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Cards to Draw: 3

Klondike Solitaire Turn 1

Turn 1, also called Draw One, is Klondike with the stock turned one card at a time. The game above is already set to it. You can switch to Turn 3 with the draw buttons at any time. The rest of the rules are the same as in every Klondike game, and they are listed on the rules page. This page is about what the draw mode changes.

What one card at a time changes

The stock holds 24 cards at the start. In Turn 1, a click on the stock moves its top card face up onto the waste, and that card can be played at once. On one pass you see all 24 cards, and each of them is playable when it comes up. When the stock runs out, a click turns the waste back over and you go through it again. This site allows as many passes as you like. So no card in the stock is ever out of reach. If you need the 8 of clubs and it is in the stock, you can get to it.

The odds

With every card visible, about 80% of Turn 1 deals can be won. In a real game the face-down tableau cards are hidden, so you will win fewer than that. Turn 1 still gives you the best chance Klondike offers. The stock is never what stops you. When a Turn 1 game is lost, the cause is almost always in the tableau: a key card is buried under a column you could not clear.

How to play Turn 1 well

  • Treat the stock as a reserve. Because every card in it stays reachable, you do not have to play a card from the waste just because it fits. Leave it there if you might want it later in a different place.
  • Scout the stock early. One pass costs nothing here. Go through it once to learn where the low cards and Kings are before you commit to a plan in the tableau.
  • Spend your effort on the tableau. The 21 face-down cards are the real problem. Prefer moves that turn one of them over, and start with the tallest columns.
  • Hold a King for each empty column. Before you clear a column, check that a King is waiting in the stock or on top of a run.

The strategy guide goes further, with the mistakes that lose the most games.

Who Turn 1 suits

Turn 1 is the mode to learn on. You see more of the deck and more games end in a win, which makes it easier to tell good moves from bad ones. If you have never played, read how to play Solitaire and then come back here. It also suits short sessions, since a game rarely needs many passes through the stock. If you find you win most Turn 1 games, try Turn 3, where the stock becomes part of the puzzle.

Other games on the site: Klondike with its history and odds, the daily deal, FreeCell and Spider. The home page opens straight into a game.