Welcome to the most popular card game in the world. Klondike Solitaire turn one, also known as Patience or simply Solitaire, has been a beloved pastime since the late 19th century and was famously included in Windows 3.0. If you enjoy comparing different versions, you can also play turn-one Klondike at Online Card Games.
Klondike is played with a standard 52-card deck. The goal is to build four foundation piles, one for each suit, from Ace (lowest) to King (highest).
Seven columns of cards are dealt in a triangular pattern. The first column has 1 card, the second has 2, and so on up to 7 cards. Only the top card of each column is face-up. Build tableau columns in descending order with alternating colors (red on black, black on red).
Remaining cards form the stock pile. In Turn One, you draw one card at a time to the waste pile. You can play the top waste card to tableau columns or directly to foundations. When the stock is empty, click to recycle the waste.
Build each of the four foundations from Ace to King, sorted by suit. Move cards to foundations by double-clicking or dragging. A foundation pile is complete when it contains all 13 cards of its suit, ending with the King.
You can move any face-up card or properly-sequenced stack to another column if the bottom card fits the sequence. Only Kings (or stacks starting with a King) can fill empty columns.
Klondike Solitaire comes in several variants based on how cards are drawn from the stock:
This version plays Turn One with unlimited passes through the deck, giving you the best chance at victory while maintaining the classic challenge. If you want a dedicated draw-1 focused table, try this Classic Klondike draw-1 game.
My scoring follows the classic Microsoft Windows Solitaire system:
| Action | Points |
|---|---|
| Move card to Foundation | +10 |
| Move from Waste to Tableau | +5 |
| Turn over hidden Tableau card | +5 |
| Move from Foundation back to Tableau | -15 |
Pro tip: Moving cards from Waste → Tableau → Foundation scores 15 points total (5+10), compared to 10 points for Waste → Foundation directly.
The name "Klondike" first appeared in the 1907 edition of Hoyle's Games, possibly referencing the famous Klondike Gold Rush of the late 1890s. In the United States and Canada, it became so dominant that "Solitaire" alone typically means Klondike. In the UK, it's often called "Patience" or "American Patience."
Microsoft's inclusion of Solitaire in Windows 3.0 (1990) transformed it from a card-table pastime into a global phenomenon. Originally designed to teach users how to use a mouse through drag-and-drop, it became, according to Microsoft officials in 1994, "the most-used application for Windows."
Mathematician Persi Diaconis called calculating Klondike's exact win probability "one of the embarrassments of applied probability." Research suggests:
Not all games are solvable. Card distribution, King placement, and Ace accessibility all affect whether a particular deal can be won.
Dive deeper into the world of Klondike with my comprehensive guides on strategy, history, and the science of the game.
