How to Play Solitaire in May: Expert 101 Guide, Rules & Tips for Beginners

Publish Date: 05/08/2025
Fact checked by: Emily Carter

Solitaire is a popular game played mostly with a deck of 52 cards divided into four piles organized by their respective suits. The game is easy to learn and comes in variants, with some having different rules.

In this guide, I’ll discuss how to play Solitaire, but first, I’ll give an insight into what the game is and its pros and cons. I’ll also cover some basic rules and moves of the game before sharing a few tips on how to maximize your Solitaire gameplay. Without wasting time, let’s get started.

📌 Quick facts about how to play Solitaire

Before we dive into how to play Solitaire, here are some quick facts about the game:

  • Solitaire is an exciting table game
  • The Solitaire game requires mental focus and strategizing
  • Solitaire is simple and easy to learn
  • The game has several variants with different rules
  • Solitaire rounds are usually very short

🤔 What is Solitaire?

Before we discuss how to play Solitaire, I want you to know what the game entails. Solitaire is a captivating single-player card game that has fascinated players for a while now. Essentially, it’s a game of patience, strategy, and chance.

There are several variants of the game, but the most popular one is Klondike Solitaire. The goal of the game is simple: clear the tableau (the main play area) by moving all cards into four foundation piles, one for each suit, in ascending order from Ace to King. Sounds easy, right? However, it requires smart decision-making, the ability to think several moves ahead, and, at times, a bit of trial and error.

Other versions of the game include Pyramid Solitaire, Free Cell, and Spider Solitaire. Each variant has its twist, but Klondike remains the most popular choice, especially within sweepstakes casinos.

From my experience, Solitaire is one of those rare games that are easy to understand but hard to master. As challenging as the game may be, the level of satisfaction you when managing to win a round is unmatched. So, whether you’re playing to unwind or compete for actual rewards, you can always turn to the Solitaire game. Just keep in mind that playing within your limits is part of a good gaming experience.

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📌 Types of Solitaire variants

Solitaire has several variants, including:

🃏 Klondike Solitaire

This is the most common and arguably the simplest type of Solitaire. The objective is to move all cards into four foundation piles by suit.

🆓 Free Cell

With Free Cell Solitaire, all cards are dealt face up. This variant is a high-skill, low-chance game suitable for players who enjoy being in control of their gameplay.

🕷 Spider Solitaire

Spider Solitaire is another popular variant, but played with a deck of 104 cards. The goal is to create complete sequences from King to Ace in the same suit to clear them.

🏰 Pyramid Solitaire

With this variant, cards are arranged in a pyramid shape. The game is usually fast-paced and offers puzzle-like gameplay.

⛳ Golf Solitaire

In Golf Solitaire, cards are taken off the tableau by playing cards that are one rank higher or lower than the current one.

Each variant has its own set of rules, so be sure to read through the instructions before actively playing.

⚖️ Pros and cons of Solitaire

As we dive deeper into how to play Solitaire, here are some pros and cons of the game. Firstly, the game is easy to learn and helps with mental focus since it stimulates the brain. Also, each Solitaire round is quick, unlike some games with lengthy sessions.

However, the gameplay can be repetitive so you might get bored easily. That said, here’s the summary of the game’s pros and cons:

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  • Easy to learn
  • Helps with mental focus
  • Offers quick gaming sessions
  • Can be repetitive

⚙️ How to play Solitaire

At first glance, Solitaire may seem like a boring card game. However, once you know the game rules and adopt some strategies, you’ll realize how engaging it is. Applying several tactics makes it even more intense especially when there are potential rewards. Let’s start with a breakdown of how to play the most popular Solitaire variant: free Klondike Solitaire.

The goal is to move all 52 cards into 4 piles, each organized by its respective suit: hearts, diamonds, clubs, and spades. Additionally, you must do so in ascending order, starting from Ace to King.

Solitaire uses a standard deck of 52 playing cards, and the layout is divided into several sections as shown in the table below:

🌟 Sections📌 Description
TableauThis is the main play area, consisting of 7 columns. The first column has 1 card, the second has 2, and so on up to 7 cards. All cards are face-down except the top card in each column.
Stock Pile (Draw Pile)This area holds the remaining cards that have not been dealt into the tableau. You’ll draw from this pile during gameplay
Waste PileIf a card is drawn from the stockpile and cannot be played immediately, it goes straight here.
FoundationsFour empty piles where each suit must be built up from Ace to King.

Thankfully, you don’t need to learn how to deal in Solitaire when playing online since the computer does the heavy lifting. However, you still need to know all the rules and available moves to help you strategize.

🛑 Basic rules of Solitaire

Solitaire has the following rules and moves:

  1. Move cards within the tableau by stacking them in the correct descending order, alternating colors (for example, place a red 6 on a black 7)
  2. Reveal face-down tableau cards by moving only the cards that are positioned above them.
  3. Move an Ace to the foundation pile as soon as it becomes available, and continue building up in suit order.
  4. Draw cards from the stockpile to search for new playable cards. Depending on the rules that you are using, you can either draw one card at a time or three.
  5. If allowed, recycle the waste pile. Some Solitaire games allow multiple passes through the stockpile, while others restrict you to one pass.

You win the round when all four suits are correctly stacked in the foundation piles, from Ace to King. But in sweepstakes-based versions, you’re often competing against time, score, or number of moves, so efficiency is just as important as completion.

🔥 Best sweepstakes casinos to play Solitaire

If you want to know where and how to play Solitaire, I recommend checking out the following sweepstakes casinos:

✅ Stake.us – Best Solitaire sweepstakes casino for bonuses

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  • Free-to-play games
  • Hundreds of top slots
  • Table and live dealer games
  • Cutting-edge Stake Originals
  • Dedicated mobile app for Android and iOS
  • Restricted in some states
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Stake.us is one of my favorite sweepstakes casinos, thanks to the welcome offer, which gives you 56 Stake Cash + 560,000 Gold Coins + 5% rakeback for signing up using the promo code JAXONSOCIAL. That’s not all; you also enjoy several other freebies with which you can play Solitaire without making any purchase.

Besides Solitaire, you can also play other exciting titles in the Stakes originals category, such as Plinko, Crates, Mines, etc. Just be sure to read the sweepstakes casino’s terms and conditions after signing up to ensure you don’t miss out on any vital information.

✅ Jackpota – Best for website user experience

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Another sweepstakes casino I’d recommend for anyone looking to play Solitaire is Jackpota. The site has a neat and color-rich interface that is also easy to navigate thanks to the well-optimized pages. Like Stake.us, the sweepstakes brand offers a generous welcome offer and other exciting bonuses. As a new user, I received 7,500 Gold Coins, which allowed me to familiarize myself with the Solitaire game while also enjoying some of the site’s sweepstakes slots.

I also received 1,500 Gold Coins whenever I logged in for the first time each day. The site has a plethora of other promotional offers you can capitalize on for sustained Solitaire gameplay.

✅ MegaBonanza – Offers exciting social media promotions

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  • Generous signup offer
  • Responsive customer support
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MegaBonanza is one Solitaire sweepstakes casino I’d recommend for anyone looking to enjoy social media promotions. Sure, the site offers a generous welcome bonus of 7,500 Gold Coins and 2.5 Sweepstakes Coins. However, MegaBonanza takes things several steps further by offering loads of giveaways on its social media channels. You also get to engage with a community of sweepstakes game lovers.

Thankfully, the freebies you get can be used to explore the sweepstakes brand’s game offerings, including Solitaire. Just be sure to access MegaBonanza’s social media pages from its website to avoid following fake accounts.

✅ McLuck – The best for mobile app

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  • Generous welcome bonus
  • Classic and Megaways slots
  • Exclusive Gold Coin games
  • Small number of live games
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McLuck is an exciting sweepstakes casino that offers a fun mobile sweepstakes experience through its app, available for both Android and iOS users. Besides Solitaire, the site also offers several other games for user enjoyment.

To facilitate gameplay without any purchases, McLuck welcomes new users with 7,500 Gold Coins and 2.5 Sweepstakes Coins for signing up with the promo code JAXONMCLUCK. You’ll also find additional promotional offers that grant you freebies with which you can play Solitaire and other sweepstakes casino games.

✅ Real Prize – Best Solitaire casino for social casino features

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  • Range of ongoing promotions
  • 350+ slots and casino-style games
  • Mobile accessible
  • No live chat options
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RealPrize is another exciting sweepstakes casino that offers a super generous welcome offer. I signed up and received 100,000 Gold Coins and 2 Sweepstakes Coins to start playing Solitaire. The best part is that I didn’t even need a promo code to claim the freebies.

What stood out to me the most while using RealPrize was the overall social casino experience I had. You get to participate in exciting tournaments, as well as interact with other players, thanks to the available social features. I recommend RealPrize for any Solitaire lover looking to enjoy the game while also enjoying the additional benefits of social interaction.

💡 Top tips on how to play Solitaire

Learning how to play online Solitaire entails careful planning, time management, and knowing when to hold back. Thankfully, the tips below can help you do so:

🎮 Play with Gold Coins

If you’re a newbie sweepstakes casino Solitaire player or don’t fully understand the game and its rules, I recommend starting out by playing with Gold Coins, as they’re meant for entertainment gameplay only. Once you’ve had a grasp of how the game works, you can start playing with your Sweepstakes Coins for the opportunity to redeem possible gameplay SC rewards for real prizes.

🃏 Explore different Solitaire variants

I really enjoy playing Pyramid Solitaire for free. However, I sometimes switch things up by trying out other variants so I don’t get bored easily. Doing so ensures the excitement I feel whenever I play Pyramid Solitaire doesn’t wear out.

Keep in mind that Solitaire rules may vary depending on the variant, so be sure to read the instructions and rules before playing.

🔍 Prioritize uncovering face-down cards

As an experienced Solitaire player, you must know that the primary objective is to uncover all face-down cards and build the foundations. Therefore, I always prioritize moves that achieve this goal. Doing otherwise only inhibits in-game progress.

⏳ Don’t rush to fill foundation piles

As tempting as it is to send the 2 of hearts to the foundation immediately after placing an Ace, I recommend holding on and rethinking your decision because a card can no longer be used in the tableau once it has been moved to the foundation.

Therefore, only move cards to the foundation when you’re sure it won’t hinder future plays.

♟️ Be strategic with empty spaces

The only card that can be placed in an empty tableau space is a King, along with any cards stacked underneath it. If, however, you don’t have a King, the empty space becomes dead weight.

Hence, I recommend only clearing a space when you have a King to place there.

Keep in mind that these aren’t some surefire tips on how to win Solitaire. Think of them as guidelines that can improve your gameplay.

👌 Conclusion – Solitaire is an enjoyable and easy-to-play game

Overall, Solitaire is easy to learn and offers quick gameplay per round. However, don’t be fooled by its simplicity because the game requires careful strategizing to ensure you make the right moves.

Thankfully, I’ve provided some Solitaire tips to get you on the right track. While you’re at it, don’t forget to read the rules of the variant you’re playing carefully. Doing so helps you understand the gameplay mechanics with little fuss.

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❓ How to play Solitaire FAQs

🃏 How do you play Solitaire?

For the most common Solitaire variant, Klondike, you play by moving all 52 cards into 4 piles, organized by their respective suits: hearts, diamonds, clubs, or spades. Keep in mind that you must do so in ascending order, starting from Ace to King.

🎁 Is there a bonus I can use before playing Solitaire?

There is indeed! When you create your account at Stake.us, you can benefit from a welcome pack which includes 56 Stake Cash + 560,000 Gold Coins + 5% rakeback when using the promo code JAXONSOCIAL.

📦 What is a waste pile in Solitaire?

The waste pile holds cards drawn from the stockpile pile but can’t be played immediately. Keep in mind that only cards from the stockpile can be placed in the waste pile.

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