Learn How to Play Solitaire with 2 Players

For over four hundred years, single-player solitaire (or Klondike solitaire) has been a popular way to pass the time alone. But did you know that you can also play solitaire with two people? Learning how to play solitaire with two players is a great twist to this classic game! Think of double solitaire as a level-up of the single-player version, as you not only need to keep track of double the number of cards but also watch and respond to an opponent’s moves. It may sound complicated, but soon enough, you’ll challenge all your friends to this rewarding and fast-paced game.

Basics of double solitaire

Double solitaire differs from traditional solitaire in a few key ways, but the core skills are the same. It’s still a game all about moving columns, flipping cards, and matching suits. Now, you just need to worry about twice as many cards and an unpredictable friend who’s trying to make your life harder.

Difference between single and double solitaire

Single-player solitaire has a reputation for being a relaxing game, but double solitaire can be far more stressful. Not only are there twice as many decks to keep track of, but double solitaire is a head-to-head competitive game where each player is simultaneously trying to win their own game and block the other player from making progress.

We’ll delve further into arrangement specifics shortly, but remember that each player will set up their own game of standard single player solitaire. The difference here comes with the foundation piles, which are increased from four to eight to represent both players’ individual goals – building four piles from Ace to King in each individual suite. Through this addition, there’s an added dimension in how each player can use their own cards to block their opponent from moving their own cards into their foundation piles.

What you need to play double solitaire

You don’t even need that much to play double solitaire. Other than a friend (or frenemy) to play with, you’ll need two different colored decks of cards with the jokers removed and a space big enough for the full game layout on both sides. It is important to note that you cannot play double solitaire with a single deck of cards; you must have two separate decks.

Make sure that the space is arranged in a way where both players will be able to face each other and easily reach the eight piles placed in the center between them. Or, if you don’t have a partner, you can check out some of the many online solitaire options.

How to play double solitaire

You now know a few brief details about double solitaire, but it’s time to explain how to set up, play, and excel at double solitaire.

Double solitaire set-up

1. Each player shuffles their deck, then they each arrange their tableau. Like in single player solitaire, the tableau refers to the center arrangement of seven face-up columns in a row. From left to right, each of these seven columns of card piles will have a corresponding number of increasing face-down cards and one face-up card at the top. That means if the first column has one face-up card, that will mean that the second column will have one face-down card and one face-up card on top. And the third column will have two face-down cards and one face-up card on top all the way up to six cards face-down and one card face-up.
2. After both players arrange their seven piles, they each place the remaining cards from their individual decks in a space to the left of their tableaus. This is also known as the stockpile. During the game, each player will draw cards from their individual stockpile. Both players should also leave space for a waste pile, which will have the cards that are not used from the stockpile.
3. In the center between the two players, you should leave space for eight piles. These eight piles will serve as both players’ shared foundation piles, or the spaces where you will place each suit in ascending order from ace to king.

Rules of double solitaire

Like single player solitaire, the objective of the game is about building up the foundation piles, but with eight piles, there are more options of where to move your cards. Uniquely, not every game of double solitaire ends with a player playing all their cards. If you reach a point where neither player can make any moves, you can also win by playing the most cards to the foundation piles.

In terms of playing cards in your tableau, the rules of double solitaire are the same as single player solitaire. You still build down from the face-up cards in descending order switching color with each placed card. As an example, you could build down from a king of clubs to a queen of hearts, followed by a jack of spades.

Similarly, if you play all the face-up cards from a tableau pile and a face-down card remains, you can flip the card over to reveal the card and play it or build down from it. And when you have an empty tableau space, you may only fill it with a king.

Gameplay of double solitaire

Now that you’ve fully set up the game and understand the rules, we can demonstrate part of an average game of double solitaire. There are two ways to determine who goes first. Either, both players can take the top card from their individual stockpile and whoever has the higher card will go first. Or, you can leave it up to a coin flip.

1. The first player will move, rearrange, and reveal cards according to single player solitaire rules until they are out of moves or they would like to end their turn. In order to signify this, the first player will flip a card from the face-down stockpile and place it face-up in the waste pile located below each player’s stockpile. It should be noted that the first player will be able to use the card in the waste pile on their next turn.
2. The second player will follow the same series of steps, moving and revealing their cards until they are out of moves or want to end their turn. They will also flip and move a card from their stockpile to the waste pile to signify the end of their turn. This will repeat back and forth between the players until one player runs out of cards or neither player can make a move.

   TIP: Throughout the game, a player’s stockpile may run out. If this happens, they should flip the waste pile to refill the stockpile. Players do not need to shuffle when they refill the stockpile.

3. One of the players will ultimately win the game by placing all their cards on the foundation piles with the corresponding suits. Alternatively, if both players are unable to make a move, the winner will be the player who has played out the most cards to the foundation piles. Scoring is based on the number of remaining cards of each player. The player with the fewest cards is awarded a point when either one person wins a round or both players agree to end the game.

Tips and strategies for double solitaire

Even in double solitaire, there’s no guarantee that you will make it through all your cards. Based on the math, the chances you will win an average game of one deck solitaire is about 12.09%. That said, there are a number of strategies that you can implement to give you an edge. You can also bring some of these tips into your regular single player solitaire games.

• As a general rule, always be fast. In double solitaire, your opponent can play the same moves at any time on the foundation piles. That doesn’t mean that you can be sloppy, but don’t give your opponent a chance to trap you in a bad situation.
• Don’t assume that you should always make a move because it’s available. That of course applies for the foundation piles, but you should weigh the risks and rewards of each move and card flip. It may be tempting to empty cards out of a tableau spot or place an ace down as soon as you find one.
• Think ahead! Consider how each scenario could lead to problems. If you empty the tableau spot, and don’t have a king to place in its stead, that column will be completely blocked. And while that ace will move you toward filling out your foundation piles, your opponent may be ready to pounce on an opportunity. Instead, note when you can put down multiple cards all at the same time to throw your opponent off balance.
• Focus on making progress. There are times to play defensively, but don’t let that prevent you from making progress. Just be smart. Tackle larger columns before shorter ones to reveal more cards, draw from the stockpile before fussing with tableau columns, and keep an eye on your opponents foundation piles to see when you can add to them.

Double difficulty, double fun

Double solitaire can undoubtedly take some time to master, but with this article’s explanations and strategies, you’ll soon be able to take on any challenger. And if you need a free single player version of solitaire with a robust progress tracking system and some spooky seasonal varieties, use 247 Solitaire.

DISCLAIMER: The games on this website are using PLAY (fake) money. No payouts will be awarded, there are no "winnings", as all games represented by 247 Games LLC are free to play. Play strictly for fun.