How to set up Solitaire
Classic Solitaire usually means Klondike Solitaire: one deck, seven tableau columns, four foundations, a stock pile, and a waste pile. The setup looks simple, but understanding the layout makes the first moves much easier.
If you only want to play, vSolitaire sets up the cards automatically. If you are learning with a real deck or checking the rules before a browser game, this guide shows where every card goes and how the setup affects strategy.
What you need
- Use one standard 52-card deck with no jokers.
- Shuffle well before dealing.
- Leave room for seven tableau columns, four foundation piles, the stock, and the waste pile.
- Deal 28 cards to the tableau and keep 24 cards in the stock.
The goal is to move every card to the foundations by suit from Ace to King. The tableau is the working area, the stock gives you extra cards, and the waste pile holds cards drawn from the stock.
The seven-column tableau layout
Deal seven columns from left to right. The first column gets one card, the second gets two cards, the third gets three cards, and the pattern continues until the seventh column has seven cards. Only the top card of each column starts face up.
- Column 1: one card face up.
- Column 2: one card face down, one card face up.
- Column 3: two cards face down, one card face up.
- Column 4: three cards face down, one card face up.
- Column 5: four cards face down, one card face up.
- Column 6: five cards face down, one card face up.
- Column 7: six cards face down, one card face up.
That creates 21 hidden tableau cards and 7 visible tableau cards. Revealing those hidden cards is the main source of progress, so good Solitaire play usually starts by looking for moves that expose a face-down card.
Where the stock, waste, and foundations go
Put the remaining 24 cards face down as the stock pile. When you draw from the stock, the cards move to the waste pile. In Turn 1 Solitaire, one card moves to the waste each draw. In Turn 3 Solitaire, three cards move at a time and only the top waste card is playable.
Leave four empty foundation spaces above the tableau. As Aces become available, move them to the foundations, then build each suit upward: Ace, 2, 3, 4, and so on through King.
What a legal move looks like
In the tableau, build cards downward in alternating colors. A red 7 can move onto a black 8. A black Queen can move onto a red King. If a sequence is already in correct order, you can move the whole sequence together.
Empty tableau columns can only receive a King or a sequence headed by a King. This is why opening a column matters. The right King can unlock a buried stack, while the wrong King can take a valuable space too early.
Setup choices that affect difficulty
The physical layout is the same for Draw 1 and Draw 3, but the stock rule changes the difficulty. Draw 1 gives you more direct access to stock cards, which makes it easier for learning. Draw 3 makes stock order part of the puzzle because useful cards can be buried under other waste cards.
If you are setting up a game for someone new, use Draw 1. If you already know the rules and want a stricter challenge, use Draw 3. For a deeper comparison, read Draw 1 vs Draw 3 Solitaire.
Common setup mistakes
- Dealing every tableau card face up. Only the top card of each column should start visible.
- Forgetting the waste pile. Drawn stock cards need a separate face-up pile.
- Putting foundations below the tableau. Foundations are usually above the tableau so progress is easy to see.
- Allowing any card into an empty column. Only Kings or King-led sequences can fill an empty tableau column.
- Mixing suits in the foundations. Each foundation builds one suit from Ace to King.
Play the setup online
The fastest way to learn the layout is to play a few hands and watch which spaces matter. Start below with a free Draw 1 game, then switch to Draw 3 when the tableau, stock, waste, and foundations feel familiar.
After you win, vSolitaire can turn the result into a replay video or a same-deal challenge link. That makes a clean setup lesson easy to send to a friend: play the deal, finish it, then challenge them to beat your score.
For the full move reference, read Solitaire rules. For better decisions after setup, use How to win Solitaire or the Solitaire strategy guide.