How to Play Klondike

Variations and Optional Rules

Three Card Draws: A popular variant of Klondike is to modify the number of cards drawn from the draw pile, usually in increments of three.

Thus, when dealing cards from the draw pile to the top of the discard pile, instead of dealing one card at a time, packets of three cards are dealt to the discard pile. The top card of this packet is playable as normal, and once it is played, any cards below it in the discard pile become playable as well. If dealing less then three cards in a particular packet reaches the end of the stock pile, whatever number remains should be dealt to the discard pile, with the last card from the stock pile becoming the top card of the discard pile. Dissimilar to the standard variant, once the stock pile has been depleted, the discard pile can be turned over (without shuffling it) and dealt through again, as many times as the player would like, always in increments of packets consisting of three cards.

Defoundation: Another common variant rule change that is sometimes used is regarding cards on the foundation. In the standard variant, once a card is played to a foundation pile, it can never be played back to the tableau piles. However, an optional rule that is sometimes used is to allow the top card from a foundation pile to be removed from that pile and played to a tableau pile. Of course, the card must be legally playable to that tableau pile. This rule makes the game slightly easier to win.

Double Klondike Solitaire: Double Klondike Solitaire is another fun variant of Klondike designed for one player. It should not be confused with another game called Double Klondike, which is for two players, described further below.

Double Klondike Solitaire is played identically to standard Klondike, with a few key differences, detailed below:

• As the name implies, Double Klondike Solitaire uses two full standard 52 card decks, which should be thoroughly shuffled together.
• The layout for this variant is somewhat larger than in standard Klondike. In this variant, nine columns of cards are dealt, starting with a column of one card and terminating in a column containing nine total cards.
• Since there are two decks used, a total of eight foundation piles may eventually be used, each starting with an Ace.
• Cards are usually dealt from the remaining stock pile in packets of three to the discard pile, with the top card of the stock playable. When there are fewer than three cards remaining in the stock pile, whatever cards remain are added to the stock pile. After the stock pile has been depleted, the entire discard pile may then be flipped over (without shuffling) to begin a new stock pile. This procedure may be repeated as many times as wanted by the player, until unable to make further plays.

In all other aspects this variant is the same as in standard Klondike Solitaire. This variant is actually somewhat easier to win than the standard variant.

Joker Klondike: This is a fun variant that is sometimes added to standard Klondike. It is played identically to the standard version as described above with one major difference, one Joker is added to the standard pack used for the game. The addition of this Joker can have various effects on gameplay.

At any time the Joker is available at the top of a Tableau pile or exposed as the top card of the discard pile it must immediately be added to an existing foundation pile, temporarily replacing the next card in sequence for that pile. Additional cards may then be built on top of the Joker as normal for a foundation pile. If no foundation piles have yet been started, however, the Joker must remain in it's place until the first Ace is played to begin a foundation pile, after which time it is then added as the next card in the pile.

If the actual card for which the Joker is representing becomes playable, that card should then replace the pile on that foundation and the Joker used to replace another, top card of a foundation pile.

As in standard Klondike, if the player manages to build each foundation from Ace to King, he has won the game.

Double Klondike: Double Klondike is a fun variant of Klondike which is designed to be played by two players. This game is also sometimes called Snap-Up Patience or Double Solitaire. There is a similar game which is also sometimes titled Double Solitaire, however the layout is more akin to Canfield. The rules for that game can be found at this link. This game should also be distinguished from the solitaire variant called Double Klondike that is described above.

To begin both players should directly across the table from each other, each with his own deck of cards. The decks should each have a differing back design to allow the decks to easily be reconstituted at the end of each game.

Each player should shuffle his opponent's deck and pass the deck face-down to that opponent. Once each player receives his shuffled deck, he should then begin by dealing out a layout similar to that of standard Klondike Solitaire:

He should deal seven rows of face-down cards from left to right, called the tableau piles. The first row contains one card, the second two cards, increasing the number of cards dealt to each row until the last row which contains seven cards. Each card in a row should be dealt such that it partially overlaps the card below it in that same row. He then turns face-up the top card in each of these piles. Space should be left in the middle of the table in which the community foundation piles will be built. He then places the remainder of the deck, called the stock, to one side of his tableau layout.

The player who has the lowest ranked card in his first tableau pile (the one containing one card) has the first turn, with the turn alternating amongst the two players. If both players have equally ranked cards in this pile, the player with the lower top card in the second pile has the first turn. In case these are also tied, the cards are continued to be compared from the top, exposed card of each pile until the cards are not of equal rank.

On his turn a player may make any playable moves, continuing to do so until unable (or unwilling) to make further moves. Once that player has finished making moves, he calls "Pass", ending his turn. The allowable plays are similar to standard solitaire. He may move cards amongst his own foundation piles (with the usual requirement that they are stacked in descending order, in alternating suit colors). He may also play the top exposed card from one of his own tableau pile to the foundation, with the usual requirement that it must be the next ascending card in sequence and of the same suit. Aces may be played to begin a new foundation pile. Once the discard pile has been started, the top card of the discard pile can also be played to your own tableau pile or the foundation piles. A card can never be removed from the foundation piles once played there. Note that the foundation piles are shared amongst both players, such that each player can play cards to these piles on his turn as able. However, the player's discard pile and tableau belong to that player only and his opponent may never make plays to or from these areas of his opponent's layout.

On each player's first turn, his stock pile remains face down. However, to begin each subsequent turn he turns over the top card of his discard pile, which is then becomes a playable card for that player.

As in standard Klondike, if a space is exposed in a player's layout, he may fill it with a King, which can be the top card from another row in his tableau or the top card of his discard pile. Also as in standard Klondike, a player may move a stack of cards from one tableau pile to another providing that movement of the stack retains a legal layout. If a player reaches the end of his discard pile and can no longer play, on his next turn he turns over the discard pile (without shuffling it) to start a new stock, and turns over it's top card to begin a new discard pile. If a player, on his turn, has no moves, he may simply pass. A player may also voluntarily pass even if he has a legal move.

The game continues in this manner, alternating turns until one player manages to play all his cards to the foundation piles. That player then becomes the winner. However, if both players are unable to make a legal move and must pass, the game ends with the player who was able to play the most cards to the community foundation piles declared the winner. Note that, while a player may elect to pass even if having a legal move, if one opponent has no legal moves and the other opponent passes (while still having a legal move) his opponent can optionally demand he make the move on his turn.

Double Klondike - For Three or More: Double Klondike can also be played by three or more players, up to as many as can sit at the table and have easy access to a community foundation pile area, but is usually best for up to about five players.

The rules are identical to the standard variant except for the fact that there more players participating in the game. The first player to play all cards to the community foundation piles is declared the winner. In many games, however, the remainder of the players continue play, allowing for second and third place in the game as well.

Double Klondike Simultaneous Play: This variant is played similarly to Double Klondike, however, in this variant, instead of each player taking turns, both player's play simultaneously. This game is played identically to standard Double Klondike, with the following differences:

• To begin the game both players create the standard layout as described for Double Klondike. However, in this variant they must continue to hold the stock pile in one hand throughout the entire game.
• No actual turns occur, with both players making legal moves as able.
• When a player runs out of moves to his own tableau or the common foundation piles, he may deal three cards, face up to a discard or waste pile. The top card of the discard pile may be used to make any legal play (to that player's tableau or to one of the common foundation piles. If less than three cards remain in the stock pile, he simply turns over the remainder, adding them to the stock pile, with the bottom card of the stock becoming the top card of the discard pile. He may, after making any legal plays, take the entire discard pile back into his hand, turning it over to start a new stock pile, which he again must retain in one hand throughout the game.
• If both players attempt to play a card at the same time to a community foundation pile, the first card played takes precedence and the other player must return his attempted play back to it's original location.
• Cards must be played to the foundation piles one at a time.
• The first player to manage to play all his cards to the common foundation piles is declared the winner of the game. If both players are a point when neither can make any further legal moves, the player who managed to play the most cards to the foundations is declared the winner.

Multi-Klondike - Simultaneous Play for 3 or More: Simultaneous Play Klondike can also be played by 3 or more players, up to as many as can sit at the table and have access to a common foundation pile area.

The game is played identically to the two player variant, with the only difference being that there are more players participating in each hand. The first player to play all his cards to the community foundation is declared the game winner. However, the remaining players continue to play. The second player to play all his cards to the community pile is set as the second place winner, and this can continue until every player has played all cards to the community foundation piles.

Yukon: Yukon is another solitaire game (for one player) which has a strong resemblance to Klondike. Yukon uses one standard 52 card deck which should be thoroughly shuffled before the start of play. The sequential ranking of the cards in Yukon is the same as in Klondike, which is, from high to low: King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, Ace.

The layout or tableau to be used for playing Yukon is somewhat similar to that used in Klondike. The player begins by dealing out seven face-down columns of cards to create the tableau. Each column should contain one more card than the previous pile. Thus, the first pile contains one card, the second two, and so on to the last pile which contains seven such cards. Each card in the same column should be dealt in such a way that it partially overlaps the one below it. He then flips over the top card on each of these piles to expose it. With the cards remaining in the deck, he then deals four more cards on each of the columns except the furthest column to the left which should currently contain only one face-up card at the start of the game. These cards should also be dealt such that they partially overlap. The resulting layout should be seven columns, with the first column having one face-up card, and the remaining columns, which each contain one more face-down card than the row to it's left and having five, partially overlapping, face-up cards.

Once the layout has been completed, play begins. As will be noted since all cards having been dealt to the tableau there is no stock in this solitaire game. The object of Yukon, as in Klondike and many similar solitaire games is to form four foundations, one in each suit, with an ascending sequence of cards in that suit, starting with Ace and building to the King.

The following are the legal moves that the player can make:

• Start a Foundation: If an Ace is the top card on any column of the layout, the player can place the Ace to start a new foundation of that suit.
• Build on Foundations Once the Ace of a specific suit has been placed to start a foundation, the player may then continue to build onto that foundation, playing the cards in the proper ascending sequence from that same suit (Ace, then 2, then 3, etc.). The card to be played from the layout to the foundation must be the top, face-up card in any column of the layout
• Move Cards on the Layout: A player may also opt to move cards from one location or row on the layout to another. If any partially exposed, face-up card, anywhere in the layout, is next lower in sequence than the current top card of any other row on the layout, he may move that card, and all cards which are partially overlapping that card onto this other card in that card's column. The cards remain in the same ordering but are simply moved as a unit to the new row. This can be done no matter how many other face-up cards are already on top of the card to move.
• Fill Empty Space: The game is played on a layout of seven columns. If through the legal play and movement of cards during the game, a column is completely cleared, this space may be filled with a King. This King can be moved from any other column in the layout, and any other cards on top of that King are also moved with it.
• Expose a Face-Down Card: If all the cards on top of one of the face-down cards have been removed, the top face-down card in that row can be flipped over. The exposed card becomes the new top card in that column.

The game continues with the player continuing to make legal moves until either he has no more legal moves remaining or he manages to get the entire deck onto the foundation piles. In the latter case, the player is said to have achieved victory, winning the game.