Question 1

Is every game of Klondike Solitaire winnable?

Accepted Answer

No. Around 82% of Klondike deals are solvable with perfect play and full knowledge of the face-down cards. In normal play, without that knowledge, typical win rates are closer to 33% for Turn 1. This site runs a solver on each deal and tells you whether yours was winnable — and says "hard deal" rather than "unwinnable" when the solver simply ran out of time, because those are different things.

Question 2

What is the difference between Turn 1 and Turn 3 Klondike?

Accepted Answer

Turn 1 flips one card from the stock at a time, so every card is reachable. Turn 3 flips three and only the top one is playable, which buries two thirds of the stock and makes the game far harder — real win rates drop from about 33% to about 11%.

Question 3

What can go in an empty column in Klondike?

Accepted Answer

Only a King, or a correctly-built run starting with a King. This is the rule people forget most often, and it is why emptying a column with no King available can leave you worse off than before.

Question 4

Can I move a card back off a foundation?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Taking a card back down from a foundation into the tableau is legal in Klondike and is occasionally the only way to unblock a column. It rarely helps, but the option is there.

Question 5

Do I have to move a card to a foundation as soon as I can?

Accepted Answer

No, and you often should not. A card on a foundation cannot be built on, so sending a seven up early can strand the six that needed it. This site only auto-plays cards that are provably safe — where nothing left in play could still want them.

Question 6

How do I win Klondike more often?

Accepted Answer

Prioritise moves that turn a face-down card over; every one adds information. Do not empty the stock early. Prefer the tableau move that exposes a new card over the one that only tidies. And be careful about clearing a column when you have no King to fill it.

Question 7

Is Klondike Solitaire free to play here?

Accepted Answer

Yes — completely free, with no account, no download and no advertising. Your settings and statistics stay in your own browser.

Question 8

Can I replay the same deal?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Every game has a deal number shown in the bottom-right corner. The same number always deals the same game, so you can replay it, share it, or send it to us in a bug report.

Question 9

Is Klondike Solitaire free to play?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Klondike Solitaire is completely free here — free to play, nothing to install, and nothing that interrupts a game halfway through.

Question 10

Do I need to download anything to play Klondike?

Accepted Answer

No. It runs entirely in your browser. There is nothing to install and no app to update.

Question 11

Can I play Klondike on a phone or tablet?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The layout adapts to the screen, cards can be dragged or tapped, and the whole game works on touch. It is the same site, not a cut-down version.

Question 12

Do I need an account to play Klondike?

Accepted Answer

No. Open a game and play — there is nothing to register for. Your settings, statistics and bookmarks are kept in your own browser.

Question 13

Can I undo a move?

Accepted Answer

Yes, as many times as you like, with the Undo button or Ctrl+Z (Cmd+Z on a Mac). There is no penalty and no limit.

Question 14

Does Klondike work offline?

Accepted Answer

Once the page has loaded, the game itself runs entirely in your browser and does not need the network. Reloading the page does require a connection.

Question 15

Is there a timer, and can I turn it off?

Accepted Answer

There is a timer and a move counter in the bar at the bottom. Both can be hidden from Settings if you would rather play without them.

Question 16

Can I change how the cards look?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Settings offers five table colours, six card backs, and a four-colour deck where each suit gets its own colour — which many colour-blind players find much easier to read.

Question 17

Are there keyboard shortcuts?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The Hotkeys button in the top bar lists them all. Every action has both a keyboard route and a mouse route; the keyboard is never the only way to do something.

Question 18

Is there anything I have to sign up for?

Accepted Answer

No. You can open any game and start playing immediately — there is no sign-up step and no paywall. Settings and statistics are kept in your own browser rather than on a server.

Question 19

What happens if I close the tab mid-game?

Accepted Answer

The game is not saved, so closing the tab ends it. If you want to come back to the same deal, note the deal number first — it will deal exactly the same game.

Question 20

What are the rules of Klondike Solitaire?

Accepted Answer

Build four foundations up from Ace to King, one per suit. In the seven tableau columns, build downward in alternating colours. Only a King can start an empty column. Turn cards from the stock when you run out of moves.

Question 21

How many cards are dealt in Klondike?

Accepted Answer

Twenty-eight to the tableau — one card in the first column, two in the second, up to seven in the seventh, with only the last of each face up. The remaining twenty-four form the stock.

Question 22

What does 'Turn 1' mean in solitaire?

Accepted Answer

It means one card is turned from the stock at a time, so every card in the deck can be reached. Turn 3 turns three at once and only the top is playable, which is much harder.

Question 23

How many times can I go through the stock?

Accepted Answer

As many times as you like here — redeals are unlimited. Some versions limit you to three passes, which makes the game considerably harder.

Question 24

What is a good Klondike win rate?

Accepted Answer

About 33% is typical for Turn 1 with normal play. Strong players do better, but no one wins them all: around 18% of deals cannot be won at all.

Question 25

Why does the game say 'winnable deal'?

Accepted Answer

Because a solver ran in the background and actually found a winning line for your deal. When it says 'hard deal' it means the solver ran out of time — which is not the same as unwinnable, and the site deliberately does not claim otherwise.

Question 26

What is the fastest way to win at Klondike?

Accepted Answer

Get Aces and twos out immediately, then prioritise every move that turns a face-down card over. Work the largest columns first, since they hide the most, and do not send cards to foundations early if a tableau card might still need them.

Question 27

Should I always draw from the stock first?

Accepted Answer

No. Take the tableau moves that turn cards over first. Drawing changes nothing on the table, and the information you get from flipping a card is usually worth more.

Question 28

What is scoring in Klondike based on?

Accepted Answer

Standard scoring: points for moving a card to a foundation, for turning a tableau card face up, and for playing a card from the waste. The score is shown live in the bottom bar.

Question 29

Is Klondike the same as Patience?

Accepted Answer

Broadly, yes. 'Patience' is the older British name for single-player card games generally, and 'Solitaire' the American one. Both usually mean Klondike specifically.