Solitaire Glossary: Tableau, Foundation, Stock and Other Terms Explained

Solitaire rules are full of words that nobody uses anywhere else: tableau, foundation, waste, stock. If you have ever read a strategy guide and felt lost, this glossary is for you. The terms below are used across most solitaire variants, including Klondike, FreeCell, Spider, Pyramid and TriPeaks.

The main areas of the layout

Tableau The main playing area, made up of columns (or, in some games, a shape like a pyramid). Most of your moves happen here. In Klondike there are seven tableau columns; in FreeCell there are eight; in Spider there are ten.

Foundation The piles where you build cards up in order, usually by suit from Ace to King. In Klondike and FreeCell, filling all four foundations wins the game.

Stock The face-down pile of cards that were not dealt to the tableau. You draw from it when you need new cards. Spider is different: dealing from its stock adds a card to every tableau column.

Waste (or waste pile) Where cards drawn from the stock land, face up. Usually only the top waste card can be played.

Free cell A temporary holding space for a single card, used in FreeCell. There are four of them.

Reserve A general term in some games for cards set aside that can be played later.

Describing cards

Face up / face down Whether a card's front is visible. Face-down cards are hidden until uncovered.

Rank The value of a card: Ace, 2, 3 ... 10, Jack, Queen, King.

Suit Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs or Spades. Hearts and Diamonds are red; Clubs and Spades are black.

Available (or exposed) A card that can currently be moved, usually because nothing is covering it.

Describing moves

Build down / build up Placing cards in descending order (King, Queen, Jack...) or ascending order (Ace, 2, 3...). Tableaus usually build down; foundations build up.

Alternating colors A building rule where each card must be the opposite color of the card it is placed on, such as a red 6 on a black 7. Used in Klondike and FreeCell.

In suit (same suit) A building rule where cards must share a suit. In Spider, only same-suit sequences can be moved as a group.

Sequence (or run) A group of cards already in the correct building order, such as 9, 8, 7 in alternating colors.

Empty column A tableau column with no cards. What can go there depends on the game: only Kings in Klondike, any card in FreeCell and Spider.

Pass (or redeal) Going through the stock once. Some games allow unlimited passes, others limit them.

Draw 1 / Draw 3 How many cards are turned from the stock at a time in Klondike. See Draw 1 vs Draw 3.

Streak A run of consecutive plays without drawing from the stock, especially important in TriPeaks.

Describing the game

Deal A particular starting arrangement of cards. Some apps number their deals so you can replay them.

Winnable (or solvable) A deal that can be completed with the right moves. Not every deal is winnable in most variants, although almost every FreeCell deal is.

Undo Taking back a move. Many apps allow it; purists sometimes play without it.

Putting it together

With these terms, a sentence like "In Klondike, build down in alternating colors on the tableau, move Aces to the foundations, and draw from the stock to the waste when stuck" becomes easy to follow.

Ready to play? Start with our Klondike strategy tips or compare games in Solitaire variants compared.