Solitaire Glossary

Whether you’re new to Solitaire or just encountered an unfamiliar term, this comprehensive glossary covers every word you’ll come across while playing Klondike, FreeCell, Spider, Pyramid, TriPeaks, and Yukon Solitaire.

A

Ascending order — Building cards from low to high (Ace, 2, 3… Queen, King). Foundations are built in ascending order.

Auto-complete — A feature that automatically moves cards to foundations when all remaining cards are face-up and the game is essentially won. Saves time on the final moves.

Available card — A card that is not covered by other cards and can be legally moved. In column-based games, only the top card (or top sequence) of each column is typically available.

B

Blocked — A card or situation where no legal moves can advance the game. A blocked game is one that cannot be won from the current position.

Build — To place cards on top of each other in a legal sequence. “Building down in alternating colors” means placing a red 5 on a black 6, and so on.

Build down — Placing cards in descending order (King, Queen, Jack… 3, 2, Ace). Tableau columns in most Solitaire games are built down.

Build up — Placing cards in ascending order (Ace, 2, 3… Queen, King). Foundations in most Solitaire games are built up.

C

Cascade — Another term for a tableau column, used especially in FreeCell. The eight columns of face-up cards in FreeCell are called cascades.

Cell — In FreeCell, the four temporary storage spaces in the upper-left corner. Each cell can hold one card at a time. Also called “free cells.”

Chain — In TriPeaks, a sequence of consecutive card removals without drawing from the stock. Longer chains earn higher scores.

Column — A vertical arrangement of overlapping cards in the tableau. Klondike has 7 columns, Spider has 10, and FreeCell has 8.

D

Deal — (1) The initial distribution of cards at the start of a game. (2) In Spider, one of the five stock distributions that places one card on each of the 10 columns.

Deck — A standard set of 52 playing cards (4 suits × 13 ranks). Spider Solitaire uses two decks (104 cards).

Descending order — Building cards from high to low (King, Queen, Jack… 2, Ace). Tableau sequences in most Solitaire games are built in descending order.

Discard pile — See Waste pile.

Double deck — A Solitaire game that uses two standard 52-card decks (104 cards total). Spider Solitaire is the most popular double-deck game.

Draw — To take one or more cards from the stock pile and place them on the waste pile. “Draw 1” means taking one card at a time; “Draw 3” means taking three.

E

Empty column — A tableau column with no cards in it. Empty columns are extremely valuable in games like Spider and FreeCell because they provide flexible temporary storage.

F

Face-down card — A card placed with its back showing, hiding its identity. In Klondike, most tableau cards start face-down and are revealed as the cards above them are removed.

Face-up card — A card placed with its value showing. All playable cards must be face-up.

Foundation — One of four (or eight, in double-deck games) designated piles where cards are built up by suit from Ace to King. Moving all cards to the foundations wins the game in most Solitaire variants.

Free cell — A temporary holding space in FreeCell that can store one card. The four free cells give FreeCell its name and are the key strategic resource.

G

Game number — A unique identifier for a specific card deal. The same game number always produces the same card arrangement, allowing players to replay specific deals or compare solutions.

Gridlock — A game state where no productive moves are available and the game cannot be won. Also called a “deadlock.”

H

Hand — A single game from deal to completion (or loss). “Playing a hand” means playing one game of Solitaire.

Hidden card — See Face-down card.

K

King space — An empty tableau column in games where only Kings can be placed on empty columns (e.g., Klondike). In FreeCell and Spider, any card can fill an empty column.

M

Mixed sequence — A sequence of cards in correct rank order but varying suits. In Spider, mixed sequences cannot be moved as a unit. Also called “off-suit sequence.”

Move — Transferring one or more cards from one location to another. Each distinct card transfer counts as one move for scoring purposes.

O

Off-suit — Cards of different suits. An “off-suit build” means placing cards regardless of suit (common in Spider’s stacking rules).

P

Pack — See Deck.

Pair — In Pyramid Solitaire, two exposed cards whose ranks add up to 13. Pairs are removed from the pyramid together.

Pass — One complete cycle through the stock pile. Some games allow unlimited passes; others limit you to 1-3 passes.

Patience — The European name for Solitaire. Still the primary term in the UK, France, Germany, and most of continental Europe.

Peak — In TriPeaks, one of the three triangular card structures that form the tableau. Each peak has one card at its apex.

Pile — Any stack or group of cards in a specific location. “Foundation pile,” “stock pile,” “waste pile,” and “tableau pile” are common terms.

Pyramid — In Pyramid Solitaire, the 28-card triangular arrangement that forms the main playing area. Cards in the pyramid can only be removed when they are fully exposed (not covered by cards in the row below).

R

Rank — The numerical value of a card: Ace (1), 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack (11), Queen (12), King (13).

Redeal — Picking up the waste pile and turning it back into a stock pile. Some games allow limited redeals; others allow unlimited redeals.

Run — A sequence of cards in consecutive rank order. A “suited run” is all the same suit; a “mixed run” contains multiple suits.

S

Sequence — See Run.

Single deck — A Solitaire game using one standard 52-card deck. Klondike, FreeCell, Pyramid, TriPeaks, and Yukon are all single-deck games.

Stock — The face-down pile of remaining cards from which you draw during the game. Also called the “draw pile” or “talon.”

Suit — One of four card categories: Spades (♠), Hearts (♥), Diamonds (♦), Clubs (♣). Spades and Clubs are black; Hearts and Diamonds are red.

Suited sequence — A sequence of cards in consecutive rank order of the same suit. In Spider Solitaire, only suited sequences can be moved as a group.

Supermove — In FreeCell, moving multiple cards as a group using empty cells and columns as intermediary storage. The number of cards you can supermove depends on available empty spaces.

T

Tableau — The main playing area of a Solitaire game, consisting of columns of cards. Most game actions (building, uncovering, rearranging) happen in the tableau.

Talon — See Stock.

Turn — (1) To flip a card from face-down to face-up. (2) To draw from the stock pile. “Turn 1” and “Turn 3” refer to how many cards you draw at a time.

U

Undo — Reversing one or more moves to return to a previous game state. Most digital Solitaire games offer unlimited undo.

Unwinnable — A game state or deal that cannot be won regardless of the moves made. Some deals are unwinnable from the start; others become unwinnable through poor play.

V

Vegas scoring — A scoring system that simulates casino-style play. You “buy” each game for a set amount and earn money for each card placed on a foundation.

W

Waste pile — The face-up pile where stock cards are placed after being drawn. Only the top card of the waste pile can be played. Also called the “discard pile.”

Win rate — The percentage of games won out of games played. A useful metric for tracking improvement over time.

Wrap-around — In some Solitaire variants, the ability to connect a King to an Ace as adjacent ranks (forming a circular sequence). TriPeaks allows wrap-around; most other variants do not.

Now that you know the vocabulary, play Solitaire online and put these terms into practice.