You’ve opened the game, seen seven messy piles of cards, and thought, “Cool… now what?” Grab a cup of coffee—I’ll teach you Klondike (the classic Windows Solitaire) in five friendly steps. By the end, you’ll know exactly what to do, why to do it, and how to spot those sneaky winning moves.
Seven columns (piles) across the table
Column 1 has 1 face‑up card.
Column 2 has 1 face‑down + 1 face‑up.
Continue until Column 7 stacks 7 cards tall, top one face‑up.
Leftover deck—that face‑down stack in the corner is your stock (draw pile).
Four empty parking spots at the top are the foundations (one for each suit: ♥♠♦♣).
Your mission is to move every card into those four suit piles, building upward from Ace → 2 → 3 … → King.
Building in the columns
Cards must go down in rank and alternate colors.
Example: red 7♥ can drop on black 8♣, but not on red 8♦.
Building the foundations
Cards climb upward by suit only. Ace first, then that suit’s 2, 3, etc.—no color mixing here.
Everything else is just smart card‑shuffling around those two truths.
A. Scan the tableau (columns) for legal drops
Can you move a face‑up card onto a higher, opposite‑color card? Do it.
Whenever you move a top card off a pile, flip the face‑down card beneath—it’s now in play.
B. Shift any Aces to the foundations
Aces open the suit piles. As soon as one shows, send it home.
Moments later, look out for that suit’s 2, 3, and so on.
C. Draw from the stock when you’re stuck
Flip one card (easy mode) or three at a time (classic hard‑mode).
Play any that fit on columns or foundations. Unplayable cards sit in a waste pile; you’ll see them again after cycling through the stock.
D. Mind the empty column rule
Only a King (alone or towing a legal sequence) can occupy a blank column. Never clear a pile unless a King is waiting in the wings.
Repeat A → D until:
Victory! All 52 cards sit neatly in the four foundations, or
No moves left and the stock pile offers nothing new.
Flip hidden cards ASAP – More face‑up info = more possible moves.
Don’t race low cards to the foundations – A red 2♥ might help unlock a buried black 3♣ later. Hold off if it keeps the tableau flexible.
Love your Kings & empty spaces – Empty columns are premium real estate for rearranging stacks.
Plan two moves ahead – Before dragging a card, peek at what it frees up. If nothing helpful appears, rethink the move.
Use “Undo” shamelessly – It’s study, not cheating. Exploring alternatives teaches pattern recognition.
Draw‑1: Flip one card from stock—higher win rate; great for beginners.
Draw‑3: Flip three at once, can only play the top—classic desktop challenge.
Vegas Mode: Every stock pass “costs” cash, every foundation card earns it back. Can you finish in the black?
Open any solitaire app (or grab a real deck), deal those seven columns, and put these steps into action. Your first few wins might feel lucky—then suddenly you’ll realize you’re thinking ahead and those victories are no fluke.
Happy flipping, future Klondike pro! 🃏