How to Set Up Solitaire — Step-by-Step Card Layout Guide

What You Need

Setting up a game of Klondike solitaire requires very little:

One standard 52-card deck (no jokers). Any deck will do — bridge size, poker size, plastic-coated, or plain cardboard.
A flat playing surface with enough room for seven columns of overlapping cards plus a stock pile and foundation area. A large table or desk works best; you will need roughly 3 to 4 feet of horizontal space.

That is it. No scorepad, no tokens, no special equipment — just a shuffled deck and a clear surface.

Step 1 — Shuffle the Deck Thoroughly

A proper shuffle is the foundation of a fair game. Use a riffle shuffle, an overhand shuffle, or a combination of both. Aim for at least five to seven shuffles to ensure the cards are sufficiently randomized. If you are using a brand-new deck, the cards will be in factory order, so extra shuffling is especially important.

Avoid merely cutting the deck a few times. Incomplete shuffling leads to clumped sequences and predictable deals, which reduces the challenge and enjoyment of the game.

Step 2 — Deal the Tableau

The tableau is the main playing area and consists of seven columns arranged from left to right. Here is exactly how to deal it:

Column 1: Deal one card face-up.
Column 2: Deal one card face-down, then one card face-up on top.
Column 3: Deal two cards face-down, then one card face-up on top.
Column 4: Deal three cards face-down, then one card face-up on top.
Column 5: Deal four cards face-down, then one card face-up on top.
Column 6: Deal five cards face-down, then one card face-up on top.
Column 7: Deal six cards face-down, then one card face-up on top.

In total you will deal 28 cards across the seven columns. Each column has one more card than the column to its left, and only the top card of each column is face-up. All other cards remain face-down and hidden until they are uncovered during play.

Dealing Pattern Tip

The most efficient way to deal is in rows rather than completing one column at a time. Start by dealing one card to each of the seven columns (first card face-up on column 1, face-down on columns 2 through 7). Then deal one card to columns 2 through 7 (face-up on column 2, face-down on 3 through 7). Continue this pattern until column 7 receives its final face-up card. This row-by-row approach is faster and less error-prone.

Step 3 — Visualize the Layout

When dealing is complete, your table should look like this:

Foundation:   [ ]  [ ]  [ ]  [ ]        Stock: [###]   Waste: [ ]

Tableau:
 Col 1   Col 2   Col 3   Col 4   Col 5   Col 6   Col 7
  [A]     [?]     [?]     [?]     [?]     [?]     [?]
          [B]     [?]     [?]     [?]     [?]     [?]
                  [C]     [?]     [?]     [?]     [?]
                          [D]     [?]     [?]     [?]
                                  [E]     [?]     [?]
                                          [F]     [?]
                                                  [G]

Letters A through G represent the face-up cards. Question marks represent face-down cards. Stagger each row slightly downward so the face-up card at the bottom of each column is clearly visible.

Step 4 — Set Up the Foundation Area

Above or beside the tableau, designate space for four empty foundation piles. These are where you will build each suit in ascending order — Ace through King — during the game. At the start, the foundation piles are empty. Many players place four placeholder markers or simply leave open space; what matters is that you have room for four distinct piles.

Step 5 — Place the Stock Pile

The remaining 24 cards that were not dealt to the tableau form the stock pile (also called the draw pile). Place them face-down in a single stack to the upper-right or upper-left of the tableau — wherever is most comfortable for you.

Next to the stock, leave room for the waste pile (also called the talon or discard pile). When you draw cards from the stock during play, they go face-up onto the waste pile.

Step 6 — Verify Your Setup

Before you start playing, do a quick check:

Seven columns on the tableau, with 1 through 7 cards respectively.
Only the top card of each column is face-up; all others are face-down.
28 cards on the tableau in total.
24 cards in the stock pile, face-down.
Four empty spots reserved for the foundation.
An empty space for the waste pile.

If the numbers do not add up, you likely miscounted while dealing. Gather the cards and start over.

Common Setup Mistakes

Dealing All Cards Face-Up

Every card except the top card of each column should be face-down. If you deal too many cards face-up, the game loses its central element of hidden information.

Wrong Number of Columns

Klondike solitaire uses exactly seven columns. Dealing six or eight will change the game entirely and is not standard.

Incorrect Column Sizes

Column 1 must have 1 card, column 2 must have 2 cards, and so on up to column 7 with 7 cards. A common error is dealing equal-sized columns. Double-check the staircase pattern before starting.

Forgetting to Shuffle

Starting with an unshuffled or poorly shuffled deck leads to patterns in the deal that make the game either trivially easy or impossibly hard. Always shuffle well.

Mixing in Jokers

A standard Klondike game uses exactly 52 cards. Remove any jokers, advertising cards, or rule cards from the deck before shuffling.

You Are Ready to Play

With the tableau dealt, the stock pile prepared, and the foundation area cleared, your solitaire setup is complete. Pick up the guide on how to play solitaire to learn the rules, or check out our solitaire rules and scoring guide for a deep dive into gameplay and point systems.