Skip to content
UNCLESC.COM

A quiet place to play.

FOLLOW A HIDDEN POSSIBILITY · FOLLOW YOUR OWN TEMPO

Tips & Strategy

A quieter look at Tips & Strategy begins here. You can return to the card table from the main menu.

THE NIGHT TABLE
01 · 02 · 04

Look under the visible cards

A move that reveals a hidden card gives you another fact to work with. You cannot know the identity of a hidden card before it is exposed. Compare possible moves by what they uncover as well as by the length of the sequence they create. A longer visible run is not automatically better than a move that opens the tableau.

Value an empty column

Here is what to know. A whole-column move into another empty column does not reveal anything new on its own. An empty column can hold a temporary sequence while you rearrange other cards. You must eventually fill every empty column before dealing from the stock. Consider the next destination before filling your only empty column.

Favor matching suits

The key details are straightforward. Look for ways to join matching segments without burying a card you need elsewhere. Same-suit descending cards remain movable as a group. Matching colors alone do not give that benefit in four-suit Spider. A shorter matching group can be easier to reuse than a longer mixed-suit build.

Use mixed builds deliberately

Keep these details in mind. Before extending the mixed build, look for temporary destinations that could help you separate it. Only the same-suit descending segment at the bottom moves together. Avoid assuming that every descending column can be moved as one unit. A mixed-suit move can be worthwhile when it reveals a card or frees a column.

Know the limited destination

Here is what to know. Placing a King in your last empty column may reduce your immediate rearrangement options. A group beginning with a King has the same limitation. A King requires an empty column because there is no higher rank. Moving a King can still be useful when it uncovers an important hidden card.

Pause before dealing

The key details are straightforward. Keeping all columns occupied is a requirement for using the stock. Check whether a visible move can expose a card or join matching suits before you deal. Dealing remains an option when the visible layout offers no useful improvement. A stock deal adds one card to every column and may disrupt useful sequences.

Look one move ahead

Here is what to know. Moving a small segment may release a second move that was previously blocked. Ask what a move will let you do next rather than considering only the first destination. No simple rule can guarantee success on every randomly shuffled deal. Try to leave more than one useful destination when the layout allows it.

Solitaire large cards

Compare a different line

On this website, the following points apply. The timer does not move backward when you undo. Undo restores the previous card state, including flips and collected runs. Compare what each alternative reveals instead of repeating the same sequence without a new idea. Replay is useful when you want to revisit the opening arrangement of the same deal.

Make the final decision

On this website, the following points apply. Repeatedly using Hint cycles through the available suggestions for the current position. Hints search legal moves in the visible position. The suggested move may be useful for investigation without leading to a win. A hint does not reveal the stock or hidden tableau cards.

2 player solitaire with one deck

Choose a comfortable challenge

Two suits introduces the difference between a descending build and a movable same-suit group. Four suits gives you more suit conflicts to resolve using the same rules. A short, focused session can be more useful for learning than rushing to finish a difficult deal. One suit is useful for practicing rank order and the controls.