How is solitaire scored?

There's no single solitaire score - the number you chase depends on which scoring system you turn on. Here are the two that matter.

Quick answer: It depends on the mode. Standard scoring rewards cards moved to the foundations plus a speed bonus, so faster, tidier solves score higher. Vegas scoring is a cash game: you "buy" the deck for $52 and earn $5 per card banked, so your score can go negative. Leaderboards rank by finish time.

Standard scoring

Standard scoring awards points for constructive moves - especially sending cards to the foundations - and adds a speed bonus on a win, so a fast, efficient solve beats a slow, sprawling one. It's the default, and it's the score shown while you play most games.

Vegas scoring

Vegas treats a deal like a bet. You buy the deck for $52 up front, then earn $5 for every card you get onto a foundation. Clear everything and you're up $208; stall early and you finish in the red. It's available for Klondike in the settings, and unlike Standard it has no time bonus - it's purely about how many cards you bank. You can switch modes in the game's settings panel.

What the leaderboard ranks

The leaderboard ranks completed games by finish time, with ties broken toward fewer moves - so it rewards both speed and efficiency. That's separate from your in-game Standard or Vegas score, which is a per-game measure.

See the leaderboard

Related questions

What is the Daily Challenge?

The daily challenge is a single seeded deal that every player in the world gets on a given day, generated from the date. Win it and your time is ranked against everyone else who cracked the same deal. Miss a day and that deal is gone, which is what makes a streak worth protecting.

What percentage of solitaire games are winnable?

It varies enormously by variant. About 99.999% of FreeCell deals are winnable with perfect play, roughly 80% of Klondike Turn 1 deals, around 80% of Yukon deals, and only about 20% of strict-rules Pyramid deals. Real win rates are much lower than these theoretical ceilings.

Is it cheating to use undo or hints?

No. Undo and hints are learning tools, not cheating - they let you explore lines of play and understand why a deal is won or lost. If you want a pure test, play without them, but nothing stops you using them casually. Leaderboard times naturally reward players who solve cleanly and quickly.