How to Beat Solitaire

There are many forms of solitaire (card games for one person). Klondike solitaire is the one commonly known simply as solitaire. Other popular versions include freecell and spider solitaire. The object of the game is to put all the cards in order by suit, from ace to king. It's not possible to beat every game of solitaire, but there are some tips for improving your strategy and raising your win percentage.

Decide whether to go through the deck three cards at a time or one card at a time. One card at a time creates an easier game, but you may find the lack of challenge too boring. Try varying the difficulty by going through the deck one card at a time but limiting yourself to one or two passes, or by imposing a time limit.

Always put the aces and twos up as soon as they appear. For higher-numbered cards, leave cards free until you know you won't need them to bring another card out. For example, don't put the three of spades on the ace until you have put both red aces up, because you might need a black three to hold one of the red twos.

Expose the most hidden cards possible. Move cards from larger piles and flip those hidden cards over before you move cards from smaller piles. You can always form empty spaces for the kings later but those kings won't do you any good if you can't get the rest of your cards out.

Choose your kings wisely. If you can play a black king or a red king, see what color queens and jacks you have available. Don't play a black king if you have a black queen or a red jack waiting to be played. In addition, don't fill empty spaces with kings right away; wait and see if you have other kings that would be more profitable to move first.

When you think you can't make any more moves, put as many cards on the aces as you can. This can be a risky move and seemingly contradicts our advice in Step 2. However, putting everything you can on the aces can open up some extra moves you may not have noticed and can give you a chance to win before you give up.