Solitaire Glossary: Tableau, Foundation, Stock and More
Last reviewed on 2026-10-03
Solitaire rules use a handful of special words. Here they are in plain English, with notes on how each one works in the games on this site. For the full rules of each game, see How to Play Solitaire.
- Auto-complete
A button that plays the remaining cards to the foundations once the game can no longer be lost. On this site it unlocks in Klondike when every tableau card is face up.
- Build
To place a card on another according to the rules, for example building down in alternating colours in Klondike.
- Deal number
A number that fixes the shuffle, so the same number always gives the same layout. Every game here shows its deal number. See FreeCell deal numbers.
- Draw 1 / Draw 3
Klondike settings for how many cards are turned from the stock at once. Draw 3 is harder because only every third card is immediately playable.
- Empty column
A tableau column with no cards. In Klondike only a King may fill it; in Spider and FreeCell any card or movable run may.
- Exposed (uncovered) card
A card with nothing on top of it or overlapping it, so it can be played. In Pyramid and TriPeaks a card is exposed when both cards overlapping it are gone.
- Face-down card
A card that is dealt hidden. It turns face up when the cards above it are moved away.
- Foundation
A pile where cards are collected in order, usually from Ace up to King in one suit. Filling all the foundations wins Klondike and FreeCell.
- Free cell
In FreeCell, one of four spaces that can each hold a single card temporarily.
- Mixed run
In Spider, a descending sequence that contains more than one suit. It is legal to build, but cannot be moved as a single unit.
- Natural (in-suit) run
A descending sequence of a single suit. In Spider only natural runs move together, and a complete King-to-Ace natural run is removed.
- Pass / redeal
One trip through the stock. Klondike here allows unlimited passes, Pyramid allows three, TriPeaks one.
- Patience
The British name for solitaire card games.
- Peak
One of the three pyramids of cards in TriPeaks.
- Run (sequence)
Cards in consecutive order on a column, such as 9, 8, 7. Depending on the game, runs must alternate colours (Klondike, FreeCell) or match suits to move (Spider).
- Stock
The pile of undealt cards, face down, that you draw from during the game.
- Supermove
In FreeCell, moving a whole run at once instead of card by card. The size allowed is (empty free cells + 1) x 2 to the power of empty columns.
- Tableau
The main playing area, usually columns of cards where you build sequences.
- Thoughtful Solitaire
A version of Klondike in which all cards are visible, making it a pure puzzle.
- Vegas scoring
A Klondike scoring style based on betting: you pay to play and earn points for each card on the foundations, usually with limited passes.
- Waste (talon)
The face-up pile that cards from the stock are turned onto. Only its top card can be played.
- Winnable deal
A deal that has at least one sequence of moves leading to a win. In the classic FreeCell numbering, every deal from 1 to 32,000 except #11982 is winnable.
- Wrap-around
In TriPeaks, the rule that Ace and King count as neighbours, so a King can be played on an Ace and vice versa.