Frequently Asked Questions About Canfield Solitaire
Answers to the most common questions about Canfield Solitaire rules, strategy, and gameplay. Whether you are new to Canfield or looking to clarify a specific mechanic, you will find the answer below.
What makes Canfield different from Klondike Solitaire?
Canfield and Klondike are often confused, but they differ in several important ways. Canfield uses a 13-card reserve pile with only the top card visible, while Klondike has a cascading tableau with hidden face-down cards. In Canfield, the foundation starting rank is determined by a randomly dealt card and sequences wrap (King to Ace), whereas Klondike always starts foundations from Ace and builds straight up to King. Canfield also begins with just one card per tableau column instead of Klondike’s staircase pattern of 1 through 7 cards.
How does foundation wrapping work in Canfield?
Foundation wrapping means that building continues past the King by looping back to Ace and continuing upward. If your foundation starter is a 9, the complete sequence on that foundation would be 9-10-J-Q-K-A-2-3-4-5-6-7-8, all in the same suit. Every foundation follows the same wrapping pattern regardless of which rank starts the sequence. This wrapping rule is what makes Canfield distinctive among solitaire games.
Can I move groups of cards in Canfield?
Yes, and you may split a run. Whatever you pick up has to form a valid descending alternating-color sequence from that card to the end of the column, but it does not have to be the whole run. With a red 8 on a black 9 on a red 10, you can move all three onto a black Jack, or move just the 9 and 8 onto a red 10 elsewhere, or move the 8 alone onto a black 9.
What happens when the reserve pile runs out?
Once all 13 cards in the reserve have been played, the reserve is not refilled. This is actually a positive milestone because it removes the restriction on empty tableau columns. While the reserve exists, empty tableau columns must be filled from the reserve. After the reserve is depleted, empty columns can be filled from the waste pile or by moving any available card or sequence, giving you much greater flexibility.
How many times can I go through the stock pile?
In standard Canfield rules, you may cycle through the stock an unlimited number of times. When the stock is exhausted, pick up the waste pile, turn it face-down without shuffling, and it becomes the new stock. Some rule variations limit you to a fixed number of passes (often two or three) to increase difficulty. The version on SuitedGames follows the traditional unlimited-pass rule.
What is the difference between dealing three cards and one card from the stock?
Three cards at a time buries two of every three, since only the top waste card plays. Dealing one at a time makes every stock card reachable on every pass. In Jan Wolter's solver study, that change raised the share of winnable deals from 71 percent to between 89 and 92 percent. Our Canfield deals three only.
What is the win rate for Canfield Solitaire?
A computer solver won 71.2 percent of draw-three deals, 35,606 of 50,000, in Jan Wolter's study on politaire.com, under the same core rules as ours. That is a ceiling. People win far less often, because the three-card draw hides the winning line and can mean leaving playable cards on the waste for many passes.
How should I fill an empty tableau column?
When a tableau column becomes empty, the rules dictate a specific priority. If the reserve still has cards, the top card of the reserve must fill the empty column. You do not have a choice in this matter. Only after the reserve is completely exhausted can you fill empty columns with cards from the waste pile or from other tableau columns. This forced filling from the reserve is a key strategic consideration when deciding whether to clear a column.
Does the tableau wrap around like the foundations?
Yes. Tableau building in Canfield wraps around, just like the foundations. When building downward by alternating color, an Ace can be placed on a 2 of the opposite color, and a King can be placed on an Ace of the opposite color. This wrapping rule on the tableau is another feature that distinguishes Canfield from many other solitaire games where the lowest tableau card is always an Ace or King.
Who was Richard Canfield and why is the game named after him?
Richard A. Canfield was a renowned American gambling house proprietor in the late 1800s. He operated an upscale casino in Saratoga Springs, New York, where he offered this solitaire game as a wager. Players paid $52 for a deck of cards and received $5 back for every card successfully placed on a foundation. Since most players managed fewer than 5 or 6 foundation cards on average, the house maintained a reliable profit. The game became so associated with his establishment that it permanently took his name.
Is Canfield the same as Demon solitaire?
Yes. Demon, or Demon Patience, is the older British name for the game, recorded by Mary Whitmore Jones in England in 1891, before the Canfield name attached to it in America. The rules are the same: a 13-card reserve, four tableau columns, and foundations built up in suit from a random base rank. Britain still calls it Demon.
Test your Canfield skills. Every move is validated, the stock deals three at a time with unlimited passes, and the shuffle is provably fair.
Play Canfield Solitaire Now