Klondike Solitaire Turn 3

How to Play Klondike Solitaire Turn 3

Turn 3 is Klondike with one change: when you turn cards from the stock, you turn three at a time instead of one, and only the top card of those three can be played. The goal is the same as in regular Klondike: move all 52 cards to four foundation piles, one per suit, from Ace up to King.

Setup

1. Seven tableau columns are dealt from left to right: 1 card in the first, 2 in the second, up to 7 in the last, 28 cards in all.
2. The top card of each column is face up; the rest are face down.
3. The other 24 cards go face down into the stock in the top left corner.
4. The four foundation spaces at the top right start empty.

Rules

• Tableau: place a card on one a rank higher and of the opposite colour, such as a red 6 on a black 7. Runs that are already in order move together.
• Face-down cards: when a face-down card is left on top of a column, it turns face up.
• Empty columns: only a King, or a run headed by a King, can fill one.
• Stock: each tap turns three cards onto the waste, fanned so you can see them. Only the top one is playable. Play it and the one under it becomes playable.
• Redeals: when the stock is empty, tap its space to turn the waste back into a new stock. You can redeal as often as you like, but every redeal after the first costs points.
• Foundations: start each one with an Ace, then build up in the same suit. You can take the top foundation card back to the tableau if you need it.

How Draw 3 Changes the Game

With three cards at a time, the stock no longer gives you every card. Take a 24-card stock: if you play nothing from it, each pass shows you only every third card, the 3rd, 6th, 9th and so on. The other 16 are under them and out of reach.

What changes that is playing cards off the waste. Each card you play shifts the whole sequence by one. Play one card on the first pass and the next pass shows you a different set of cards. That is the heart of Turn 3: the order in which you take cards from the waste decides which cards you will see later.

It also means a card you can see now may not come back for a long time. If the 7 of hearts is the top card of a group and you pass on it, the next pass may bury it in the middle of a group of three. In draw 1 you can wait for a card; in draw 3 you often have to take it while you can.

This is why many players call draw 3 "real" Klondike. It was the standard rule with a physical deck long before computer solitaire made draw 1 the default, and it is the setting serious players use when they track their win rate.

Scoring

The score never goes below zero and there is no time bonus. In Turn 3 you will usually need more passes through the stock than in draw 1, so the redeal cost is where most points are won or lost. Your best Turn 3 score is kept separately from your Klondike score.

Turn 3 Strategy

Count the stock before you commit

On your first pass, just look. Turn through the whole stock without playing anything unless it is an obvious Ace or 2, and note which cards are on top of each group of three. Then you know what the next pass will offer, and what playing one card off the waste will shift.

Play off the waste to change the cycle

If a card you need is stuck in the middle of a group, playing one card off the waste earlier in the pass moves it to a new position. Sometimes the right move is to play a card you don't really need, just to bring the one you do need to the top on the next pass.

Take key cards when you see them

In draw 1, a card will come round again. In draw 3 it might not be playable on the next pass. Kings for empty columns, cards that let you uncover a long column, and low cards of a suit you are building are worth taking at once.

Free the tableau first

Your tableau moves never change the stock cycle, so you can always do them at no cost. Before every tap on the stock, check the tableau for moves that turn a face-down card. Those are the moves that win Turn 3 games.

Keep low cards in the tableau a little longer

Because the stock gives you cards in an awkward order, you need more places to put them. A black 4 left in the tableau can take a red 3 from the waste. Playing it to the foundation too early can leave the red 3 with nowhere to go.

Mind the redeal cost

The first redeal is free and each later one costs 100 points. If you are chasing a high score, plan your first two passes well. If you only want to win, redeal as often as you need.

Use undo to test different orders

Undo is unlimited. If you are not sure whether to take a card off the waste, try it, turn the next few groups to see what changes, and undo if it made things worse.

Common Turn 3 Mistakes

• Playing like it is draw 1. Waiting for a card to come round again works in draw 1. In draw 3 the card may be stuck in the middle of a group for the rest of the game.
• Drawing before checking the tableau. A tableau move is free and never changes the stock order. Look for one every time before you tap the stock.
• Emptying a column with no King in sight. In Turn 3 a King can sit in the stock for several passes. An empty column waiting for it is a column you can't use.
• Moving everything to the foundations. High cards on the foundations leave the low cards from the waste with nowhere to go. Keep a few landing spots in the tableau.
• Giving up too soon. A position that looks dead on one pass can open up on the next, once a single waste card has been played and the groups of three have shifted.

What Are the Odds of Winning Turn 3?

Turn 3 is hard. Studies of computer play suggest that around 8 in 10 random draw 3 deals can be won with perfect knowledge of every card, but people play without seeing the face-down cards, and good players report winning roughly 1 game in 5 to 1 in 3. A first-time player will win far fewer.

Unlike our draw 1 Klondike, where a solver makes sure every deal can be won, deals on this page are random. Some cannot be won no matter what you do. If you are stuck after several passes and the hint finds no winning path, start a new game. Want something lighter between hard deals? TriPeaks Solitaire takes a couple of minutes and every deal there can be won.

Klondike Solitaire Turn 3 FAQ

What is Klondike Solitaire Turn 3?

It is Klondike played with draw 3: each tap on the stock turns three cards onto the waste, and only the top one can be played. Everything else works like normal Klondike solitaire.

What is the difference between Turn 1 and Turn 3 solitaire?

In Turn 1 you turn one card at a time, so every stock card can be reached on every pass. In Turn 3 you turn three at a time and only the top one is playable, so many cards stay buried until the order changes. Turn 3 is much harder.

Is Klondike Turn 3 free to play here?

Yes. It is free in your browser with no download and no sign-up, on phone, tablet and computer.

How many times can I go through the stock in Turn 3?

There is no limit. The first redeal is free and each redeal after that costs 100 points.

Can every Turn 3 game be won?

No. Turn 3 deals on SolitairePlace are random, and some cannot be won. The draw 1 Klondike game on our home page only deals games that can be won.

How do you win more often at Turn 3?

Look through the whole stock on the first pass, play cards off the waste to change which cards come up next, take key cards when you see them, and turn over face-down tableau cards before you draw.

Is Turn 3 the same as 3 card solitaire?

Yes. Turn 3, draw 3, deal 3 and 3 card solitaire are all names for the same Klondike rule.

Can I undo moves in Turn 3?

Yes, with no limit. You can also use hints; each deal comes with 3 free hints.

Does my game save if I leave?

Yes. The game in progress and your best Turn 3 score are kept in this browser and come back when you return.

More Games Like Klondike Solitaire Turn 3

• Klondike Solitaire: the classic solitaire everyone knows, one card at a time from the stock, and every deal can be won.
• Mahjong Solitaire: match pairs of free tiles to clear a layered board; a new solvable layout every game.
• TriPeaks Solitaire: a fast solitaire where you clear three peaks by playing one rank up or down, and long streaks score big.