OBJECTIVE OF DOUBLE SOLITAIRE: The objective is to move all cards from the tableau and from the stockpile into four build piles.
NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 2 players
MATERIALS OF DOUBLE SOLITAIRE: 2x 52-card decks; 1 deck for each player
TYPE OF GAME: Card game
AUDIENCE: Teens and Adults
OVERVIEW OF DOUBLE SOLITAIRE
Looking for a fun card game to play with one other person? Do you happen to have two 52-card deck of cards lying around? Well, have we got the game for you! Double Solitaire is one of the best games to play between just two players. Also referred to as Double Klondike, this is the competitive version of Solitaire. But double the fun!
If you’re a huge fan of Solitaire, you’re going to absolutely love this competitive version. Double Solitaire will really test your skills and patience, as you go head-to-head with just one other player. Did you know a Solitaire game could get your heart racing this much? We certainly didn’t! Intrigued by this game? So are we! Here are the rules for Double Solitare!
SETUP FOR DOUBLE SOLITAIRE
Double Solitaire is a 2 player version of the classic card game. Each player has a separate 52-card deck with different backs so that you can easily differentiate between the two. You don’t want to mix up the decks in this game!
THE TABLEAU
Each player deals their layout – 28 cards in seven piles. Cards are dealt face-down with the top card face-up – just like in normal Solitaire. The pile to the farthest left has a single card, the second pile has two cards, the third three, and so on until the pile to the farthest right (the seventh pile) has seven cards. Between the two player’s layouts is a space enough for four foundation piles each, so a total of eight foundation piles, that may be played upon by either player.
The cards that remain form a stockpile for each player. Each player’s stockpile should be placed next to their tableau.
DOUBLE SOLITAIRE RACE
This game can be played by taking turns OR racing to see who finishes first. Generally, Double Solitaire is understood as taking turns. However, you can simply follow the rules for Double Solitaire below, if players choose to race. This makes for a MUCH more chaotic game. The first player who finishes wins in this version.
HOW TO PLAY DOUBLE SOLITAIRE
The player with the lower ranking face-up card on their single card pile (the pile to the farthest left) starts the game. An alternative method of figuring out which player goes first is for both players to draw the top card from their own stockpile, and the player with the lowest card goes first. In this game, ace is low.
MAKING MOVES
On your turn, make moves like you would in normal Solitaire. The goal is to move around the cards in your tableau in order to expose the cards underneath so that you can complete your foundation piles. More on foundation piles below!
To play, you have to move around your cards in your layout or tableau. You can do this in three different ways:
- Move a card underneath another card in the tableau, as long as the card above it is a different color and one value above. For example, if you have a red seven, you can move that to the column underneath a black eight.
- Remove a card from your discard pile onto a foundation pile or a column following the above rule.
- Move a card to a foundation pile.
Anytime you move a face-up card from the tableau to another column or foundation pile and a face-down card underneath is revealed, turn over that face-down card. In other words, all columns should always have one face-up card as long as there are cards in that column.
FOUNDATION PILES
If you come across an ace at any point, either among the face-up cards in your tableau or in the discard pile, move it to create a foundation pile above your tableau. Once a foundation pile is created, players can now move cards from the tableau or discard pile to that foundation pile. However, unlike the tableau, this foundation pile must be the same suit and must be one value higher.
So, for example, if there is an ace of spades placed in a foundation pile, if the player has a 2 of spades in their tableau, they may move this card on top of the ace of spades. Then, if a face-down card is revealed underneath the column where the 2 of spades was, the player must turn over this card and continue the game.
Over the course of the game, there can be up to 8 foundation piles. Both players may play on either foundation pile.
KINGS
At some point in the game, if a player comes across a King, they may move this card to an empty slot in their tableau. However, a player cannot have more than 7 columns, so this can only occur if a column is completely out of cards. In other words, the player has moved all the cards from this column to the foundation piles or underneath other alternating-color cards within the tableau.
ENDING YOUR TURN
Your turn ends when you cannot or will not make any more moves. This is indicated by turning over the top face-down card from your stockpile and discarding it.
The second player then gets to play following the steps above. When it is your turn again, you can make moves following the same structure, but now that you have a discard pile as well, you can also use the discarded card to make moves if that comes in handy!
END OF GAME
The game finishes when one player is able to play all their cards to the 8 foundation piles. It doesn’t matter which foundation piles they use – theirs or the opposing player’s.
However, if both players are unable to make any more moves, which happens often enough in any Solitaire game, the game ends due to blockage. In this case, the player who has added the most cards to the foundation piles wins! This is where the two differently-colored decks come in handy!
STRATEGIES FOR DOUBLE SOLITAIRE
As with any Solitaire game, you should have a decent strategy to keep in mind in order to win the game. Here are some of our top strategies for Double Solitaire.
EXPOSE THE FACEDOWN CARDS
The first strategy and tip is to expose the facedown cards as much as you can! Draw from your stockpile, move cards to other columns, and expose the cards!
PLAY ALL EIGHT FOUNDATION PILES
The fun thing about Double Solitaire compared to traditional Solitaire is that you can play on 8, not just 4, foundation piles. Don’t just work on your own foundation pile. If you can play on your opponent’s, do it!
THINK BEFORE MOVING CARDS
Just because you can move a card doesn’t mean you have to. Think before you do it! If placing a card in a foundation will make it more difficult for you to move the cards around in your tableau, don’t do it. Similarly, if placing a card in a foundation pile will make it easier for your opponent to place cards down, don’t do it!
EMPTY COLUMNS ONLY IF YOU HAVE A KING
You should only empty a column if you have a King ready to take up the column’s space. This way you have more piles to play on, giving you more opportunities.
Check out more Solitaire strategies here!
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SOLITAIRE AND DOUBLE SOLITAIRE
Of course, the main difference between Solitaire and Double Solitaire is that one is a solo card game while the other is a card game made for 2 players. The actual gameplay is quite similar, with slight differences in rules between Solitaire and Double Solitaire. For example, in Double Solitaire, there are 8 foundation piles, and it is a game played to compete against another player.
OTHER TWO-PLAYER CARD GAMES
Looking for other 2-player card games to play? We’ve got you covered! Here are the rules for some other super fun 2-player card games:
FAQ
How Many Cards Do You Need for Double Solitaire?
Each player will play with their own standard 52-card deck, so you need a total of 104 cards in order to play Double Solitaire.
Can You Play Double Solitaire with One Deck?
It is possible to play Double Solitaire with one deck, but this would be with entirely different rules. To play Double Solitaire with one deck, you’ll be playing Solitaire together, taking turns one by one, changing turns whenever a player is unable to make a move with any of the face-up cards or the top card from the draw pile. In this version, the player who finishes the last foundation pile wins. Or if the game ends even though the four foundation piles aren’t completed, the player who moved the most cards to the four foundation piles wins the game.
How Many Columns Are in Double Solitaire?
Double Solitaire, just like normal solitaire, has 7 columns. The column on the far left has one card, the next column has two cards, the next three cards, and so on.
Can You Play Double Solitaire with 3 Players?
Surprisingly enough, yes, you can! You’ll simply need another deck of cards for the third player. And you’ll have 12 foundation piles to play on, instead of just 8!
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