Solitaire Terms Glossary: Every Word Explained

Solitaire has its own vocabulary, and it is not always obvious. "Tableau" sounds fancy. "Waste" sounds like trash. This glossary explains the words you will meet in the rules and help screens of most games.

Terms are alphabetical. Where a word means something different in a particular game, the entry says so.

A

Ace

The lowest card in most solitaire games (rank 1). In Klondike it starts each foundation. In wrap-around modes it also connects to the King (see "Wrap-around").

Alternating colors

Building a sequence by switching between red and black cards, for example a red 7 on a black 8. This is how Klondike columns are built.

Auto-complete

A feature that finishes the game for you once every card is face up and can go to the foundations. Klondike here does this.

B

Blocked card

A card you cannot play because another card sits on top of it, or because it is buried in the stock.

Build

To place a card on another in a legal order, such as a 6♠ on a 7♥.

Building down

Placing lower-ranked cards on higher ones, such as a 5 on a 6. This is the usual direction in tableau columns.

Building up

Placing higher cards on lower ones. This is how foundations work, from Ace to King.

C

Card back

The decorative pattern on the reverse of a card. You can choose one in the settings here.

Cascade

Another name for a tableau column in FreeCell. Cards stack in a "cascade" down the screen.

Column

A vertical stack of cards in the tableau. Also called a pile or a tableau pile.

Completed sequence

In Spider, a run of 13 cards of one suit from King to Ace, which is removed from the board.

D

Deal

(1) Laying out the starting cards. (2) A particular shuffled arrangement, as in "that was a tough deal."

Deal number

The number that identifies a particular shuffle. Every King to Ace game shows its deal number, and adding ?deal= plus the number to the address replays it.

Dead end

A position with no useful moves left. Sometimes called a "stuck" game.

Draw 1 / Draw 3

How many cards you turn over from the stock at once. See Draw 1 vs Draw 3.

E

Empty column

A tableau column with no cards. In Klondike, only a King may fill it. In FreeCell and some other games, any card or sequence can go there, so empty columns are very valuable.

Exposed card

A face-up card at the end of a column that is available to move.

F

Face-down

A card whose value you cannot see. Uncovering these is the main task in Klondike.

Face-up

A visible card.

Foundation

The piles where you build the final sequences, usually Ace through King by suit. Getting all cards onto the foundations wins most games. Some games, such as Pyramid, Golf and TriPeaks, have no foundations at all.

Free cell

In FreeCell, one of four temporary holding spots that each hold a single card. Using them wisely is the heart of the game. See FreeCell.

G

Game over

The state when you have won or have no moves left.

H

Hint

A feature that suggests a legal move. Handy for learning. On King to Ace you can also press H.

Hold

To keep a card in place rather than playing it, for strategic reasons. Players often hold a card to avoid blocking something deeper in the pile.

K

King

The highest card (rank 13). In Klondike only Kings can move into empty columns. In Pyramid, a King is removed by itself because it already equals 13.

King-to-Ace

A full run in one suit, as completed in Spider and Scorpion.

L

Legal move

A move that follows the rules of the game you are playing.

M

Move

Any card or group of cards you transfer from one place to another. The Moves counter tracks how many you have made.

N

No-win deal

A shuffle that cannot be won no matter how well you play. Klondike has some, and even FreeCell has a very small number. See our odds guide.

O

Open card

Another way to say a face-up card that is available for play.

P

Pair

In Pyramid, two cards whose ranks add up to 13, which you can remove together. See Pyramid Solitaire.

Pass

One trip through the stock. See "Redeal."

Peak

In TriPeaks, one of three triangular groups of cards that you clear. See TriPeaks Solitaire.

Pile

Any stack of cards: a column, the stock, the waste, or a foundation.

Pyramid

The triangular layout in Pyramid Solitaire, with 28 cards arranged in seven rows.

R

Rank

The number or letter value of a card: Ace, 2 through 10, Jack, Queen, King.

Recycle

To turn the waste pile over to form a new stock. See "Redeal." In Klondike scoring, recycling costs points.

Redeal

Going through the stock again after you have drawn all of it. Some games limit the number of redeals.

Reserve

A set of cards kept to the side, available to play from. In Canfield the reserve has 13 cards.

Run

A group of face-up cards in order that can often move together: black 9, red 8, black 7 in Klondike, or 9, 8, 7 of one suit in Spider.

S

Sequence

A series of cards in consecutive rank. It may need to be in alternating colors or in the same suit, depending on the game.

Shuffle

Mixing the deck to randomize it. Digital games do this for you.

Spider

A two-deck game that builds full suits inside the tableau. See Spider Solitaire.

Stalemate

Another word for having no more legal moves.

Stock

The face-down pile of cards you draw from when no tableau moves are left.

Streak

In TriPeaks, a chain of consecutive plays without drawing from the stock. On King to Ace each play in a streak scores one more point than the last (+1, +2, +3, and so on), and drawing from the stock resets it.

Suit

Clubs (♣), diamonds (♦), hearts (♥), or spades (♠). Hearts and diamonds are red. Clubs and spades are black.

T

Tableau

The main playing area: the columns where you build sequences and move cards around.

Talon

A term some rule books use for the stock, and some use for the waste pile. Because usage differs, check which pile a rule book means. On this site we say "stock" and "waste."

Turn over

To flip a face-down card face up, or to flip cards from the stock.

U

Undo

A feature that reverses your last move. Not part of traditional play, but very common digitally. Ctrl or Cmd plus Z does it here.

V

Vegas scoring

A scoring option, found in some Klondike apps, where you "pay" a fee to start and earn money for each card on the foundations. King to Ace does not offer it.

W

Waste

The pile where cards you drew from the stock end up (the beginner guide also calls it the talon). The top card is playable. Also called the "discard pile" in some versions.

Winnable deal

A deal that has at least one winning line of play. In Klondike and Spider, the "Winnable deals only" setting here is on by default, so new games come from deals our solver has won.

Wrap-around

When a sequence continues past the King back to the Ace, or the reverse. In TriPeaks here it is on by default. In Golf it is off by default and can be turned on with ?wrap=1.

A few terms that cause confusion

Foundation vs tableau

The tableau is where you work. The foundations are where cards end up. Beginners often swap them.

Stock vs waste

The stock is face-down and you draw from it. The waste is face-up and holds what you drew.

Sequence vs run

In practice these are used interchangeably. Rule books may use "sequence" for any ordered group and "run" for one in a single suit.

If you are brand new to the game, our beginner guide uses these terms in context. For the full list of games, see types of solitaire games.