How to Play the Royal Card Game - Play Fre

Quick Answer: Sultan Solitaire is a two-deck patience game where one King of Hearts (the Sultan) is placed at the center of a 3x3 grid of foundations. The remaining seven foundations build from Ace up to Queen (not King, because the Sultan already holds that position). Eight reserve columns provide playable cards while the stock is dealt to a waste pile.

Sultan Solitaire is one of the most visually distinctive patience card games ever devised. The image of the Sultan — the King of Hearts — enthroned at the center of his court, surrounded by foundations that build up to Queens in his honor, gives the game a narrative charm that pure strategy games lack. It is an intermediate-difficulty two-deck patience game that rewards patient, methodical play.

What Is Sultan Solitaire?

Sultan Solitaire (also called Sultan of Turkey or simply The Sultan) is a double-deck patience game using 104 cards from two standard 52-card decks. Its central mechanic is the placement of one King of Hearts — the Sultan — in the center of a nine-pile foundation arrangement. The eight surrounding foundations build from Ace to Queen, leaving the Sultan reigning permanently in his central position.

Definition: In Sultan Solitaire, the "Sultan" is specifically the King of Hearts — one of the two King of Hearts cards in the double deck. He occupies the center foundation position permanently throughout the game. The other King of Hearts joins a regular foundation that builds from King upward (as a one-card King foundation already complete except for Ace–Queen additions going around the other way in some variants).

The game appears in classic patience references and is catalogued on [Sultan Solitaire Rules](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patience_(game). Its elaborate setup and royal theme have made it a beloved if less commonly played variant in patience collections. Players in New York and other cities with rich card game traditions often encounter Sultan in nineteenth-century-inspired patience sets.

Sultan Solitaire Setup

Cards needed: Two standard 52-card decks shuffled together (104 cards total).

Foundation arrangement:

1. Remove one King of Hearts from the shuffled deck and place it face-up in the center of a 3×3 grid — this is the Sultan
2. Remove the other seven Kings (the second King of Hearts plus all eight Kings minus one already used, equaling seven Kings) and place them in the eight surrounding positions of the 3×3 grid
3. You now have 9 positions: Sultan (King of Hearts) in the center, seven Kings in outer positions, and one empty outer position (or all eight Kings fill all outer positions depending on the variant)

Wait — the exact setup varies by source. Here is the most commonly referenced version:

1. Place one King of Hearts (Sultan) in the center
2. Place all eight Aces from both decks in the eight surrounding foundation spaces
3. These 8 Aces will build upward to Queens (they skip the King rank since the Sultan is already a King)
4. The remaining cards (104 - 9 = 95 left, or variations of this) form the stock

Alternative widely-played setup:

1. Center: one King of Hearts (Sultan) in position 5 of a 3×3 grid
2. Outer 8 positions: one King from each suit (and both suits for one suit given two decks) form the outer foundations
3. Reserve: 8 columns of one card each (dealt from the remaining deck)
4. Stock: remaining cards face-down, dealt to a waste pile

Because Sultan rules vary significantly by source, always check the specific implementation when playing digitally.

How to Play Sultan Solitaire

Objective: Build all foundations from their starting cards to completion. Specifically:

• The Sultan (King of Hearts center) needs no building — he is complete as a King
• The surrounding seven foundations start with Kings and build upward: King → Ace → 2 → 3 → ... → Queen (wrapping around in rank)
• Some variants have the outer foundations built from Ace to Queen only (skipping King since Sultan has that rank)

Reserve columns: Eight reserve piles, each typically containing one face-up card at the start (dealt from the non-foundation cards). Top cards of each reserve pile are available to play to foundations.

Waste pile: Turn cards from the stock one at a time (or three at a time in some variants) onto a waste pile. The top card of the waste pile is available to play to foundations or to a reserve pile (in some variants where reserve re-filling is allowed).

Building foundations: Move available cards (from reserve tops or waste pile) to the appropriate foundation pile if they continue that foundation's sequence.

Redeals: Most Sultan variants allow one or two redeals through the waste pile. When the stock is exhausted, gather the waste pile, flip it over, and continue dealing.

Winning: You win when all foundations are complete. The Sultan sits complete in the center, while all seven surrounding foundations have built through their complete sequences.

Sultan Solitaire Strategy

Identify which foundations need which suits. With two decks, each of the eight surrounding foundations is associated with a specific suit assignment. Keeping track of which foundation needs which suit's cards prevents misrouting valuable cards.

Prioritize freeing reserve cards. The reserve piles are your primary source of playable cards. When a reserve pile's top card can go to a foundation, play it immediately to free the next card beneath.

Manage the waste pile wisely. Unlike some patience games where you can freely choose where to place waste pile cards, Sultan typically requires you to play waste cards to foundations or simply leave them in the waste. This means cards that cannot be played immediately may cycle through multiple redeals before becoming useful.

Track the Sultan's court. The Sultan (King of Hearts) is fixed permanently. Think of the surrounding foundations as his eight courtiers building toward Queens — each courtier must be fully supplied from Ace through Queen. Thinking of it narratively can help you prioritize suit management.

Reserve the redeal. With typically one or two redeals available, save them for situations where you can see that a second pass through the waste will unlock specific needed cards. Do not waste redeals when the current deal still has unplayed positions.

For more on managing two-deck solitaire complexity, see our different types of solitaire games overview, which covers two-deck variants including Forty Thieves.

Win Rate and Difficulty

Sultan Solitaire is rated as moderately difficult — harder than Klondike but more approachable than four-suit Spider. The two-deck format means more cards are available per foundation, which creates more complexity but also more potential matches. With one or two redeals, an estimated win rate of 35–45% is achievable with careful play.

The game's main challenge is the limited reserve — only 8 cards are available at once from reserves, and the foundation building sequences are long (each suit must build 13 ranks per foundation). The wrapping mechanic (King → Ace → ... → Queen in some variants) also requires keeping careful mental track of where each suit's sequence stands.

For comparison with other two-deck patience games, see our Diplomat Solitaire rules guide.

Variations of Sultan Solitaire

Turkish Patience: A nearly identical game under a different name, common in Central European patience books.

Emperor of Germany: A variant where the central figure is the King of Clubs rather than the King of Hearts.

Harem: A Sultan variant where multiple central Kings are used, creating a more elaborate court arrangement.

Simplified Sultan: Some digital implementations reduce the two-deck complexity by using only one deck with the King of Hearts as the sole fixed card and seven Ace foundations building to Queens.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Sultan in Sultan solitaire?

The Sultan is specifically the King of Hearts — one of the two King of Hearts cards available in the two-deck game. He occupies the permanent center position in the 3×3 foundation grid and never moves. The game is "complete" for the Sultan position from the start. The surrounding eight foundations must be built up by other cards to complete the game.

How many decks does Sultan solitaire use?

Sultan Solitaire uses two standard 52-card decks shuffled together, for a total of 104 playing cards. This two-deck format is necessary to provide enough cards for all eight surrounding foundations plus the reserve piles and stock. It is one of the classic "double-deck" patience games along with Forty Thieves.

How do foundations build in Sultan solitaire?

In the most common version, the seven surrounding foundations begin with Kings and build upward in a wrap-around sequence: King → Ace → 2 → 3 → 4 → 5 → 6 → 7 → 8 → 9 → 10 → Jack → Queen. Some versions have foundations start with Aces and build only to Queens (since King rank is occupied by the Sultan). Check your specific implementation for exact rules.

What is the win rate for Sultan solitaire?

Sultan Solitaire has an estimated win rate of 35–45% with skilled play and the standard one or two redeal allowance. The long foundation sequences and limited reserve access make it challenging, but the redeals provide enough second chances that most deals are theoretically winnable.

Is Sultan solitaire hard to learn?

Sultan has more complex setup than single-deck games, primarily because you need to understand the Sultan's central role and the wrapping foundation sequence. Once you grasp the concept, gameplay is straightforward — play available cards to foundations, refresh from the waste pile, and use redeals wisely. It is more of an intermediate game that beginners can learn with a little patience.

---

💡 Variant Strategy Note (2026)

Each solitaire variation demands unique table space management. In column-heavy formats like Spider or Yukon, prioritize unlocking hidden columns early to act as temporary staging areas.