Canfield Solitaire is a challenging and intriguing variation of the classic solitaire card game, known for its low winning odds and engaging gameplay. In this beginner-friendly guide, we’ll introduce you to Canfield Solitaire’s brief history (including how it got its name), explain the rules and objectives, provide step-by-step instructions on how to play, and share useful tips and tricks. By the end, you’ll know how to play Canfield Solitaire and have some handy solitaire strategies for beginners to improve your chances of winning. Let’s dive in!
A Brief History of Canfield Solitaire
Canfield Solitaire originated in England in the late 19th century, where it was originally called “Demon Patience” – a name reflecting its devilishly difficult nature. In fact, an early description from 1891 lauded it as “the best game for one pack” but noted a “mocking spirit” that often snatches victory away at the last moment. This frustrating difficulty earned the game its demonic nickname.
The game crossed the Atlantic to the United States in the early 1900s, where it gained a new name. According to legend, the name “Canfield” comes from Richard A. Canfield, a famous gambler and casino owner. Canfield allegedly turned this solitaire into a gambling attraction at his casino. Players could buy a deck for $50 and then earn $5 for every card they managed to play onto the foundation piles – with a full win (all 52 cards) paying $500. This gambling setup was meant to entice players, and it also highlights how rare winning is in Canfield Solitaire. (For perspective, only around 3–7% of games are won on average!) The casino story made the game famous, and Americans began calling it Canfield. Meanwhile, in Britain the old name stuck – many UK players still refer to this game as “Demon” to this day.
Rules and Objective of Canfield Solitaire
Objective: Like most solitaire games, the goal of Canfield Solitaire is to move all 52 cards to the “foundation” piles. There are four foundation piles, one for each suit, and you must build each foundation in ascending order (wrapping from King back to Ace as needed). Unlike Klondike (the solitaire most people know), foundations in Canfield do not necessarily start with Ace – they start with a random base card determined during the initial deal. For example, if a foundation base card is 8, each foundation pile must start with 8, and then be built up 9, 10, Jack, ... King, Ace, 2, and so on until 7. To win, you have to eventually get all cards onto these foundation piles in the correct order by suit.
Layout: Canfield uses a standard 52-card deck. The layout consists of the following piles:
- Reserve pile: 13 cards set aside (usually on the left) – this is sometimes called the “demon” pile. Only the top card of the reserve is face-up and available to play.
- Foundation piles: 4 spots (usually along the top row). One card will be dealt here to create the first foundation base. The other three foundation piles will start once their required base cards appear. Foundations are built upward by suit.
- Tableau piles: A row of 4 piles below the foundations. These are the main playing area where you build cards in descending order, alternating colors (red/black). You can move cards around on the tableau to uncover hidden cards and eventually free up cards to play to the foundations.
- Stock pile: The remaining cards after dealing the reserve, foundation base, and tableau. The stock is the draw pile from which cards are flipped during play.
- Waste pile: A face-up pile where cards from the stock are flipped (usually in groups of three). The top card of the waste is available to play onto the foundations or tableau.
Allowed Moves: During play, you may move any available face-up cards according to the following rules:
- On the foundation: You can play a card onto a foundation pile if it is the next in ascending sequence of the same suit. (Remember, each foundation starts at the base card dealt initially).
- On the tableau: You can place a card onto another tableau pile if it is one rank lower and opposite color of the card you’re covering. Tableau piles build downward (King down to Ace) and alternate colors, and you can “turn the corner” (go from Ace back to King) if needed. You are allowed to move whole sequences of face-up cards between tableau columns as a unit, not just single cards.
- From the stock: You may flip cards from the stock pile three at a time onto the waste pile. Only the top card of the waste pile is playable at any given time. If the stock runs out, you can pick up the waste pile (keep it in order, no shuffle) and flip through it again – redeals are unlimited in Canfield.
- Filling spaces: If a tableau column becomes empty, you must immediately fill the space with the top card of the reserve pile (if the reserve is not empty). This is a unique twist in Canfield – the reserve feeds into empty tableau spaces. Once the reserve pile is exhausted (all its cards have been played), any empty tableau space can be filled with a card from the waste or a movable sequence from another tableau column.
The game continues until either all cards are in the foundations (win) or no more moves can be made (loss). Given the tough odds, don’t be discouraged by losses – even seasoned players only win occasionally. The fun is in the challenge and improving your strategy each game.
How to Play Canfield Solitaire: Step-by-Step
Setting up and playing Canfield Solitaire might seem complex at first, but this step-by-step guide will walk you through a typical game:
Figure: The initial layout of Canfield Solitaire. This diagram shows the deal: 13 cards in the reserve (left) with one exposed, one base card (here an 8♥) starting the first foundation, four cards in the tableau row, and the remaining cards face-down as the stock. The waste pile (right) will receive cards flipped from the stock.
- Shuffle and Deal the Reserve: Shuffle a 52-card deck. Deal 13 cards face-down into a pile to form the reserve, and flip the top card of this reserve pile face-up. The reserve pile is placed to the side (usually left side of your layout). Only its top card is accessible for play initially.
- Start the Foundation: Take the next card from the remaining deck and place it face-up to start the first foundation pile. This card’s rank establishes the starting point (base) for all four foundation piles. For example, if this card is a 8♥, then the foundations must start with 8 of each suit (♥♦♣♠) as those cards become available. (In our figure, 8♥ is the base card.) The goal will be to build each of these foundation piles up in ascending order by suit, wrapping from King to Ace as needed until each pile has 13 cards.
- Deal the Tableau: Deal the next four cards face-up in a row beneath the foundation area. These four piles make up the tableau, the main area where you will arrange cards during play. If any of these initial four cards happen to be the same rank as the foundation base card, you could move them up to start additional foundation piles immediately – otherwise, they stay in the tableau for now.
- Prepare the Stock: Place all the remaining cards face-down – this leftover stack of cards becomes the stock (draw pile). You’ll draw from the stock during gameplay to introduce new cards. Leave space for a waste pile next to the stock (the waste will collect cards as you flip them from the stock). Now the setup is complete and you’re ready to play.
- Make Initial Moves: Examine the face-up cards (the reserve’s top card, the four tableau cards, and any base card in the foundation). If the reserve card can play onto one of the tableau piles or directly to a foundation, go ahead and move it. Likewise, check each tableau pile’s top card – can any be moved to a foundation yet? (For instance, if your base card is 8 and a tableau has a 9 of the same suit, you can move that 9 to the 8 foundation.) Also, within the tableau, you can move cards on top of each other in descending order, alternating colors. Move entire sequences if possible – e.g. if one tableau pile starts with Queen♣ and another has King♦ on top, you can move the whole Queen♣ (with any cards stacked on it) onto the King♦ because King♦ (red) down to Queen♣ (black) is a valid move. Every time you move a face-up card and expose a face-down card beneath it on the tableau, flip that newly uncovered card face-up – it’s now available for play.
- Use the Reserve Wisely: If any tableau column is empty at any point, immediately fill that space with the top card of the reserve pile. (This rule is mandatory in Canfield.) After placing the reserve card into the empty spot, flip the next reserve card face-up (if any remain). The reserve acts as a buffer of hidden cards – try to free those cards by using the face-up reserve card whenever possible, because once the reserve is emptied it can greatly increase your moving options.
- Draw from the Stock: Whenever you run out of moves with the cards in play, draw from your stock pile. Flip three cards at a time from the stock onto the waste pile, placing them face-up. Only the top card of the waste is available to play. Try to play that top waste card to either a foundation or tableau if it fits. If you play the top waste card, the card beneath it becomes the new top and is now available. If none of the three flipped cards can be used immediately, you may flip another three from stock onto the waste (the previous three stay in the waste beneath). Continue this process until the stock is depleted.
- Recycle the Stock: Once you’ve flipped through all stock cards, take the entire waste pile as is (don’t shuffle) and turn it face-down to form a new stock. You can then continue drawing from it again, three cards at a time. Canfield Solitaire typically allows unlimited redeals (you can cycle through the deck as many times as needed), so the game only ends when you either win or have no possible moves left even after recycling the stock. (House rules may vary; the original casino version limited redeals to make the game harder, but most modern rules allow unlimited passes.)
- Continue Playing: Keep playing in this manner – moving cards to build down alternating colors on the tableau, moving cards up to the foundations whenever possible, drawing from stock when you’re out of moves, and always filling empty tableau slots with the reserve card. The strategy involves deciding which moves to make to free up critical cards. The game is won when all cards are successfully moved to the foundation piles, completing four ascending sequences of 13 cards (one per suit). If you reach a point where no moves are possible and the stock/waste is exhausted (or cycling it yields no new moves), then the game is over and unfortunately that round is a loss.
Don’t worry if it takes a while to win your first game – Canfield is famously difficult. With practice, you’ll develop an eye for the right moves and improve your success rate.
Tips and Strategies for Beginners
Because Canfield Solitaire is quite challenging, having a solid strategy can make a big difference. Here are some useful tips – essentially solitaire strategies for beginners – to improve your chances of winning:
- Prioritize the Reserve Card: Always look to use the face-up reserve card whenever you can. The reserve is a hidden stash of 13 cards, so every time you play its top card, you reveal a new card. Use the reserve card to fill empty tableau spaces or play to foundations at the first opportunity. This will open up more moves and help expose those hidden reserve cards faster.
- Run Through the Stock Early: At the start of the game (or whenever you get stuck), consider cycling through your stock pile once before making big moves. By flipping through the stock (3 cards at a time), you gather information about which cards are coming and which remain buried in the reserve. For example, you might discover an important card (like a needed base card for a foundation) is buried in the reserve, which tells you to focus on freeing the reserve. Knowing roughly where key cards are can help you plan your moves more strategically.
- Build Foundations Evenly: When you start moving cards to the foundations, try to balance the build-up across all piles rather than piling up one suit too far ahead. Canfield’s tableau moves require alternating colors, so if one foundation is racing ahead (say, one suit is up to Queen while others are still at 5 or 6), you’ll have mostly high cards of that suit out of play, which can stall your tableau moves. Aim to advance foundation piles in tandem, a little at a time, to keep a good mix of card values and colors available in the tableau.
- Don’t Rush Waste Pile Moves: Be mindful when playing cards off the waste pile. Because you only get to use every third card from the waste, timing matters. If flipping the next three stock cards reveals a crucial card two down in the waste stack, you might hold off on playing certain waste cards in the current cycle. In other words, sometimes it’s strategic not to make an obvious move immediately, if by waiting and cycling the stock you can access a more important card on the next pass. Use the waste pile smartly to ensure you don’t inadvertently bury the cards you need next.
- Plan a Few Moves Ahead: Canfield is a game of foresight. Always be thinking of what card you’ll need soon – especially focus on the foundation base cards. If, for example, your foundation base is 9, you know that as soon as an 9 of each suit is available it should go to the foundation. Don’t bury those base cards under long tableau sequences. It might be better to move them to foundation early or to avoid moving other cards on top of them in the tableau. Try to anticipate the consequences of each move. This forward planning will help you avoid getting stuck.
By using these tips, beginner players can gradually develop a feel for Solitaire strategies that work in Canfield. Even with strategy, remember that luck plays a role due to the shuffled deck – so be patient and enjoy the process of improving your play over time.
Interesting Trivia and Variations
Beyond the basics, Canfield Solitaire has some interesting facts and variations that beginners might find cool:
- Notoriously Low Win Rate: Canfield is known as one of the hardest solitaire games to win. Statistically, only about 3% of deals are winnable (some estimates say up to ~7% at best). So if you find the game frustrating, you’re not alone – it’s supposed to be tough!
- “Demon” Nickname: In the United Kingdom, the game is still often called Demon Patience due to its frustrating nature. Early players felt the game could be as vexing as a demon because even near-certain wins could slip away in the end. The name “Demon” stuck, though in the U.S. it’s immortalized under the name of Richard Canfield, the gambler who popularized it.
- Casino Legend: The Richard Canfield gambling story is a famous piece of lore. Canfield’s casino would charge players to play this solitaire and pay out for each foundation card placed. While it never became a big casino sensation (perhaps because games took too long and the house edge was low), the tale of paying $5 per card gave Canfield Solitaire a glamorous mystique in the early 1900s.
- Variations of Canfield: Over time, several variants of Canfield Solitaire emerged, tweaking rules to create different challenges. For example, Chameleon is a variant with only 12 reserve cards and 3 tableau piles (and it allows building tableau piles down regardless of suit). Storehouse (also called Thirteen Up) makes the game a bit easier by starting all foundation piles with the 2s removed from the deck at the beginning. Superior Canfield lets you see all reserve cards face-up and allows any card to fill an empty tableau (not just the reserve’s top card). There’s even a two-deck version known as Variegated Demon for those seeking an extra challenge. These variations maintain the core spirit of Canfield but can adjust the difficulty or introduce new strategic wrinkles.
Playing Canfield Solitaire Online
One of the great things for modern players is that Canfield Solitaire can be played on solitaireX.io – you don’t need a physical deck to enjoy the game. In fact, playing Canfield Solitaire online is a convenient way to practice. Online versions handle the shuffling and dealing for you, and often provide features like hint buttons or an undo, which can be helpful for learning. If you’re eager to try Canfield yourself, you can play it on solitaireX.io right now in your web browser.
Enjoy the challenge! Canfield Solitaire may be difficult, but its mix of strategy and luck is what makes it so engaging. With the history, rules, and tips from this guide, you’re well-equipped to start your Canfield journey. Good luck, and have fun turning the tide against the “demon” of solitaire!