A Short History of Double Solitaire
Solitaire itself (often called Patience in Europe) has a rich history dating back to the 18th century, originally evolving as a single-player card puzzle. The idea of playing solitaire with a partner likely developed informally as enthusiasts sought to share the fun. By adapting the solo game into a head-to-head format, players created Double Solitaire as a way for two people to enjoy solitaire together. This two-player adaptation of Klondike has been around for generations – it’s mentioned in popular card game collections and has been played on family game nights long before the internet. In fact, over time enthusiasts even experimented with versions for more than two players (e.g. Triple Solitaire for three people or Quadruple Solitaire for four). Double Solitaire also inspired more complex competitive games like Russian Bank (also known as Crapette), which is a two-player patience game derived from the same concept. From its modest origins as a variation of a solitary pastime, Double Solitaire has endured and adapted; today it remains a beloved game, available in both traditional card form and in digital versions online.
Double Solitaire Rules and How to Play
Despite involving two players, Double Solitaire follows rules very similar to classic Solitaire (Klondike) – with a few key differences to enable competition. Below is a step-by-step guide on how to set up and play a standard turn-based game of Double Solitaire:
Setup the Tableau: Each player shuffles their own deck of 52 cards (it’s best if the decks have different back designs for easy sorting later). Sitting opposite each other, both players deal out a tableau layout just like in Klondike Solitaire: seven piles of increasing size (from one card up to seven cards), with only the top card of each pile face-up. Each player sets up their own tableau in front of them. Between the two tableaus, leave space for a shared foundation area consisting of up to eight foundation piles (since two decks are in play, there will be two foundation piles for each suit). Also leave room for each player’s stock pile (the remaining undealt cards) and waste pile (discard pile) beside their tableau.
Goal of the Game: Just like classic solitaire, the goal is to move all your cards onto the foundation piles in ascending order by suit, from Ace up to King. Each suit will ultimately have two foundation piles – one for each deck’s cards. On the tableau, cards are played in descending order and alternating colors (e.g. you can place a red 7 on a black 8). Each player aims to empty their own tableau and stock by building up those shared foundations. Essentially, whoever can get rid of their cards first (or gets more cards out when play ends) will win.
Taking Turns to Play: In the turn-based version of Double Solitaire, players decide who goes first (flip a coin or compare starting cards, for example). On your turn, you may make as many moves as you can, according to standard Solitaire rules. This means you can move cards around on your own tableau (stacking in descending alternating colors), flip face-down cards that become exposed, and transfer cards to any foundation pile if they fit in ascending order. Important: You can play only within your own layout or the shared foundations – you cannot play cards onto your opponent’s tableau or their waste pile. If a tableau column becomes empty, you may only fill the space with a King (or a valid King-led sequence) as in Klondike. Whenever you uncover an Ace, you should immediately move it to an empty foundation spot, since Aces start new foundation piles. Remember that the foundation piles in the middle are communal: either player may play on any foundation regardless of who started it or whose deck the cards come from. This means, for example, if you see a chance to play a card onto a foundation (like putting a 5♥ on the 4♥ foundation), you can do so on your turn whether that foundation was begun by you or your opponent.
Ending Your Turn: You continue making moves on your turn until you run out of moves or choose to stop. If you reach a point where no further moves are available from your tableau to either your tableau or the foundations, you end your turn by drawing from your stock pile. In a typical game, you flip the top card from your stock onto your waste pile to end the turn. (This flipped card will be available for you to play when your next turn comes around.) After you flip a stock card and conclude your turn, it’s your opponent’s turn to make their moves. The players alternate turns in this manner. Each player should take their turn fully, moving as many cards as possible, before the other plays – there is no simultaneous moving in the turn-based version.
Using the Stock and Waste: On each turn, you can also use your stock pile to introduce new cards into play, similar to classic Solitaire. Typically, you may draw one card at a time (or three at a time, depending on agreed rules) from your stock to your waste pile, and then play the top waste card if it’s playable. If your stock pile runs out, you can take your waste pile, flip it over to form a new stock (without shuffling), and continue drawing. This allows the game to continue until all possible moves are exhausted. Both players manage their own stock and waste piles independently during their turns.
Winning the Game: The game ends in one of two ways: immediate win or blocked end. If a player manages to move all of their cards onto the foundation piles, congratulations – that player wins instantly by clearing their deck first. More often, the game reaches a point where both players are blocked – neither player can make any further moves on their turn. When no moves are left for either side and the stock piles are exhausted, you determine the winner by comparing how many cards each player managed to add to the foundations. In other words, you count the cards in each foundation that came from each player’s deck. Whoever contributed more cards to the foundation area is the winner. (Equivalently, the winner is the player who has fewer unplayed cards remaining in their tableau and stock.) This rule ensures that even if no one goes out completely, the player who made more progress wins the round. In a friendly game, you might also choose to play multiple rounds and keep score based on cards left or games won.
A visual summary of the turn-based rules of Double Solitaire. Two players each set up a Solitaire layout and take turns moving cards, sharing the eight foundation piles between them. The game ends when one player clears their cards or no moves remain.
Simultaneous Play Variant: In addition to the turn-by-turn style, some players enjoy a simultaneous version of Double Solitaire for a faster-paced challenge. In this mode, there are no turns – both players play at the same time in a race to play cards onto the foundations as quickly as possible. This can be thrilling and chaotic: speed becomes crucial, and if both players reach for the same foundation pile, the one who places their card first stays, and the other must take theirs back. To keep things fair, informal etiquette rules are often used, such as each player using only one hand and placing cards one at a time, not in groups. Simultaneous Double Solitaire can even be played with more than two people (using multiple decks), sometimes called Race Solitaire or Multiplayer Solitaire, with variants like Triple or Quadruple Solitaire for 3+ players. However, for most seniors and casual gamers, the turn-based version described above is easier to follow and more relaxed, while still providing plenty of fun and interaction.
Strategy Tips and Techniques for Double Solitaire
Even though luck of the draw plays a role, using smart strategy can greatly improve your Double Solitaire gameplay. Here are some Double Solitaire strategy tips and techniques to boost your chances of winning:
Expose Hidden Cards Early: Try to flip face-down cards as soon as possible to open up your tableau. Prioritize moves that reveal hidden cards – for example, clear longer piles first before shorter ones, since uncovering deep columns gives you more potential moves. Also consider drawing from your stock pile earlier if it might reveal cards that help you make more moves quickly. The faster you expose all cards, the better your options.
Use All Foundation Piles Wisely: Remember that there are eight foundation piles (two for each suit) in Double Solitaire. Keep an eye on all of them and use them to your advantage. Whenever an Ace becomes available, move it to start a foundation. Don’t neglect a foundation pile that you could be building up – the more cards you get onto foundations, the fewer remain clogging your tableau. In the simultaneous play mode, be especially alert and quick to add cards to any foundation before your opponent does.
Don’t Empty a Column Without a King Ready: In Klondike-style games, an empty tableau column can only be filled by a King. So, avoid the temptation to clear a tableau pile completely unless you have a King (or a sequence starting with a King) available to immediately occupy that space. An empty space with no King to fill it is essentially a dead spot that could have been used to temporarily park cards. Plan your moves so that when you open a spot, you can use it.
Plan Ahead and Be Selective: Just because a move is legally possible doesn’t always mean it’s the best move. Think ahead about the consequences. For example, moving a card up to a foundation might free something up – but it could also wind up helping your opponent if they can then add the next card to that foundation before you can. Similarly, don’t rush to play a card in a way that leaves you with fewer moves; sometimes it’s wise to hold off a move until it yields maximum benefit. In turn-based games, use your entire turn to survey all possible moves and do them in an order that opens up the most cards. In simultaneous games, balance speed with caution – a mistake made in haste (like placing a card where it blocks another move) can cost you precious time.
Maintain Balance Between Tableau and Foundations: A key strategy in solitaire is knowing when to move cards to the foundation piles and when to leave them in the tableau. In Double Solitaire, moving cards to foundations is how you ultimately win, but be careful not to strand useful cards. For instance, if you move a low card to the foundation too early, you might find later that its higher counterparts in the tableau have no place to go. As a rule of thumb, always free up Aces and twos to the foundations, but be mindful with other cards – make sure that by sending a card to the foundation you aren’t preventing a sequence in your tableau from being completed. Strive for a balance: build foundations when it advances your position, but continue working down your tableau piles as well.
By following these strategies – maximizing your moves, staying aware of all piles, and planning your actions – you’ll improve your Double Solitaire win rate over time. Like any card game, practice helps. Each round, you’ll get better at spotting opportunities and managing the dual-deck dynamics. Soon you’ll find yourself developing an intuition for when to play aggressively and when to slow down and await a better move.
Interesting Facts and Trivia about Double Solitaire
To further enrich your knowledge, here are some interesting facts and trivia about Double Solitaire and its place in the card game world:
Alternate Names: Double Solitaire is sometimes called “Double Klondike”, as it’s essentially the Klondike solitaire game played with two decks and two players. (Confusingly, the term Double Klondike is also used by some to refer to a single-player double-deck solitaire game in certain rule books, so context matters.)
Multi-Player Solitaire: Despite the name solitaire, which implies a lone activity, there are indeed multi-player solitaire games. Double Solitaire allows exactly two people to play together, and there are even versions like Triple Solitaire or Quadruple Solitaire for three or four players. In larger groups, this is often played as a fast-paced race (simultaneous style). In other words, not all “solitaire” card games are strictly solitary – you can enjoy them socially as well.
Related Games: A well-known relative of Double Solitaire is a competitive two-player game called Russian Bank (or Crapette). Russian Bank is a more complex variant that evolved from the same idea of two-player patience play. In fact, commercial card games like Spite and Malice and Skip-Bo were inspired by Russian Bank, showing how the simple concept of Double Solitaire led to a whole subgenre of two-player card games.
Using Two Decks: When playing with physical cards, it’s recommended to use two decks with different back designs or colors. This way, when the game is over (and the cards in the foundation are all mixed together), you can easily sort out which cards belong to which deck. It saves a lot of time separating the cards after a game! Some decks are sold as a matching pair specifically for games like Double Solitaire or Canasta, often with contrasting back colors.
Solitaire’s Popularity and Digital Age: Solitaire gained massive popularity in the computer age when Microsoft Windows included it as a built-in game in the 1990s. Many seniors today fondly remember playing classic Solitaire on their PCs, which helped them learn to use a mouse and provided relaxing entertainment. Double Solitaire, while not part of the original Windows games, has since found new life online. Modern websites and apps now offer Double Solitaire in digital form, allowing two players to enjoy the game together over the internet or a single player to play a double-deck version solo. It’s a great example of how traditional card games continue to thrive by adapting to new platforms.
Benefits of Double Solitaire for Seniors
Double Solitaire isn’t just fun – it can also be good for you, especially for older adults. Here are some key benefits of playing Double Solitaire for seniors:
Mental Stimulation and Cognitive Health: Playing card games like Solitaire can help seniors keep their minds sharp. The game requires memory, attention, and planning, which act as a gentle workout for the brain. Regularly engaging in such mental activities may help maintain cognitive function and improve memory. In fact, studies suggest that cognitive exercises like solitaire might even delay the onset of memory-related conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease. Double Solitaire adds an extra layer of engagement by involving another player, which can further stimulate the mind with interactive play and a bit of friendly competition.
Relaxation and Stress Relief: Solitaire is known for its calming, meditative effect, and Double Solitaire is no different. The game’s slow, methodical pace encourages focus on the present task, which can be very relaxing. Seniors often find that playing a few rounds helps to reduce anxiety and relieve stress. The familiar routine of sorting and moving cards can put one in a light meditative state, calming the mind and easing tension. Unlike high-pressure video games, Double Solitaire has no rush (unless you choose to play the simultaneous race version) – you can take your time and enjoy the process. This makes it a wonderful way to unwind while still keeping the brain engaged.
Social Interaction and Enjoyment: One of the biggest benefits of Double Solitaire for older players is the social aspect. It’s an easy, enjoyable activity to share with a friend, a spouse, or even with grandchildren. Playing together can spark conversation and laughter, helping to combat loneliness and strengthen relationships. The game provides an excellent opportunity for seniors to socialize and connect with others over a shared pastime. This social engagement is important for emotional well-being. Even when played online, Double Solitaire can be a way to interact – some seniors play with long-distance friends or family through online platforms, bridging distances and generations. Simply put, it’s fun and fulfilling to challenge someone to a game and celebrate each other’s wins.
Accessible and Low-Impact Entertainment: Double Solitaire is gentle on the joints and easy to set up, making it accessible for seniors including those with limited mobility or arthritis. Physically, the only movement required is dealing and moving cards. It doesn’t require heavy exertion – just a table, a couple of decks of cards (or a computer/tablet for online play), and perhaps a comfortable chair. The game’s rules are straightforward and low-pressure, so it doesn’t cause frustration. This means seniors can enjoy the game at their own pace without feeling overwhelmed. Many online versions of solitaire (including Double Solitaire) are designed with seniors in mind – featuring large, clear card graphics and simple controls for ease of use. All of this makes Double Solitaire an ideal leisurely activity that provides entertainment and mental exercise without strain.
In summary, Double Solitaire offers mental, emotional, and social benefits for older adults. It keeps the brain active, provides relaxation, and creates enjoyable social interactions – a combination that contributes positively to seniors’ overall quality of life.
Play Double Solitaire Online at SolitaireX.io
If this has piqued your interest, you might be ready to try a game yourself. Fortunately, you don’t need a partner in the same room or even a physical deck of cards to enjoy Double Solitaire. You can play Double Solitaire online for free at SolitaireX.io. The website requires no download – simply open it in your browser to start playing. SolitaireX.io offers a user-friendly interface with large, easy-to-read cards and straightforward controls, making it perfect for seniors and casual players alike. Whether you want to practice on your own with a two-deck solitaire game or invite a friend to play together, the online version provides a convenient way to experience Double Solitaire anytime and anywhere.
Don’t miss out on the fun and benefits of this classic two-player card game. Head over to SolitaireX.io and try a round of Double Solitaire today. Challenge a friend or play solo to sharpen your skills – either way, you’ll be engaging your mind and having a great time. Double Solitaire offers double the cards and double the fun, so gather your enthusiasm, start stacking those cards, and enjoy a delightful game of Double Solitaire online!
Happy playing!