations. When all four are full, you win. That means every single card in the deck has found its right spot. It sounds easy, but the cards start out mixed up and many are hidden. Getting them in order takes some thinking.
The four parts of the table
When you deal a game of classic solitaire, the table breaks into a few key areas. Here is a quick map of what you see.
| Part | What it does |
|---|---|
| Tableau | The main play area with columns of cards. Most of your moves happen here. |
| Foundations | The four empty spots where you build each suit from Ace to King. |
| Stock | The leftover pile you draw new cards from. |
| Waste | The pile where drawn cards land face-up, ready to use. |
Knowing these names helps a lot. Once you can spot the tableau, stock, and foundations at a glance, the rest of the game makes more sense.
How a turn works
A turn in solitaire is just a move. You look at the cards you can see and pick one to move. In the tableau, you build stacks that go down in number and switch colors. So a red 6 can go on a black 7. A black 5 can go on a red 6. This back-and-forth of colors keeps the stacks legal.
When you clear the face-up cards off a column, you flip the next hidden card. That is a big deal, because hidden cards are where the surprises live. If you get stuck with no good moves, you draw from the stock to bring fresh cards into play. You keep going until you win or run out of moves.
Different kinds of solitaire
When most people say solitaire, they mean Klondike. That is the version with seven columns that came free on old computers. But it is just one of many. Each type changes the rules a little and gives you a new puzzle to solve.
- Spider: Uses two decks and asks you to build long runs of one suit.
- FreeCell: Deals every card face-up, so skill matters more than luck.
- Pyramid: You pair cards that add up to 13 to clear a pyramid shape.
- TriPeaks: A fast game where you clear three little peaks of cards.
You can find dozens more on our full list of solitaire games. Trying a few is a fun way to see which style fits you best.
Why people still love it
Solitaire has stuck around for a good reason. It is quick to learn but tricky to master. You can play one hand in a few minutes while you wait for something, or you can settle in for a long session. It gives your brain a light workout without any stress.
There is also no pressure from other players. You set the pace. You can undo a bad move, take your time, or start fresh whenever you want. That calm, do-it-yourself feel is a big part of why it never goes out of style.
So, what is solitaire?
At its heart, solitaire is a simple idea done well. It is a card game for one player where you sort a mixed-up deck into four neat piles by suit and rank. You move cards in the tableau, flip hidden ones, and pull from the stock when you get stuck. Win by clearing the whole board.
The classic Klondike game is the one most folks picture, but the same core idea powers Spider, FreeCell, and many others. Now that you know how it works, the best next step is to just play. Deal a hand, try a few moves, and let the game teach you the rest.