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 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 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...

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'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...