Solitaire Glossary
Essential card game terminology explained. Click any term to learn more, or visit the linked game pages for detailed rules and strategy.
Game Layout Terms
- Tableau
- The main playing area where cards are arranged in columns. In Klondike, the tableau consists of seven columns of increasing length. Players build descending sequences here by moving cards between columns.
- KlondikeSpiderFreecell
- Foundation
- The target piles where you build completed suit sequences, usually from Ace to King. Most solitaire games are won by moving all cards to the foundation piles. Each foundation typically holds one complete suit.
- KlondikeFreecellPyramid
- Stock
- The face-down pile of undealt cards. In Klondike, the stock contains 24 cards after the initial deal. Players draw from the stock when no tableau moves are available.
- KlondikeSpiderGolf
- Waste
- Also called the talon or discard pile. Cards drawn from the stock that are not immediately playable go to the waste pile. Only the top card of the waste is available for play.
- KlondikeGolf
- Free Cell
- A temporary storage space for individual cards, unique to the FreeCell variant. Four free cells sit above the tableau and can each hold one card. Managing these limited spaces is the core strategic challenge of FreeCell.
- Freecell
- Cascade
- A column of overlapping cards in the tableau where each card partially covers the one below it. Only the fully exposed bottom card of a cascade is available for play. Cascades are the primary structure in Spider and FreeCell.
- SpiderFreecell
- Reserve
- A separate area holding cards that can be played to the tableau or foundations but cannot receive cards from other locations. Some solitaire variants like Canfield use a reserve pile as an additional card source.
- Klondike
Card States
- Face-up
- A card placed with its rank and suit visible to the player. Face-up cards can be identified and potentially moved. In FreeCell, all cards are dealt face-up, eliminating hidden information entirely.
- FreecellKlondike
- Face-down
- A card placed with its back showing, hiding its rank and suit. Face-down cards cannot be moved until they are revealed by removing the cards covering them. Uncovering face-down cards is a primary goal in Klondike and Spider.
- KlondikeSpider
Player Actions
Building Patterns
- Alternating Colors
- A building rule requiring cards to alternate between red (hearts, diamonds) and black (spades, clubs) in a sequence. Klondike tableau building uses alternating colors — for example, a black 7 on a red 8.
- KlondikeFreecell
- Same Suit
- A building rule requiring all cards in a sequence to share the same suit. Spider rewards same-suit sequences because they can be moved as a group, while mixed-suit sequences cannot.
- Spider
- Sequence
- A series of cards arranged in consecutive rank order. Sequences can be ascending (3, 4, 5, 6) or descending (King, Queen, Jack, 10). A complete sequence in Spider runs from King down to Ace in one suit.
- SpiderKlondikeFreecell
- Run
- A consecutive sequence of cards that can be moved as a single unit. In Spider, only same-suit runs can be moved together. In Klondike, properly ordered alternating-color sequences can be moved as a group.
- SpiderKlondike
- Wrapping
- When sequences are allowed to continue past King back to Ace or below Ace back to King. Some Golf solitaire variants allow wrapping, where you can place a King on an Ace or vice versa. Standard rules usually do not permit wrapping.
- Golf
Game Types
- Patience
- The British English term for solitaire card games. While Americans say solitaire, British players say patience. Both terms refer to single-player card games. The French word is also patience or réussite.
- Klondike