Frequently Asked Questions

Can you move a King to an empty column?

Yes, Kings are the only cards that can fill empty tableau columns...

FreeCell vs Baker's Game: what's different?

Alternating colors vs building down by suit. Same layout, very different flexibility...

What's the difference between Turn 1 and Turn 3?

Turn 1 draws one card at a time, Turn 3 draws three cards...

How many cards are in Solitaire?

Standard Klondike uses 52 cards (one full deck)...

What happens when you get stuck?

Not all Solitaire games are winnable. About 80% of Turn 1 games can be won...

Is every game of Solitaire winnable?

No. Win rates vary by variant from 5% to 99%...

What is Penguin Solitaire?

A FreeCell-family variant with 7 flippers and a beak-based foundation start...

How does the beak work in Penguin?

The beak sets the foundation start rank and restricts what can fill empty columns...

What's the win rate for Klondike Turn 1?

43-52% with optimal play, the most forgiving Solitaire variant...

What's the win rate for Klondike Turn 3?

18-35% - significantly harder due to restricted card access...

What's the win rate for Yukon?

25-30% - no stock pile, all cards dealt at start...

What's the win rate for Russian?

10-15% - same-suit building makes this very challenging...

What's the win rate for Forty Thieves?

10% (1 in 10) - single-card moves and one pass make it brutal...

What's the win rate for Accordion?

~1% (1 in 100) - simple rules but nearly impossible to win...

What's the win rate for Royal Marriage?

~38% - a strategic variant where you must reunite King and Queen...

What's the win rate for Push-Pin?

~13% - like Royal Marriage, but with two decks and lower odds...

What's the win rate for FreeCell?

99.999% solvable - nearly every game is winnable with perfect play...

What's the win rate for Baker's Game?

Varies by skill - suit-building reduces flexibility compared to FreeCell...

What's the win rate for Double FreeCell?

Around 12% - the two-deck layout reduces empty columns and supermove power...

What's the win rate for Eight Off?

~85-95% - 8 free cells but suit building and King-only column fills...

What's the win rate for Seahaven Towers?

~88% - 10 columns, 4 cells, suit building with King-only fills...

What's the win rate for Scorpion?

Typically around 30-40% with clean sequence planning and careful stock timing...

What's the win rate for Double Scorpion?

Usually around 8-15% because the two-deck layout creates heavier congestion...

What's the win rate for Scorpion 2 Suit?

Often around 15-25% as mixed-suit packets are harder to repair late game...

What's the win rate for Wasp?

Frequently around 35-50% thanks to movable stacks that improve recovery options...

What's the win rate for Three Blind Mice?

Commonly around 15-25% with ten-column traffic and delayed card access pressure...

What's the win rate for Spider One Suit?

Usually around 50-60%, the most approachable Spider format for consistent clears...

What's the win rate for Spider Two Suits?

Generally around 20-30% as suit conflict becomes a central challenge...

What's the win rate for Spider Four Suits?

Often around 8-12%, making it the toughest mainstream Spider variant...

What's the win rate for Spiderette?

Usually around 30-40% with strong play in a tighter seven-column layout...

What's the win rate for Relaxed Spider?

Commonly around 35-50% because relaxed packet movement increases recovery options...

What's the win rate for Will O The Wisp?

Often around 45-60% thanks to one-suit sequencing and compact Spiderette-style play...

What's the win rate for Simple Simon?

Typically around 65-80% since all cards are visible from the start...

What's the win rate for Mrs. Mop?

Usually around 5-15% due to severe two-deck congestion across 13 columns...

What's the win rate for Penguin?

Often highly solvable, but same-suit building and the beak rule create tough deals...

What's the win rate for Monte Carlo?

Usually low (often single digits to low teens) because you can only remove adjacent matching ranks...

Is FreeCell always winnable?

Almost. Only 8 deals in 1 million are provably impossible...

What's the win rate for Aces and Kings?

A two-deck patience where Aces build up and Kings build down...

What's the win rate for Agnes Bernauer?

A Klondike variant with same-suit tableau building...

What's the win rate for Agnes Sorel?

A Klondike variant with alternating-color building and a reserve...

What's the win rate for Alaska?

A Yukon variant where you can build up or down by suit...

What's the win rate for Josephine?

A Forty Thieves variant with different dealing rules...

How do standard checkers rules work?

Learn movement, forced captures, kings, and official win conditions...

What are beginner checkers tactics?

Use center control, back-row defense, and forced-move traps to win more games...

Checkers vs Chess: which is harder?

Compare complexity, strategic depth, and learning curve differences...

Where did checkers come from?

Explore the history from Alquerque to modern tournament checkers...

What are the brain benefits of checkers?

See how checkers supports planning, focus, and decision-making skills...

When can you lead with Hearts?

Hearts can be led after hearts have been "broken"...

Can you play Hearts on the first trick?

No. Hearts and the Queen of Spades cannot be played on the first trick...

Must you follow suit in Hearts?

Yes. If you have the led suit, you must play it. If you're void, you may discard...

How does passing direction work in Hearts?

In 4-player Hearts, passing rotates: left, right, across, then hold (no pass)...

What is shooting the moon?

Taking all 26 penalty points to give opponents +26 each...

How do you stop someone from shooting the moon?

You just need to prevent them from taking all 26 points. Learn the simplest defenses...

Why is the Queen of Spades worth 13 points?

The Q♠ equals all hearts combined, making it strategically significant...

What is a good score in Hearts?

Average is 6-7 points per hand. A good hand scores 0-3 points...

Can you lead Spades before they're broken?

In most variants, no - unless you only have spades left...

What is Nil in Spades?

Bidding zero tricks - risky but worth 100 points if successful...

How do bags work in Spades?

Overtricks accumulate. At 10 bags, you lose 100 points...

What is a good score in Spades?

Teams score 60-80 points per hand when making their bid...

What is "Gin" in Gin Rummy?

A perfect hand with all 10 cards in melds and zero deadwood...

What is Knocking in Gin Rummy?

End the round when your deadwood is 10 points or less...

What is an Undercut in Gin Rummy?

When the defending player beats the knocker's deadwood...

Is Gin Rummy the same as Conquian?

No - Conquian is the ancestor of all Rummy games from Mexico...

What's the difference between Gin Rummy and Rummy?

Gin keeps melds hidden; standard Rummy lays them on the table...

Is Gin Rummy 7 or 10 cards?

10 cards per player. 7-card hands are for standard Rummy...

Is Ace 1 or 10 in Gin Rummy?

Aces are worth 1 point - the lowest value card...

Are Aces always 15 in Rummy?

No - in Gin Rummy Aces are 1 point. The 15-point rule is Rummy 500...

What are the basic Rummy terms?

Meld, set, run, deadwood, knock, gin, undercut, layoff...

What's the best hand in Gin Rummy?

Any Gin hand (0 deadwood). Big Gin uses all 11 cards...

How to win at Gin Rummy every time?

You can't - but skilled players win 60-70% with these strategies...

Who is the greatest Gin Rummy player?

Stu Ungar - banned from casinos by age 22, never lost a tournament...

What is Straight Gin?

A variant where knocking is not allowed - you must go Gin to win...

Why can't I knock in Straight Gin?

Straight Gin requires 0 deadwood to end a round - no early knocking...

What is Oklahoma Gin?

The upcard determines your knock threshold - Ace means Gin only...

How does the spade bonus work in Oklahoma Gin?

When the upcard is a spade, all points scored that hand are doubled...

What's the win rate for Straight Gin?

Skilled players win 55-65% - longer games favor consistent play...

What's the win rate for Oklahoma Gin?

Win rates vary wildly due to dynamic knock thresholds and spade bonuses...

What is Hollywood Gin?

Triple-game scoring - your first win opens Game 1, second opens Game 2...

What's the win rate for Hollywood Gin?

50-60% for skilled players - the triple-game format rewards sustained excellence...

Tonk vs Gin Rummy: What's the difference?

Tonk is faster, allows hitting opponents' spreads, and has sudden-death win conditions...

What is the win rate for Tonk Rummy?

~50% in head-to-head play, but skill significantly impacts the outcome...

What's the best Solitaire for beginners?

Klondike Turn 1 - familiar rules and high win rate...

What is Double FreeCell?

Two decks, 8 free cells, 10 columns, and tougher supermove math...

What is Baker's Game?

A FreeCell variant where tableau building is strictly down by suit...