Solitaire Setup
How to Set Up Solitaire with a Deck of Cards
How to set up solitaire: deal 28 cards into seven columns of 1 to 7 cards, turn the top card of each face up and keep 24 cards as the stock. Diagram-free steps.
To set up classic solitaire (Klondike), shuffle a 52-card deck without jokers and deal seven columns from left to right: the first column gets 1 card, the second 2, and so on up to 7 cards in the last. Only the top card of each column is face up. The remaining 24 cards form the face-down stock, with space above the columns for four foundation piles.
Step-by-step solitaire setup
- Remove the jokers and shuffle the 52 cards well.
- Deal one card face up in the first position, then one face-down card in each of the six positions to its right.
- Go back to the second column: deal one card face up on it, then one face-down card on each column to its right.
- Repeat, starting one column further right each time, until the seventh column has its face-up card.
- Check the layout: columns of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 cards, 28 cards in total, each topped by a face-up card.
- Put the remaining 24 cards face down as the stock. Leave room next to it for the waste pile and above the columns for four foundations.
How many rows and columns are in solitaire?
Klondike has seven columns (also called piles or the tableau). The first column has one card and the seventh has seven, so the longest column is seven cards deep. The number of “rows” people ask about is the same seven: on the last pass of the deal you place the seventh card on the seventh column.
| Column | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Face-down cards | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| Face-up cards | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Where everything goes
- Tableau: the seven columns, where you build down in alternating colours (a black 6 on a red 7).
- Foundations: four empty spaces, one per suit, built up from Ace to King.
- Stock: the 24 face-down cards you draw from, one at a time or three at a time.
- Waste: the face-up pile of drawn cards; only its top card can be played.
Common setup mistakes
- Dealing a whole column at once instead of dealing across the row — it still works, but feels different and is not the standard deal.
- Turning every top card face up except the first column, or leaving the seventh column face down.
- Keeping the jokers in the deck: classic solitaire uses 52 cards.
- Putting Aces straight onto the foundations during the deal. Deal first; play them on your first move.
Setting up other solitaire games
| Game | Layout | Stock |
|---|---|---|
| Spider | 10 columns of 54 cards: four of 6, six of 5, top cards face up (two decks) | 50 cards, dealt 10 at a time |
| FreeCell | 8 columns, all face up: four of 7, four of 6 | None — four free cells instead |
| Pyramid | 28 cards in a 7-row pyramid, all face up | 24 cards |
| TriPeaks | 28 cards in three peaks: 18 face down, bottom row of 10 face up | 23 cards plus one to start the waste |
Skip the shuffle
If you would rather play than deal, the online Klondike here sets up the board for you with a free account, draws one card at a time by default and offers Draw 3 in solo games.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many cards do you lay out in solitaire?
Twenty-eight: seven columns holding 1 to 7 cards. The other 24 cards are the stock.
How many cards are face up at the start of solitaire?
Seven — the top card of each column. The other 21 cards in the columns start face down.
How many rows are in solitaire?
Seven columns, the longest seven cards deep. Some people call them rows because you deal them in seven passes.
Do you use jokers in solitaire?
No. Klondike, Spider, FreeCell, Pyramid and TriPeaks all leave the jokers out.
Should I deal one card or three from the stock?
Draw 1 is easier and the usual choice for learning. Draw 3 is the traditional, harder version.