How to win at FreeCell

FreeCell is the solitaire you can think your way through. Every card is face up, nothing depends on luck, and almost every deal can be won: when you lose, it was a move you made. So winning more is a matter of habits, and these are the ones that matter most. If you are new to the game, read the rules first.

Look before you move

Before the first move, take a minute to look at the whole table. Find the four aces and the twos, and see what lies on top of each. The column with an ace near the top is where to start; an ace buried under six cards is the problem of the game, and you should know it is there before you start filling cells.

A good question to ask of every move: what does this free up? A move that uncovers a low card or empties a column is worth making. A move that only shifts a card from one place to another usually is not.

A free cell is a loan, not a shelf

Free cells are the most precious thing on the table, and the easiest to waste. Every card you put in one is a card you have to find a home for later, and while it sits there, every run you can move gets shorter.

• Put a card in a cell only for a reason: to reach an ace, to empty a column, to let a run move.
• Before you do, know where that card will go next.
• With two cells full, stop and think: the third and fourth fill far faster than you expect, and with all four full, the game is often over.

An empty column beats a free cell

An empty column holds a whole run, not one card, and it doubles the number of cards you can move at once. With four free cells you can move five cards; with four free cells and an empty column, ten.

So emptying a column early is one of the best things you can do. Look for the shortest column, or one whose cards can all go onto other columns, and clear it. Once you have it, keep it empty for as long as you can, and use it to move runs rather than to park one card in.

Do not rush a king into an empty column

A king can only go into an empty column, so it is tempting to put one there at once. Sometimes that is right: a king with a long run on it is settled for good. But a lone king in the only empty column uses it up, and you may need that column for something that frees an ace.

Put a king in an empty column when it frees something or lets a run follow it. Otherwise, keep the column empty.

Dig out the low cards first

The game is won from the bottom up: aces, then twos, then threes. A column with low cards buried deep is where the game will get stuck, so work on it early, while you still have cells and columns to spare.

When you have a choice between two moves, prefer the one that brings you closer to the next card the foundations want.

Build long runs, in order

Every run you build in order, red on black, black on red, is cards that no longer need a cell: they move together. The longer your runs, the less you need your cells.

Try to build runs on kings and queens, at the bottom of columns, where they can stay. A run built on a card that later has to move is a run you will have to take apart.

Do not put cards up too soon

It is natural to put every card up the moment it can go. For aces and twos, that is always right. But a black five on its foundation is a black five that a red four can no longer go on. If the red fours are still buried, you may want that five in a column a while longer.

Put a card up without a second thought when both foundations of the other colour are only one rank below it: then nothing can need it any more. The Finish button, when it appears, does exactly that for the rest of the deal.

Three and two free cells

With three cells, the game is the same but tighter: a run of four is the longest you can move without an empty column, and a column emptied early is worth even more.

With two cells, plan every card you put aside. Look for moves that uncover two useful cards at once, and count before each move how many cards you will be able to move afterwards. It is a different game, closer to a puzzle, and a random deal here can always still be won.

Racing friends

In a race everyone plays the same deal, so the one who wins is not always the best player, but the one who does not have to go back. There is no undo in a race: one careless move with the cells nearly full can cost the game.

• In a race to the last card, a steady game wins. Look at the table for the first half a minute while the others start moving: it pays back quickly.
• Against the clock, what counts is cards up, and then cards in order from the bottom of their columns. Put up what you can early, and build runs on kings, so that when the time runs out, your table has the most to show.
• Watch how many cards the others have up. If someone is far ahead and you are stuck, a draw may be the best result left.

Playing on your own

Alone you can undo as often as you want, so use it: try a line, see where it goes, and take it back. Turn on the hints while you learn, to see where a card can go. And when you have won a deal, try it again with three or two free cells.

Ready? Play FreeCell, or go back to the rules.