Strategies to win more games of Solitaire
Not every game of Solitaire can be won, but many that look lost can be saved with the right priorities. These tips work for both Draw 1 and Draw 3.
· 2 min read
Play Solitaire1. Uncovering comes first
Every face-down card is information you don’t have yet. Before anything else, ask which move uncovers a card. If several do, start with the column with the most hidden cards: that’s where most of the game is hiding.
2. Don’t empty columns without a King
An empty column only takes a King. Empty it without a King ready to fill it and you’ve wasted a useful space. Before emptying one, check there’s a King available, and if there are two, pick the one that uncovers more cards.
3. Aces and twos at once; the rest, carefully
Aces and twos are no use in the columns: move them to the foundations as soon as they appear. Think twice about higher cards, because a 5 on the foundation can no longer take a 4 of the other colour in a column.
4. Think about both colours
If you can put either of two cards on one of the other colour (say, the 8 of hearts or the 8 of diamonds on a black 9), pick the one that frees what you’ll need next. Sometimes moving a run to another column uncovers exactly the card you were missing.
5. Draw 3: look at the stock before you commit
In Draw 3 you only reach one card in three per pass. Playing a card from the waste changes which cards you’ll see on the next pass: sometimes it’s better to hold off so a card you need shows up.
6. Use undo to explore
On Vexply you can undo moves: try a line, see which cards appear and go back if it doesn’t help. There’s an achievement for winning without a single undo, for when you want the full challenge.
7. Know when to start again
Some deals can’t be won even with perfect play. When no useful move is left, the game tells you, so you can start a new deal instead of cycling the stock.