Klondike with three cards turned from the stock at a time and only the top one in play. Same deal, harder thinking.
How to Play Solitaire Turn 3
Solitaire Turn 3, also known as 3 card solitaire or Klondike draw 3, is classic Klondike with one change: the stock is turned over three cards at a time instead of one. Everything else stays the same: you build four foundations up by suit from Ace to King, build seven tableau columns down in alternating colors, move face-up runs together, and fill empty columns only with Kings. The full rules are on our Klondike Solitaire page, which plays draw one.
How the Draw Works
Each click on the stock turns three cards onto the waste, and only the top one can be played. Play it, and the card under it becomes available, then the one under that. If fewer than three cards are left, the click turns over whatever remains. When the stock is empty, click it to turn the waste back over and go through again, as often as you like.
Which Cards You Can Reach
A fresh stock holds 24 cards, exactly eight groups of three. If you play nothing from the waste, you only ever see the 3rd, 6th, 9th card and so on: eight cards out of 24, the same eight on every pass.
Playing from the waste changes this. Each card you play moves every card behind it in the stock up one place on the next pass, so the groups fall differently. A card that sat at the bottom of a group comes up on top of the group before it, within reach. A card that was on top slips to the middle, out of reach.
The first card in the stock is always at the bottom of the first group, which makes it the hardest card to reach. The last card always ends a pass on top, so it is always available.
Why Draw Three Is Harder
In draw one, every stock card comes up on every pass, so you can wait until you have a place for the card you need. In draw three, most stock cards are out of reach on any given pass, so some deals that can be won in draw one cannot be won in draw three.
Draw One vs Draw Three
| Feature | Draw one | Draw three |
|---|---|---|
| Cards turned per click | One | Three, only the top one playable |
| Stock cards seen in a pass with no waste plays | All 24 | 8 of 24 |
| Passes through the stock | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Timing | You can wait for the card you need | Cards come up when the groups allow |
| Difficulty | Easier, more deals can be won | Harder, more planning needed |
Draw Three Strategy Tips
- Look through the stock first. Passes are free, so go through the stock once before you commit. If a red 9 is among the cards you can reach, keep a black 10 free for it.
- Shift the groups on purpose. A card stuck at the bottom of a group comes within reach next pass if you play one waste card that comes before it in the stock. A card in the middle of a group needs two.
- Take a card you need while you can. A card within reach now may not be next pass, especially after other waste plays shift the groups, so take it when it has somewhere to go.
- Look under the top card. Play a black 8 from the waste onto a red 9, and the red 7 under it may go straight onto the 8.
- Make room for Kings. A King in the stock usually needs an empty column to leave the waste. When a King comes up on top of a group, it also blocks the two cards under it, so clearing a column for it frees those too.
- If a full pass gives you nothing, change the tableau. After a pass with no waste plays, the next pass will be identical. Look for a tableau move that opens a new landing spot, even bringing a card back down from a foundation. If there is none, Undo back to an earlier choice.
Playing on Solitaire Parlor
Tap or click a card to send it to the best legal spot, foundation first, or drag and drop it. Undo is unlimited and Hint highlights a useful move. Restart replays the deal, and New Game deals a new numbered one; add ?deal= and the number to the page link to replay or share it. Daily Deal is the same for everyone each day. Your game and Stats are saved in your own browser, with no sign-up. There are no points, just time and moves. The Draw 1 and Draw 3 buttons next to the title switch between the two versions.
Background
The Solitaire game that came with older versions of Windows offered both draw one and draw three, and many people who learned on Windows remember turning three cards at a time.
Solitaire Turn 3 FAQ
Is Solitaire Turn 3 the same as 3 card solitaire?
Yes. Solitaire Turn 3, 3 card solitaire, Klondike draw 3 and draw three solitaire are all names for Klondike with the stock turned three cards at a time.
Why can I only play the top card of the three?
That is the rule that defines draw three. The two cards beneath become playable one at a time as the cards above them are moved.
Can every game of draw three be won?
No. Some deals cannot be won however you play them, and draw three has more of these than draw one. Here, though, New Game and Daily Deal only deal games that a computer solver has already won, so every game you are given can be won. You can turn this off in Settings.
Can I switch to draw one?
Yes. Press Draw 1 next to the title, or go to our Klondike Solitaire page.