Solitaire is a single player card game using a standard deck of cards. The main objective of Solitaire is to arrange the deck into a stack of cards for each suit.
Solitaire is not hard to win, but some versions are more challenging than others including Spider, Forty Thieves, Yukon, Emperor, Free Cell, Wish, and Bowling solitaire. In addition, Solitaire games have four types of piles that include Talon, Tableau, Stock, and Foundations.
So, how does a player play solitaire? The player must transfer cards in descending order from King to Ace, and alternate between colors within the Tableau pile. To obtain the sequence of descending value in solitaire, transfer the top card to any of the piles or even stack all the face-up cards to a pile that suits the color and fill any empty spots in the Tableau pile with a King.
If a player cannot move any of their cards to Tableau, draw three cards from the top of the stockpile so that they can form Talon. When a player cannot play the first card, then the player must draw another three cards from the stockpile.
Whenever the stockpile runs out, reshuffle the Talon pile to form a new stock. The process is continuous until the game ends.
In the meantime, while trying to form a sequence in the Tableau pile, focus on building up the foundation piles. Transfer any top card from the Tableau or the Talon stack to the foundation pile.
The player wins when they arrange all cards in ascending order from Ace to King in the foundation pile.
There are different variations of Solitaire games, therefore some procedures vary depending on the version being played. In general, they all follow a similar style of gameplay using different formats of card layout.
What is the point of solitaire?
The main objective of the solitaire game is to form four stacks, with each stack having its suit in ascending order from Ace to King. The player manages the transfer of all the cards from both the Tableau and Talon into the foundation pile, then at that point the player wins the Solitaire game.
All the top cards in both Tableau and Talon pile can be stacked to build up a foundation pile. As the player sequences the Tableau pile by descending value of cards with alternating colors, try to form foundation stacks using the top cards from both Talon and Tableau pile.
Is solitaire easy to learn?
Yes, it’s easy to learn and master the card game Solitaire. Although, it will also depend on the version of the solitaire played, the game requires patience and observation skills available with a relaxed and focused mind.
When Solitaire is played at a fast pace, it can be confusing, but it becomes easier as gameplay improves. However, there are particular aspect to learn to make the game easier:
- How to set up a classic solitaire: This involves a player understanding the game’s objective, player learning how to build a layout, and most importantly, how to place cards in different piles.
- How to play solitaire: this involves forming the piles by rearranging the cards in ascending order and forming a sequence of alternating colors. It also involves building their foundation piles starting with Aces.
- Play different solitaire versions: There are hundreds of single player Solitaire games, so experiment and find variations you enjoy most.
- Find a winning strategy: Once wrong move can make the entire game unsolvable, but even with the right strategy there are many games that you cannot win. Combine strategy and luck to improve your winning odds.
How do you set up cards for solitaire?
- The objective of the solitaire game is to form four piles using cards that follow one suit per pile rearranged from Ace to King.
- Build the layout, place the first card in face-up position and then lay another six cards next to the card. The second column gets 2 cards and so forth until the seventh column has 7 cards.
- Flip over the bottom card of each column on the Tableau.
- Put the remaining cards separately to form the stockpile where the player draws more cards when they run out of moves.
- The top of the table leaves room for the foundation pile.
How do you play solitaire?
- First, look for cards on the table that are already in face-up. When Aces are available, use them to start a foundation pile. If there are no Aces available, rearrange the cards and move only the face-face-up cards.
- A card is only placed on top of another card. If it has a different color and must have a value of one less than the previous number. For instance, a six hearts can get a five clubs or a five spades on top of the card.
- Place all the top cards from each of the seven-tableau piles face-up, and always turn over the card underneath after making a move.
- Use Aces to build foundations piles, each Ace in a different foundation to start a suit.
- If a player runs out of cards, turn to the stockpile for more cards, and reshuffle both Tableau and Talon pile form a new stockpile.
- Uncover hidden cards found in the tableau pile, and move any hidden card to arrange in a sequential order or add to the foundation piles.
- Arrange all the cards in ascending order from Ace to King in the foundation piles to win the game.
Playing Solitaire: Conclusion
Solitaire is a card game that a single player plays with a deck of cards or on the computer. At first, it can be a bit confusing, but a player becomes a pro with time.
There are aspect a player needs to get hold of for the player to have an easy time in Solitaire. Learn to set up the game, make moves, play different versions of the games and find winning strategy.
Some solitaire games are easier to play, but others can’t be won regardless of how the moves are made. Research has proved that if a player has an 80% chance of winning the game, however that number is never realistic because players make mistakes throughout the game that drastically reduce the odds to around 50%.
When a player runs out of cards, they go to the stockpile to draw more cards. If it happens, the stockpile also runs out of cards and the player has to reshuffle the cards from the Talon pile to form a new stockpile.
The player wins the game if they arrange the cards in ascending order from Aces to King. A player cannot place a card on top of another card that has the same color, and the card must have a value of less than one the previous card in the order.
Complete all four foundations to become victorious. Understand that not all games are winnable, and a single wrong move can jeopardize the remainder of the game, so think ahead and play strategically.