Solitaire Setup
How to Set Up Solitaire with a Deck of Cards
How to set up solitaire: deal 28 cards into seven columns of 1 to 7 cards, turn the top card of each face up and keep the other 24 as the stock. Clear, simple steps.
To set up classic solitaire (Klondike), shuffle a 52-card deck without jokers and deal seven columns from left to right: the first column gets 1 card, the second 2, and so on up to 7 cards in the last. Only the top card of each column is face up. The remaining 24 cards become the face-down stock, and above the columns you leave room for four foundation piles, one per suit.
Step-by-step solitaire setup
- Remove the jokers and shuffle the 52 cards well.
- Deal one card face up in the first position, then one face-down card in each of the six positions to its right.
- Go back to the second column: deal one card face up on it, then one face-down card on each column to its right.
- Repeat, starting one column further right each time, until the seventh column has its face-up card.
- Check the layout: columns of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 cards, 28 cards in total, each topped by a face-up card.
- Put the remaining 24 cards face down as the stock. Leave room next to it for the waste pile and above the columns for four foundations.
How many rows and columns are in solitaire?
Klondike has seven columns, also called piles, and together they make up the tableau. The first column holds one card and the seventh holds seven, so the deepest column is seven cards. The “rows” people ask about are the same seven seen from the side: the deal crosses the table in seven passes, and the last pass drops a single card on the seventh column.
| Column | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Face-down cards | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| Face-up cards | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Where everything goes
- Tableau: the seven columns, where you build down in alternating colours (a black 6 on a red 7).
- Foundations: four empty spaces, one per suit, built up from Ace to King.
- Stock: the 24 face-down cards you draw from, one at a time or three at a time.
- Waste: the face-up pile of drawn cards; only its top card can be played.
Common setup mistakes
- Dealing a whole column at once instead of dealing across the row. A well-shuffled deck is just as random either way, so it still works, but it is not the standard deal.
- Turning every top card face up except the first column, or leaving the seventh column face down.
- Keeping the jokers in the deck: classic solitaire uses 52 cards.
- Putting Aces straight onto the foundations during the deal. Patience, in both senses: deal first, then play them on your first move.
Setting up other solitaire games
| Game | Layout | Stock |
|---|---|---|
| Spider | 10 columns of 54 cards: four of 6, six of 5, top cards face up (two decks) | 50 cards, dealt 10 at a time |
| FreeCell | 8 columns, all face up: four of 7, four of 6 | None — four free cells instead |
| Pyramid | 28 cards in a 7-row pyramid, all face up | 24 cards |
| TriPeaks | 28 cards in three peaks: 18 face down, bottom row of 10 face up | 23 cards plus one to start the waste |
Skip the shuffle
If you would rather play than deal, press “Play now” at the top of this page: the online Klondike deals the board for you, with no account and no shuffling. It draws one card at a time by default and offers Draw 3 in solo games.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many cards do you lay out in solitaire?
Twenty-eight: seven columns holding 1 to 7 cards. The other 24 cards are the stock.
How many cards are face up at the start of solitaire?
Seven, the top card of each column. The other 21 cards in the columns start face down.
How many rows are in solitaire?
Seven columns, the longest seven cards deep. Some people call them rows because you deal them in seven passes.
Do you use jokers in solitaire?
No. Klondike, Spider, FreeCell, Pyramid and TriPeaks all leave the jokers out.
Should I deal one card or three from the stock?
Draw 1 is easier and the usual choice while you learn. Draw 3 is the traditional, harder version, for when winning starts to feel too easy.
Sources
We check these rules against the standard references:
- Klondike (solitaire) · WikipediaThe 52-card deck without jokers, seven piles of one to seven cards with the top card face up, the stock, the four foundations, building down in alternating colours, and Patience as its British name.