How many possible games of Solitaire are there to win? To answer this, we should first set some parameters. The feasibility of winning Solitaire depends on which variation of the game you’re playing. For the purposes of this guide, we’ll assume you’re playing the most popular “Klondike" version, which is one of the trickier games to master.
Can you win Solitaire every time?
Not necessarily. Solitaire is a game that requires equal amounts of skill and luck to truly succeed. It’s a game whose randomness defies clean calculation. This gives it endless replayability, but a degree of challenge comes along with that fact.
How many possible permutations of Solitaire are there?
Somewhere equal to or more than there are atoms in the known universe. Seriously: Our best estimate is 8*10⁶⁷, which we invite you to try plugging into your calculator. Entire schools of mathematics have attempted to measure the scale of possible permutations of Solitaire, as well as other card games, and the numbers quickly balloon beyond comprehension.
What percent of Solitaire games are winnable?
Scientists estimate that only about 80% of Solitaire Games are completable. A single deck with 52 cards has so many possible permutations that a decent percentage are unwinnable, and some are even unplayable. So you’d be lucky, in a way, to play a Solitaire game that was completely unplayable from the get-go — it’s a rare opportunity!
How to win more Solitaire games
Oftentimes, new Solitaire players find themselves hitting consistent roadblocks early on. A session might appear to suddenly stop, with no moves to be made and no idea where things went wrong. You shouldn’t take it as any negative indication of your skill: Solitaire is a complex and very luck-based game.
Still, there are some strategies players who wish to improve their gameplay can consider!
Solitaire Strategy 1: Reveal all Hidden Cards
One of the most common missteps, when players are just starting out with Solitaire, is neglecting to reveal all of their hidden cards across the board. Forgetting to accomplish this as soon as possible can spell disaster, burying needed cards amongst a pile of hidden uncertainty.
There are 21 hidden cards at the beginning of your standard Klondike Solitaire game, with a different amount in each tableau space. If you’re feeling overwhelmed with potential moves, then consider our next strategy as a way to prioritize.
Solitaire Strategy 2: Snowball the Tableau
When working with your tableau spaces, a good way to approach your strategy is to organize from the smallest stacks to the largest. This so-called “Snowball"' strategy also shows in what order you should reveal your hidden cards. Starting at the spaces with fewer cards allows you to burn through them quickly. Later on, you might need to put more cards in that space to arrange the tableau elsewhere.
Playing the game with this strategy in mind will allow you to easily open free spaces, inside of which you can create new, organized builds. You can only use a King to begin a new build in a free space, however. This leads us to the next strategy…
Solitaire Strategy 3: Prioritize Kings and Aces
Kings and aces are the highest and lowest-value cards of the entire deck, respectively. It’s important to find any aces that are close to the front of the deck, as they can be immediately brought to the foundations without penalty and help clear up the tableau. On the opposite end of the suit order, Kings are some of the hardest cards to play around thanks to their high value. However, their ability to start a new build in free cells makes them incredibly powerful. Use this to your advantage to help organize the chaos of your tableau and quickly set aside large amounts of cards for later usage.
Solitaire Strategy 4: Build Foundations Equally
Should the opportunity arise where you can build up your foundations with a significant number of cards, consider how evenly you’re distributing those cards across all four spaces. If you still have lower-value cards in play in your tableau, but are missing cards to stack them with, you can risk soft-locking your game. Remember, in Klondike Solitaire cards must be built in opposite-color order in your tableau. Don’t run out of reds to stack with your black cards.
Remember that your free spaces can be used to store large amounts of cards in sorted piles. These will be helpful for keeping track of the progression of your foundational piles.
Solitaire Strategy 5: Draw Stock Carefully
Your stockpile is an essential part of completing the game, but don’t get too ahead of yourself by drawing from it unnecessarily. As mentioned at the beginning of this article, it’s important to rid your board of hidden cards before adding more.
If you’re playing the 3-card variation, you’ll have to be able to sort every card somewhere into your tableau. Otherwise, any of the cards behind what you drew that you were unable to sort are wasted as well.
Play online to make use of the undo button
Playing online can be a great benefit to your Solitaire games, as it allows you to make use of features like undo and auto-play as well as online guides (like this one)! Playing Klondike Solitaire at 247 Solitaire online allows you to skip the hassle of setup and play a perfectly tuned game of Solitaire every time.
Start your winning streak at 247 Solitaire!
If you’d like to start putting your new Solitaire strategies to the test, try out Klondike Solitaire online at 247 Solitaire! Or if you’re in the mood for a new challenge, try out some of the most popular Solitaire variations, such as Spider Solitaire, Wasp Solitaire, and Freecell Solitaire, along with so much more! No account is required, and play is completely free!
