Complete Solitaire Glossary: Every Term You Need to Know

Quick Answer: The core solitaire terms are: tableau (the main playing columns), foundation (where cards build to complete the game), stock (the face-down draw pile), waste pile (discarded draws), cascade (an overlapping column of cards), and supermove (moving a sequence of cards at once). This glossary covers 60+ terms used across all major solitaire variants.

Understanding solitaire terminology makes it easier to follow strategy guides, read rules for new variants, and communicate clearly about the game. This complete glossary covers terms used in Klondike, FreeCell, Spider, Pyramid, Freecell, and most other popular patience games.

Core Layout Terms

Tableau — The main playing area consisting of columns or piles of cards. Most solitaire games start with 7 tableau columns (Klondike) or 8 (FreeCell, Spider). The tableau is where most card movement happens during play.

Foundation — The goal piles where cards are built up by suit from Ace to King (in most variants). When all 52 cards are on foundations, the game is won. Some variants like Osmosis use different foundation rules.

Stock (Draw Pile) — The face-down pile of remaining cards after the initial deal. Players draw from the stock when no moves are available in the tableau. Also called the "hand" or "talon" in European patience terminology.

Waste Pile (Talon) — The face-up pile where drawn cards go when not immediately playable. Only the top card of the waste pile is available for play. When the stock is exhausted, many variants allow the waste pile to be flipped and reused.

Reserve — A holding area of cards that are available to play but not part of the main tableau. Used in FreeCell (4 open cells) and some patience games like Osmosis.

Cell — In FreeCell specifically, one of four open spots above the tableau. Each cell can hold exactly one card temporarily, giving the player flexibility to maneuver blocked sequences.

Card Arrangement Terms

Cascade — A column of overlapping face-up cards in the tableau where each card is partially visible. In Klondike, cards in a cascade are arranged alternating colors, descending by rank.

Sequence — An ordered group of cards that can be moved together as a unit. In Klondike, a valid sequence alternates red and black cards in descending rank order.

Column — Any vertical stack of cards in the tableau. The terms "column" and "pile" are often used interchangeably.

Pack — A complete 13-card suit from Ace to King. In Spider Solitaire, completing a pack removes all 13 cards from the tableau.

Overlapping — Cards that are fanned or cascaded so each card is partially visible beneath the one above it. Standard in most solitaire tableau layouts.

Fan — A spread of cards arranged so all are at least partially visible. Some patience games deal cards in fans of three.

Card Status Terms

Face-up — A card showing its rank and suit, available for play.

Face-down — A card showing only its back. Cannot be played until flipped face-up, usually when the card(s) above it are removed.

Available — A card that can legally be moved. Typically, only the bottom-most card of a tableau column or the top card of a pile is available.

Buried — A card that is not currently available because other cards are on top of or covering it.

Exposed — When a card becomes available after the card(s) covering it are moved. "Exposing a King" means clearing cards to make room for a King to occupy an empty column.

Locked — A card that cannot be accessed without disrupting other needed sequences.

Move Terms

Play — Moving a card from one location (stock, waste, tableau, reserve) to a valid destination.

Build — Adding a card to a foundation or extending a tableau sequence following the game's rules.

Flip — Turning a face-down card face-up after the cards covering it have been moved.

Redeal — Collecting the waste pile, flipping it over (without reshuffling), and dealing through again. Most Klondike variants allow 1 or 3 redeals.

Supermove — Moving a sequence of multiple cards at once. In FreeCell, the number of cards you can supermove depends on the number of empty cells and empty tableau columns: (1 + empty cells) × 2^(empty columns).

Undo — Reversing the most recent move. Some variants penalize or disallow undos in scored games.

Auto-complete — When a digital solitaire game automatically moves all remaining cards to foundations once the game is clearly winnable.

Game State Terms

Deadlock — A position where no legal moves remain and the game cannot be won. Also called "stuck" or "blocked."

Winnable — A deal that can theoretically be solved with correct play. FreeCell has a near-100% win rate; Klondike is winnable about 79% of the time from an information-complete perspective, but only about 15–25% of deals are winnable with face-down cards.

Unsolvable — A deal that cannot be won regardless of the moves made. Some Klondike deals are mathematically impossible.

Cycle — Returning to a previously seen game state through a series of moves, indicating no progress.

Bottleneck — A critical card or position that is blocking progress throughout the game.

Variant-Specific Terms

Empty Column — A tableau column with no cards, created by moving all cards out. In FreeCell, empty columns dramatically increase supermove capacity. In Klondike, only Kings can be placed in empty columns.

Open Cell — An unoccupied FreeCell cell, available to temporarily store a single card.

Turn-1 / Turn-3 — In Klondike, whether cards are drawn from the stock one at a time (Turn-1, easier) or three at a time (Turn-3, harder). Turn-3 only shows every third card.

Two-Suit / Four-Suit — Spider Solitaire difficulty settings. One-suit uses only Spades (easiest). Two-suit uses two suits. Four-suit uses all four suits (hardest).

Osmosis — The rule in Osmosis Solitaire that a card can only be added to a lower foundation if a card of the same rank already appears in the top foundation.

Strategy Terms

Key Card — A card whose position is critical to completing the game. Often a buried Ace or a card needed to unlock a sequence.

Tempo — The efficiency of play — how many useful moves are made versus wasted moves.

Tableau Consolidation — Combining cards from multiple columns into fewer, better-organized columns to free up empty spaces.

Controlled Sequence — A sequence of cards you deliberately build to unlock specific buried cards.

Sacrifice Move — A move that worsens the short-term position to improve long-term game prospects.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between stock and waste pile in solitaire?

The stock is the face-down pile of undealt cards. When you click or tap it, cards draw to the waste pile face-up. The waste pile shows the card(s) most recently drawn — only the top card is playable. When the stock is exhausted, many variants let you flip the waste pile to form a new stock.

What does "tableau" mean in solitaire?

Tableau refers to the main playing area — the columns of cards you rearrange during the game. In Klondike, there are 7 tableau columns. All building, sequencing, and unlocking of face-down cards happens in the tableau.

What is a supermove in FreeCell?

A supermove is moving multiple cards in a sequence simultaneously. Since FreeCell technically only allows moving one card at a time, a "supermove" shortcuts multiple single-card moves. The maximum supermove size is (1 + empty cells) × 2^(empty columns).

What does "redeal" mean in solitaire?

When the stock pile runs out, many Klondike variants allow you to flip the waste pile over (without reshuffling) to form a new stock. This is called a redeal. Standard Klondike allows either 1 or 3 redeals depending on the rules variant.

What is an empty column used for in solitaire?

An empty tableau column can hold any card (or in Klondike, only Kings). Empty columns are extremely valuable in FreeCell because they increase supermove capacity and allow temporary storage. Creating empty columns is a key strategic goal in many solitaire variants.

For more foundational knowledge, see our how to play Klondike solitaire guide and the solitaire game variations overview.