How Many Cards Are in Solitaire?
Short Answer
Standard Klondike Solitaire uses 52 cards - one complete deck without jokers. The deck contains 4 suits (Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs, Spades) with 13 cards each (Ace through King).
Card Distribution at Start
When you deal a game of Klondike Solitaire:
- Tableau: 28 cards across 7 columns (1+2+3+4+5+6+7)
- Stock Pile: 24 cards remaining
- Foundation: 0 cards (starts empty)
- Waste Pile: 0 cards (starts empty)
Math Check
28 (tableau) + 24 (stock) = 52 total cards. When you win, all 52 cards end up on the 4 foundation piles (13 cards each).
Variants Using Different Card Counts
Not all Solitaire games use a single deck:
- Forty Thieves: 104 cards (2 decks)
- Spider Solitaire: 104 cards (2 decks)
- FreeCell: 52 cards (1 deck)
- Accordion: 52 cards (1 deck)