Learn Solitaire: From Zero to Hero!

A complete tutorial for absolute beginners

1. What are Cards?
2. Card Basics
3. Solitaire Setup
4. How to Play
5. Practice Game
6. Quiz Time

Welcome! Let's Learn About Playing Cards

Playing cards are small rectangular pieces used for games. A standard deck has 52 cards, and we'll learn all about them!

What Do Cards Look Like?

Each card has two sides:

Click me!
A
Front

Back: Usually has a pattern. All backs look the same so you can't tell which card it is.

Front: Shows the card's rank (number or letter) and suit (symbol).

The Four Suits

Cards come in 4 different suits (symbols). Think of them like 4 different teams:

Spades
Hearts
Diamonds
Clubs

Important: Hearts (♥) and Diamonds (♦) are RED. Spades (♠) and Clubs (♣) are BLACK.

Understanding Card Values

Each suit has 13 cards with different ranks (values). Let's look at them in order from lowest to highest:

Number Cards (2-10)

2
3
4
5
...
10

Face Cards

These cards have pictures instead of numbers:

J
Jack (11)
Q
Queen (12)
K
King (13)

The Special Card: Ace

A
Ace (1)

The Ace is special - it's the lowest card (value 1) but also the most important in Solitaire!

Complete Order for Solitaire

A → 2 → 3 → 4 → 5 → 6 → 7 → 8 → 9 → 10 → J → Q → K

Remember: In Solitaire, Ace (A) comes BEFORE 2, and King (K) is the highest!

Practice: Click cards in order from Ace to King

Setting Up Solitaire

Solitaire (also called Klondike) is a one-player card game. Let's learn how to set it up!

The Game Areas

The game has different areas where cards go:

Stock (Draw Pile)
Waste
Foundation ♠
Foundation ♥
Foundation ♦
Foundation ♣
Column 1
Column 2
Column 3
Column 4
Column 5
Column 6
Column 7

Setup Instructions

1. Foundation Piles (4 empty spaces at top right): This is where you'll build each suit from Ace to King.

2. Tableau (7 columns): Deal cards like this:

  • Column 1: 1 card (face up)
  • Column 2: 2 cards (1 face down, 1 face up)
  • Column 3: 3 cards (2 face down, 1 face up)
  • Column 4: 4 cards (3 face down, 1 face up)
  • Column 5: 5 cards (4 face down, 1 face up)
  • Column 6: 6 cards (5 face down, 1 face up)
  • Column 7: 7 cards (6 face down, 1 face up)

3. Stock: The remaining cards go here face down.

4. Waste: Empty at start - cards from stock go here.

How to Play Solitaire

The goal is to move all 52 cards to the four foundation piles, organized by suit from Ace to King!

Basic Rules

1. Building in the Tableau (Columns):

  • Place cards in descending order (K → Q → J → 10 → 9...)
  • Alternate colors (Red on Black, Black on Red)
  • Example: Red 6 can go on Black 7

2. Foundation Piles:

  • Start with Ace of each suit
  • Build up in order: A → 2 → 3 → ... → K
  • Same suit only!

3. Moving Cards:

  • You can move face-up cards between columns
  • You can move sequences together
  • Empty columns can hold a King
  • Flip face-down cards when exposed

4. Using the Stock:

  • Click to draw cards (usually 3 at a time)
  • Only the top card in waste is playable
  • When stock is empty, flip waste back to stock

Practice: Which moves are legal?

Can you place a Red 5 on a Black 6?
Yes ✓
No ✗

💡 Strategy Tips

  • Always move Aces to foundations immediately
  • Try to expose face-down cards
  • Empty columns are valuable - use them wisely
  • Don't rush to move cards to foundations

Practice Game

Let's play a simplified version to practice! This game has hints to help you learn.

💡 Hint

Click "Hint" to see a suggested move!

Final Quiz - Test Your Knowledge!

Let's see how much you've learned about Solitaire!

🏆

Achievement Unlocked!

You've completed a lesson!