Tips for Winning Solitaire

Winning at Solitaire requires more than knowing the rules — it takes specific, repeatable habits that put you in the best position to win. This guide focuses on practical, immediately applicable tips rather than broad strategy theory.

Tip 1: Scan Before You Move

Before making your first move, take 5–10 seconds to survey the full tableau:

• Where are the Aces? Move them to foundations immediately.
• Which columns have the most face-down cards? These need attention first.
• Are there any obvious multi-move sequences (e.g., a red 5 available on one column and a black 6 exposed on another)?
• Do any Kings have empty columns available?

This initial scan prevents the most common opening mistake: making the first legal move you spot instead of the best one.

Tip 2: Reveal Face-Down Cards at Every Opportunity

Every time you choose between two moves, ask: “Which one reveals a hidden card?”

If Move A rearranges two face-up cards and Move B exposes a face-down card, Move B is almost always better. The newly revealed card could unlock an entire chain of productive moves.

Bonus: Prioritize columns with more face-down cards. Uncovering a card in a column with 5 hidden cards has more potential upside than uncovering one in a column with 1 hidden card.

Tip 3: Move Aces and 2s Up Immediately

Aces serve no purpose in the tableau. They can’t host any card in a building sequence — move them to foundations the moment they appear.

2s are almost always safe to move up too, since only Aces sit below them, and Aces should already be on foundations.

For cards ranked 3 and above, pause before moving them to foundations. Ask: “Could this card be useful in the tableau?” A red 4 on the foundation can’t host a black 3 — and that missing build target could stall your game.

Tip 4: Choose Which King Fills an Empty Column

When a tableau column opens up, only a King can fill it. But not all Kings are equal:

• Best: A King that, when moved, exposes face-down cards in its original column.
• Good: A King with a ready-made sequence of cards already built on it.
• Avoid: A King sitting alone on top of an empty or nearly empty column (this wastes the empty space without accomplishing much).

If no King move is clearly advantageous, consider leaving the column empty temporarily. An empty column is a powerful workspace.

Tip 5: Build on Columns with Hidden Cards

When you have a choice of where to build, prefer columns that still have face-down cards. Building there moves you closer to uncovering those hidden cards.

Example: You have a black 7 that could go on a red 8 in column 2 (fully face-up) or a red 8 in column 5 (with 3 face-down cards below). Choose column 5 — the black 7 moves you toward uncovering hidden potential.

Tip 6: Don’t Empty a Column Without a Plan

Empty columns are valuable, but emptying a column just to empty it isn’t helpful unless you have a King (or a strategic temporary storage need) ready to use the space.

Good reasons to empty a column:

• A King with a useful sequence can be placed there
• You need temporary storage to rearrange other columns
• The empty space unlocks a chain of moves that reveals hidden cards

Bad reason to empty a column:

• “It looks cleaner” — aesthetics don’t win games

Tip 7: Think Two Moves Ahead

Before each move, mentally trace the next step:

1. “If I move this card here, what’s exposed?”
2. “Can I use the exposed card? Where does it go?”
3. “Does this leave me in a better position overall?”

This simple habit catches the majority of avoidable dead ends. You don’t need to plan 10 moves ahead — just two or three makes a major difference.

Tip 8: Manage the Stock Efficiently

In Draw-1 Mode

• Exhaust all productive tableau moves before drawing.
• When you draw, play the stock card if it uncovers a face-down card or builds a useful sequence.
• Keep track of which cards you’ve seen — this helps you know what’s left.

In Draw-3 Mode

• Only every third card is directly accessible per pass.
• The order of your tableau moves matters — playing a card from the waste shifts which stock cards become accessible next.
• Plan multiple stock draws ahead: “If I play this card now, what becomes accessible on the next draw?”
• Expect to cycle through the stock 2–3 times minimum.

Tip 9: Balance Foundation Progress

Try to keep your four foundation piles within 2 ranks of each other. If Hearts is on 7 and Clubs is on 2, you’re likely blocking useful mid-rank Clubs cards in the tableau.

Even foundations mean:

• Fewer cards “trapped” on foundations that the tableau needs.
• More flexibility for building sequences.
• Lower risk of premature foundation deadlocks.

Tip 10: Know When a Game Is Lost

Not every game is winnable (~18% are mathematically impossible). Recognizing a lost game saves time and frustration.

Signs a game is probably lost:

• You’ve cycled through the entire stock with no playable cards.
• Key cards (Aces, 2s) are buried under large stacks with no way to reach them.
• Multiple columns are blocked by high cards with no empty columns or Kings to help.
• You’ve been going through the motions for several passes with zero progress.

There’s no shame in starting a new game. Even expert players abandon 60%+ of games.

Tip 11: Use Undo Wisely (Digital)

If you’re playing digitally and undo is available, use it as a learning tool, not a crutch:

• Try a move, see the outcome, then undo and try an alternative.
• Compare which move leads to a better position.
• Over time, this builds intuition that applies even without undo.

For competitive or scored play, challenge yourself to play without undo — it forces more careful initial decisions.

Tip 12: Play Fewer Games, Play Them Better

Many players speed through game after game, making snap decisions. A more effective approach:

1. Slow down — take 2–3 seconds per move decision.
2. Finish games — don’t abandon at the first sign of trouble.
3. Review losses — think about where things went wrong.
4. Apply lessons — bring insights from lost games into the next one.

Quality of play matters more than quantity. Five thoughtful games teach you more than twenty rapid ones.

Quick Reference: The 12 Tips

For deeper strategic frameworks, see our Solitaire Strategy guide. And for a list of mistakes to actively avoid, check out Common Solitaire Mistakes.