What is Klondike solitaire?
When someone says 'solitaire,' they almost always mean Klondike. It's the game on countless office computers, and the template the whole genre is measured against.
How Klondike is played
You deal 28 cards into seven tableau columns, one to seven cards, top card face up, with 24 cards left as the stock. Build columns down in alternating colors, send Aces to the four foundations, and build each foundation up in suit to the King. Draw from the stock to keep the game moving. Play Klondike here or see the rules hub for the illustrated version.
Turn 1 vs. Turn 3
The main setting is how many cards you draw from the stock. Turn 1 flips one card at a time and is the friendlier mode, with roughly 80% of deals theoretically winnable. Turn 3 flips three and hides two, adding difficulty. The full trade-off is covered in Turn 1 vs. Turn 3 and our strategy article.
Why it became the default
Microsoft shipped Klondike as 'Solitaire' with Windows 3.0 in 1990, partly to teach nervous users how to drag a mouse. It became a cultural fixture, which is why for hundreds of millions of people the words solitaire and Klondike mean the same thing. The history of solitaire tells the whole story.
Related questions
How do you play solitaire?
In the classic Klondike game, you deal seven tableau columns and build them down in alternating colors, while moving Aces up to four foundation piles and building each foundation up by suit to the King. Draw from the stock to find cards you need. Clear all 52 cards to the foundations to win.
What is the difference between Turn 1 and Turn 3?
The difference is how many cards you draw from the Klondike stock. Turn 1 flips a single card each draw, so every stock card is reachable and about 80% of deals are theoretically winnable. Turn 3 flips three at once and only the top is playable, hiding cards and cutting your win rate.
Why is it called solitaire?
The word solitaire comes from the French solitaire, meaning solitary or alone, because these are games played by a single person. In Britain and much of Europe the same games are called patience, after the calm persistence they require. Both names describe the same family of one-player card games.