How to play Klondike (3 Card) Solitaire?

Goal of Klondike (3 Card) Solitaire

The goal of Klondike (3 Card) Solitaire is to place all the cards in the deck, ordered Ace through King, in 4 piles with matching suits. The game is won when all the cards are in the correct pile in the foundation.

Klondike (3 Card) Solitaire gameplay

There are two main rules: the rule for placing cards in the foundation and the rule for placing cards in the tableau.

The rule for placing cards in the foundation requires that the card is an Ace and the pile is empty, or the card is the same suit as the pile it is being placed on and the card value is one greater than the top card in the pile.

The rule for placing cards in the tableau requires that the column is empty and the card placed is a King, or the card is one less value and opposite color of the end card in the column.

Cards that are in descending order and opposite color can be moved together within the tableau. For example, if the 8 of Clubs, 7 of Hearts, 6 of Spades, and 5 of Diamonds are all in a column, and the 9 of Diamonds is the end card of another column, the 8,7,6,5 cards can be placed on the 9 of Diamonds all together.

The cards in the deck are dealt into the discard by three cards at a time. The top card is the only card in the discard that is playable onto the Tableau or the Foundation.

You can move cards from the deck to the discard, discard to the tableau or foundation, from a column in the tableau to another column in the tableau, from the tableau to the foundation, or from the foundation back to the tableau.

Klondike Solitaire variations

There are rules that make the game easier, such as allowing moves from the foundation back to the tableau, or allowing unlimited recycles of the discard back into the deck. Fun Solitaire's Klondike Solitaire games allow these rules so that the game is easier.

Fun Solitaire has both Klondike (1 Card) Solitaire and Klondike (3 Card) Solitaire. These games differ by the number of cards that are dealt from the deck to the discard at a time. Klondike (3 Card) deals three cards at a time and Klondike (1 Card) deals 1 card at a time. In general, Klondike (1 Card) is easier.

Klondike Solitaire terms

Tableau

In Klondike Solitaire, the tableau has 7 columns made up of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 cards.

Possible Klondike Solitaire tableau formations

The cards in the tableau can move from column to column and potentially leaving empty columns. Only a King can be placed in an empty column.

Foundation

The foundation has four piles. Each pile is for a different suit. Each pile is placed Ace through King.

Discard

The discard is where the cards are dealt from the deck, three at a time. Only the top card in the discard is available to play. The cards in the discard are face-up.

Deck

The deck is made up of cards that are face-down and they are dealt three at a time into the discard.