The short answer is yes—you can lose at solitaire! Some games of solitaire are winnable, but not all of them. According to statistics, around 20% of solitaire games are not winnable, meaning you will lose an average of one in 4 solitaire games.
Some factors can increase your chances of losing or winning a solitaire game. Remember, solitaire is an umbrella term for various card games, each boasting different winning odds and unique rules. In other words, your odds of losing at solitaire will vary, depending on the game, variant or version you’re playing.
For instance, you can expect to lose approximately 1% of your hands when you play FreeCell solitaire. However, if you play Pyramid solitaire, you will lose more than 94.5% of the time. Even though different solitaire games might have varying winning chances, there is no absolute figure of the number of hands you will lose.
Although there are no ways of making sure that 100% of games in solitaire are winnable, one thing is for sure: you will lose at some point. Don’t be discouraged, though. Whereas not all solitaire hands are winnable, some can indeed be won.
Odds of Winning at Solitaire
Generally speaking, about 80% of all solitaire games are winnable, meaning 20% or 1 in 4 hands cannot be solved. But it would help if you didn’t take that to mean that you can win 80% of the solitaire hands you play.
Of course, many factors determine the odds of winning a game of solitaire. First, the type of solitaire game you are playing will play a significant role in deciding your odds of winning or los
ing.
Pyramid Solitaire has the lowest winning probability, between 0.5% and 5.5%, of all popular solitaire variants.
You can expect to lose at least 99.5% of the Pyramid solitaire games you play. Meanwhile, FreeCell has the highest winning odds at 99%, meaning only 1% of games are unwinnable.
Even though 80% of solitaire games can be won, in reality, you will likely lose more than 20% of the rounds you play. That is because each solitaire game has one or a few paths to winning. If you make an error or mistake while moving the cards, forming the tableau piles, or exposing the face-down cards, you will most probably lose the game.
The Effect of a Wrong Move on Solitaire Odds
The key elements that decide whether a player will win a game of solitaire are their moves. A winnable game might become unwinnable with only one poor move. There are more chances of winning when a game provides several pathways to success. However, a game with only one single path makes winning difficult since one might make a mistake, rendering the game unwinnable. That’s why not all solitaire games are winnable.
Types of Solitaire Hands
Each game of solitaire has four potential types of hands…
- Winning hands – As the name says, these are winning hands. You can win them easily with a basic strategy.
- Wild hands – These solitaire hands are totally unplayable. You have a wild hand if you get an unplayable or unsolvable deck. These hands make solitaire winnable.
- Losing hands – These solitaire hands have no viable paths to victory.
- 50/50 hands – You have equal chances of losing or winning these hands. If you make the wrong moves, you will lose. However, you can expect to win if you make the right moves.
It is essential to know these types of solitaire hands. They will determine whether you will lose or win a game of solitaire.
Can you lose in Solitaire?
Yes, you can lose in solitaire. The average loss rate when playing solitaire is around 20%, which means you are bound to lose more than one in every four games. Some of these games are built in such a way that they are unwinnable, no matter which strategy or trick you use.
Mistakes that Makes You Lose in Solitaire
There are many other mistakes that you can commit and will make you lose in solitaire. These mistakes include:
Not learning the solitaire rules or studying the gameplay
A considerable portion of solitaire rules is standard across the games. However, some solitaire rules do vary from game to game. You need to study and understand these rules beforehand to avoid losing the game by making unnecessary mistakes.
Not practicing
Solitaire is a game of partial skill, meaning that both luck and skill play a role in winning. To become a good player and avoid losing, you must practice and exercise your brain frequently. That will help you enhance your skills, improve your timing, and speed up your game. You will likely win the winnable games if your brain is brilliant at solitaire.
Playing too slow
This is another reason why you should practice solitaire often. In time solitaire games, playing slowly can cost you points and make you lose a game. You don’t want to take a lot of time attempting to find your next move.
Keeping the Aces and Twos in the tableau piles
When you have Aces and Twos exposed, moving them to the foundation stacks immediately is essential. That will help you move other critical consecutive cards like 3s, 4s, 5s, 6s, 7s, and so on. It is a big mistake to build an ace stack too fast, as this may affect your chances of creating more moves in the game.
Leaving empty slots when you don’t have a King
When you create an open spot and don’t have Kings to replace them, you are setting up to lose in solitaire.
Playing Kings aimlessly
Playing any King without considering one step ahead is a big mistake. For instance, you don’t want to play a King of Hearts when there is a black Queen to play. Instead, you want to play a King that will expose the most face-down and not face up cards.
Playing cards from the smallest pile
If you can have a pile with few face down cards and a second pile with many cards, you should always opt for the larger stack.
If you go for the small pile, you will have many face-down cards and no more moves to play from the remaining cards.
In other words, you want to play a card that will open the most hidden cards. This way, you will be able to transfer cards from the second pile or third pile and reduce the stock pile.
How do you play solitaire on Google?
Playing solitaire on Google is quick and easy…
- Find the game – The first step is straightforward. Just type the keywords “free solitaire”, “Google solitaire”, or simply “solitaire” into the Google search bar on your browser.
- Check Google results – The Google Solitaire game will pop up at the top of the search results page. Just click the game to expand it and start playing. Alternatively, you can find the Google Solitaire Game here.
- Click ‘Play’ – You will come across the option to play the Google Solitaire game right away. But first, you must pick your preferred difficulty level of the game. You can select between two difficulty levels from the pop-up window: Easy or Hard. We suggest that you start with the Easy version first. Pick the hard level if you are ready to dive deep.
- Initial dealing – The game will load automatically with the cards arranged into seven piles in the tableau area. There is also a deck for the draw pile. All cards in the draw pile are face down. Similarly, all cards in the tableau piles are face-down, with the exception of the top cards in each stack.
- Start playing – As with any solitaire game, the main goal of Google Solitaire is to create four foundation piles made up of 13 consecutive cards of the same suit ordered from Ace to King.
Google solitaire also allows you to play the game with your local friends. The game’s basic & clean UI makes it the most fantastic choice for fans of card games who don’t want to get bogged down in complexities and want to play the game straight away.
Other Ways to Play Solitaire Online
If you find Google Solitaire to be too basic and uninspiring, there are alternative ways you can enjoy the game online, including:
- Solitaired.com – This website features a beautiful yet intuitive Klondike software game
- Solitaire Bliss – Solitairebliss.com is an excellent hub for various solitaire games, from FreeCell to Spider Solitaire. It also offers an app for iOS and Android devices.
- Washington Post – Many reputable magazines offer online solitaire. But we found Washington Post’s online solitaire game to be the best.
Is Solitaire an easy game?
Yes, solitaire is an easy game once you have learned the basic rules and mastered the moves. Roughly 4 out of 5 solitaire games are winnable, which makes it one of the easiest games to beat. This is especially true when it comes to solitaire variations like FreeCell, Forty Thieves, and Spider solitaire. Besides, there are numerous strategies you can also use to make a game of solitaire even easier to play and win:
- Always expose a card instead of drawing one from the deck
- Make sure your columns on the tableau are evenly distributed
- Always consider the color of the cards before playing them
- Play Kings carefully, mainly when there is an empty spot on the tableau piles
- Target larger columns with the most face-down card to ensure that more face-up options are available
- It would be best if you played Aces and Deuces as soon as they are exposed. Move them to the foundation piles, from either the stack pile or the draw pile.
Is solitaire a game of luck or skill?
Solitaire is a game of mostly skill, but a little luck can help. It is an almost entirely skill-based game that requires patience, memory, and mathematical skills.
Is there actually any skill to Solitaire?
Yes, there are many skills to solitaire. You will need to be patient, for instance. You’ll also require interactive, logical, mathematical, and decision-making skills.
What is the easiest game of Solitaire?
Klondike is the easiest game of solitaire to learn and play. It’s an excellent choice for beginners who want to learn how to play solitaire on their own. The goal of Klondike solitaire is to create four suited foundation piles of all cards, starting from Ace to King. When it comes to winning probabilities, FreeCell is the most winnable game.