10 Expert Tips to Win Solitaire More Often

Think Solitaire is mostly luck? Think again. While the initial deal is random, your decisions determine whether you solve a winnable game. Studies suggest that 79-82% of Klondike Solitaire deals have at least one solution — but even experienced players only win about 30-40% of the time. The gap between what’s theoretically possible and what most people achieve comes down to strategy.

These 10 tips will help you close that gap and dramatically improve your win rate.

Tip 1: Always Prioritize Revealing Face-Down Cards

This is the single most important strategy in Klondike Solitaire. Every face-down card you reveal opens new possibilities and increases your available moves.

When choosing between two valid moves, always pick the one that flips a hidden card — even if the other move seems more productive on the surface.

Why it matters: A game with 21 hidden cards has limited options. A game with 10 hidden cards has exponentially more paths to victory. Every card you reveal brings you closer to seeing the full picture and finding the winning path.

Tip 2: Don’t Move Cards to Foundations Too Early

This is the most common mistake intermediate players make. It’s tempting to send every card to the foundation as soon as possible — but premature foundation moves can be fatal.

Safe to move early:

  • Aces (always)
  • 2s (almost always)
  • 3s (usually safe)

Be cautious with:

  • 4s, 5s, 6s (often needed as intermediate supports in the tableau)

The rule of thumb: Before moving a card to the foundation, check whether any card of the opposite color and one lower rank is still buried. If it is, the card you’re about to move might be needed in the tableau to support a sequence later.

Example: If you want to move the Red 5 to the foundation, check if any Black 4 is still face-down. If so, you might need that Red 5 on the tableau to place the Black 4 when it’s revealed.

Tip 3: Think Before Filling an Empty Column

Empty columns are one of your most valuable assets in Solitaire. Only Kings can fill them — so don’t empty a column unless you:

  1. Have a King ready to place there
  2. Know that King will help you uncover more hidden cards
  3. Have evaluated which King is the best choice

Not all Kings are equal. A King that’s blocking several face-down cards in its current column is a better candidate for an empty column than a King at the bottom of a column with no hidden cards.

Tip 4: Work the Stock Pile Strategically

Many players rush through the stock pile without a plan. Instead:

  • In Turn 1 mode: Cycle through the entire stock before making major tableau decisions. See what’s available first.
  • In Turn 3 mode: Pay attention to card positions. After cycling once, you’ll know what’s coming every third card. Use this knowledge to plan moves.
  • Always check the waste pile first before making tableau moves. Playing from the waste is “free” — it doesn’t disrupt your columns.

Tip 5: Build Evenly Across Foundations

If your Hearts foundation has 8 cards but your Spades foundation has only 2, you’ve got a problem. The high Heart foundation means any Heart card below 9 is stuck and can’t be moved in the tableau — even if it’s needed elsewhere.

Try to keep all four foundations within 2-3 cards of each other. This ensures maximum flexibility in the tableau.

Tip 6: Choose Your Kings Wisely

When multiple Kings are available, choosing the right King for an empty column can win or lose the game. Consider:

  • Which color? Place a King that lets you build the longest alternating-color sequence.
  • What’s buried? Choose the King from the column with the most hidden cards — filling the empty column with this King effectively “liberates” that column.
  • Red or Black finish? A Red King will eventually attract a Black Queen, Red Jack, etc. Think about which color sequence best matches the cards you still need to play.

Tip 7: Don’t Ignore Tableau Rearrangement

Sometimes the best move isn’t playing a new card — it’s rearranging cards already on the tableau. Moving a sequence from one column to another can:

  • Reveal a hidden card
  • Create an empty column
  • Consolidate scattered sequences
  • Free up a key card that’s been blocked

Even if a rearrangement move doesn’t directly reveal a card, it might set up a chain of moves that does.

Tip 8: Learn to Recognize Unwinnable States

Not every deal is winnable, and recognizing a losing position early saves time. Warning signs include:

  • Deeply buried Aces: If both black Aces are under 5+ face-down cards each, the game is very difficult.
  • Same-color Kings on wrong columns: If you need a Red King for an empty column but only Black Kings are available (or vice versa), you may be deadlocked.
  • No moves after first stock cycle: If cycling through the entire stock once produces zero useful plays, the deal is likely unsolvable.

When a deal is clearly unwinnable, starting fresh is smarter than struggling.

Tip 9: Use Undo to Test Moves (Without Shame)

Our unlimited undo feature exists to be used. There’s no penalty for trying a move, seeing the consequences, and rewinding if it doesn’t work out.

Experienced players use undo to:

  • Test whether a move chain leads to a dead end
  • Compare two different approaches to the same position
  • Explore whether a risky move (like emptying a column without a ready King) pays off

Undo isn’t cheating — it’s learning. Every time you undo and try a different path, you’re building strategic intuition.

Tip 10: Play the Daily Challenge

Our daily challenges offer two unique benefits:

  1. Guaranteed variety: Each day’s deal is unique, preventing you from falling into patterns.
  2. Streak motivation: Tracking your daily wins creates a positive habit loop that keeps you playing and improving.

The more games you play with deliberate strategy, the faster your intuition develops. Daily challenges are the perfect structured practice.

Putting It All Together

Here’s the priority order when making any move in Solitaire:

  1. Can I flip a face-down card? → Do it.
  2. Can I play from the waste pile? → Usually yes.
  3. Can I safely move to a foundation? → Only Aces, 2s, and cards that won’t strand anything.
  4. Can I move a King to an empty column? → Only if it reveals cards.
  5. Should I draw from the stock? → If none of the above are available.

Follow these priorities consistently and your win rate will improve dramatically.

Ready to practice? Play free Solitaire online with unlimited undo, hints, and daily challenges. For complete rules, see our How to Play Solitaire guide.