Solitaire Glossary: Key Terms Across All Six Games

Tableau — The main playing area where most action happens. In Klondike, the seven columns of face-up and face-down cards. In Spider, the ten columns. Cards on the tableau are built into sequences and eventually moved to the foundation.

Foundation — The target piles where you build sequences to win. In Klondike and FreeCell, four piles (one per suit) built Ace through King. In Spider, eight piles (one per completed King-through-Ace sequence). Getting all cards to the foundation wins the game.

Stock (or Draw Pile) — The pile of undealt cards. In Klondike, it sits in the top-left and is flipped one or three cards at a time. In Spider, it deals one card to every column when clicked. In Pyramid and TriPeaks, it is clicked to reveal cards to the waste.

Waste (or Talon) — The pile of cards flipped from the stock. The top card of the waste is usually the only one accessible for play. In Pyramid, the waste top is compared against pyramid cards to find pairs.

Build — To place a card on a tableau pile following the game's sequencing rules (e.g., alternating color and descending rank in Klondike).

Sequence (or Run) — A group of cards on the tableau that can be moved together as a unit because they follow the building rules in an unbroken chain.

Auto-move — When the game automatically moves a card to the foundation because it's the correct next card. Most implementations offer this as an option to speed up the end game.

Deal — To flip new cards from the stock. In Spider, dealing one card to every column. In Klondike, flipping the top stock card to waste.

Free Cell — In FreeCell Solitaire specifically, the four empty buffer cells in the top-left where individual cards can be parked temporarily. Not to be confused with 'FreeCell' (the game name).

Empty Column — A tableau column with no cards. Extremely valuable in most solitaire variants as a temporary parking space or for holding Kings.

In-Suit Sequence — In Spider, a sequence of cards that are all the same suit. Only in-suit sequences can be moved as a group.

Free Tile — In Mahjong Solitaire, a tile that is not covered and has at least one open side. Only free tiles can be matched.

Chain / Streak — In TriPeaks, a run of consecutive layout cards removed without drawing from the stock. Longer chains score exponentially more points.

Pair — In Pyramid Solitaire, two cards whose ranks sum to 13. Matched pairs are removed from the game.

Dead Position — A state from which no more progress is possible regardless of future play. In Klondike, a common dead position is when every needed card is trapped under an immovable stack and the stock has been exhausted.

Stranded Card — In Draw 3 Klondike, a card in the stock that never appears at the top of the waste due to the three-card cycling math. With certain stock sizes, some cards surface less frequently or only in specific cycle counts.

Blocking — A situation where a needed card cannot be accessed because other cards are on top of or adjacent to it. Most solitaire losses come from unresolvable blocking.

Patience — The original British term for solitaire card games. Still used in the UK and much of Europe. From the French 'patience,' reflecting the temperament these games reward.