Play Klondike Solitaire 3 Cards Online for Free

Klondike Solitaire 3 Cards is the classic solitaire with a harder stock. Each click turns three cards onto the waste, and you can only play the top one. To reach a card in the middle of a group, you first have to play the card above it. If you want an easier start, try Klondike 1 Card. You can play it here for free, online, with no download and no sign-up, and in full screen if you like.

How to play Klondike Solitaire 3 Cards

Goal

Move all 52 cards to the four foundations. Each foundation holds one suit, built up from Ace to King.

The deal

The game uses one deck of 52 cards.

• Tableau: 7 columns. The first column gets 1 card, the second 2, and so on up to 7 cards in the last column. Only the last card of each column is face up.
• Stock: the other 24 cards, face down. Click it to turn three cards face up onto the waste pile next to it.
• Foundations: four empty places, one for each suit.

Rules

• Building down: in the tableau, put a card on a card one rank higher and of the other colour. A red 6 goes on a black 7, a black Jack goes on a red Queen.
• Moving several cards: you can move a group of face-up cards together if it is already in order, down and in alternating colours.
• Turning cards over: when you move the last face-up card off a column, the card under it turns face up.
• Empty columns: only a King, or a group that starts with a King, can go into an empty column.
• Foundations: start each foundation with an Ace, then add 2, 3 and so on up to King, all in the same suit. Aces go up by themselves. You can also move a card back from a foundation to the tableau if you need it there.
• The stock: click the stock to turn three cards onto the waste. Only the top card of the waste can be played. When you play it, the card under it becomes playable. When the stock is empty, click it to turn the waste over and go through the cards again. There is no limit on how many times.

Tips to win more often

• Turn over hidden cards first. The face-down cards in the tableau are what stop you. Moves that turn one over are usually better than moves from the stock.
• Start with the longest columns. The columns on the right hide the most cards. Freeing them early gives you more choices later.
• Don't empty a column without a King to put there. An empty column only takes a King. If no King is ready, the space is wasted.
• Think before choosing a King. If a red and a black King could both go into an empty column, look at which Queens and Jacks are waiting. Pick the King they can follow.
• Don't rush cards to the foundations. Low cards like 2s and 3s are safe to send up. Higher cards may still be useful in the tableau to hold the next lower card.
• Remember the order of the stock. If you play no card from the waste, the groups of three stay the same on the next pass. Playing one card changes every group after it, which can bring a buried card to the top.
• Use undo to test ideas. There is no limit on undo. If you are not sure which move is better, try one and go back.

1 card or 3 cards?

The rules are the same in both games. Only the stock changes. With 1 card you see every card of the stock on each pass, so you can always reach the card you need. With 3 cards only the top card of each group of three can be played, and the cards under it stay out of reach until you play the top one. That makes Klondike 3 Cards harder and more about planning ahead. Try Klondike 1 Card if you are new to the game. The table further down shows how often players win each one.

Frequently asked questions

Is Klondike Solitaire 3 Cards free?

Yes. Every game on Solitaire Land is free to play in your browser, on a computer, tablet or phone. There is nothing to download and you don't need an account.

Can I play in full screen?

Yes. Use the full screen button in the bar above the game. You can also make the cards bigger or smaller with the zoom slider in the bar below the game.

What does the Hint button do?

It shows you one move you can make right now. It doesn't play the game for you, so you still choose what to do next.

Why can't I play the card I can see in the waste?

With 3 cards, only the top card of the waste can be played. The other cards wait under it. Play the top card first, and the next one becomes free.

How many times can I go through the stock?

As many times as you like. When the stock is empty, click it and the waste turns back into a new stock.

What are the daily challenge and the levels?

Every day there is one daily challenge deal, the same for everybody. A calendar shows which ones you have finished. Levels go from 1 to 100 and get harder as you go up. Each level is a deal chosen from games played here. Winnable deals are deals that at least one player has already won. You can find all three in the New game menu.

Where Klondike comes from

The earliest rules we know of for this game are from 1907, in an edition of Hoyle's Games, under the name Seven-Card Klondike. Nobody knows for sure where the name comes from. It is often linked to the Klondike Gold Rush in Canada, but there is no proof of that. In America the game was also called Canfield. Windows included it as Solitaire from Windows 3.0 in 1990, which is why many people simply call it Solitaire today. If you want more of a challenge without a stock, try Yukon Solitaire, where all the cards are dealt at the start. For a game where every card is face up, try FreeCell Solitaire.