The Solitaire Layout
Before you begin moving cards, you need to set up the four main areas of the table. A standard game of Solitaire (specifically Klondike) uses a single 52-card deck with no Jokers.
1. The Tableau (The Columns)
This is the main playing area. You will deal seven columns of cards from left to right. The first column gets one card, the second gets two cards, the third gets three, and so on until the seventh column has seven cards. Only the top card of each column is placed face-up; the cards underneath remain face-down.
2. The Stock Pile (The Draw Pile)
After dealing the tableau, you will have 24 cards remaining in your hand. Place these face-down in the top left corner of your table. This is your stock pile, which you will draw from when you run out of moves.
3. The Waste Pile
This space starts empty. It sits right next to your stock pile. As you play, you will flip cards from the stock pile into the waste pile. Depending on your game rules, you will flip either one card at a time or three cards at a time.
4. The Foundations (The Home Piles)
These are four empty spaces usually located in the top right corner. The goal of the game is to move all 52 cards here, separated by suit (Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs, Spades), starting with the Aces and building up to the Kings.
Ready to Play?
Now that your table is set up, you can start playing! If you prefer not to shuffle and deal by hand, you can play Classic Solitaire online right now. The computer handles the setup for you automatically.
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