Alaska Solitaire is an engaging yet challenging single-deck card game in the patience (solitaire) family, closely related to the Yukon solitaire variants. It even shares a naming tradition with other frostily titled games like Yukon and Klondike Solitaire. What sets Alaska Solitaire apart is its unique rule that allows you to build sequences of cards both up and down by suit – a twist that significantly changes gameplay compared to classic solitaire rules. This variant’s flexibility comes at a cost: Alaska Solitaire is known for being notoriously difficult to win, with some estimates putting the win rate at only around 5% of games. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the history of Alaska Solitaire, explain the rules with step-by-step clarity, share strategies to improve your odds, and show you how to play Alaska Solitaire online (including on solitaireX.io). Whether you’re a casual card game fan or a seasoned solitaire enthusiast, this Yukon-style challenge offers a fresh test of your skills.
History and Origins of Alaska Solitaire
Unlike many popular solitaire games that originated in the 19th or early 20th centuries, Alaska Solitaire is a relatively modern creation. The game first appeared in the mid-1990s as a variant included in the computer game collection Pretty Good Solitaire (PGS). According to Thomas Warfield, the creator of PGS, Alaska Solitaire was added to the collection in 1996 (version 2.2) after a player’s suggestion. Prior to this, Alaska was not a well-known traditional solitaire—essentially, it was invented in software and then spread to other solitaire collections over time.
Alaska Solitaire draws its inspiration from Yukon Solitaire, a classic solitaire variant that dates back to the mid-20th century, and it is closely related to Russian Solitaire (another Yukon offshoot). In fact, one way to think of Alaska Solitaire is as a twist on Russian Solitaire: Russian Solitaire requires building sequences down by suit only, whereas Alaska allows building both descending and ascending by suit. This small rule change gives Alaska a more dynamic gameplay and slightly higher winability compared to Russian Solitaire (which is considered even harder). The shared Yukon heritage is also reflected in the name—just as Yukon Solitaire is named after the Yukon territory, Alaska Solitaire continues the theme of naming solitaire variants after cold, remote regions. This thematic link aside, Alaska Solitaire’s true claim to fame is its distinctive gameplay rules, which we’ll outline next.
How to Play Alaska Solitaire (Rules and Gameplay)
Learning how to play Alaska Solitaire is easiest if you’re already familiar with Yukon or Klondike, but we’ll break down the rules step by step so anyone can follow. The goal of the game is straightforward: move all 52 cards to the four foundation piles, one for each suit, building each foundation up from Ace to King. The challenge lies in how you manipulate the cards in the tableau (the seven columns of cards dealt on the table) to free them up for the foundations.
A typical Alaska Solitaire layout at the start of the game, with seven tableau piles (bottom) and four empty foundation piles at the top. In this Yukon-style variant, all cards are dealt out at the beginning (some face-down in each column), and there is usually no stock pile. The objective is to move every card onto the foundations by suit from Ace to King.
Setup: Alaska Solitaire uses one standard 52-card deck. All the cards are dealt out at the start into seven columns. The deal is similar to Yukon Solitaire: the first column has 1 card, the second column has 6 cards, the third has 7, and so on until the seventh column which has 11 cards. In each of columns 2 through 7, the top portion of cards are placed face-down and the rest face-up – specifically, each column (from the second onward) begins with a number of face-down cards (one more face-down card in each successive column) and has the bottom 5 cards face-up. For example, column 2 has 1 card face-down with 5 face-up above it (making 6 total), column 3 has 2 face-down and 5 face-up (7 total), and so on up to column 7 which starts with 6 face-down cards and has 5 face-up on top (11 total). All cards in the first column are face-up since it only contains one card. There is no stock or draw pile in classic Alaska Solitaire – every card is in the tableau from the beginning, and any “hidden” cards become visible as you play by clearing those above them (turning them face-up when uncovered). Above the tableau, you have four foundation slots (initially empty) corresponding to the four suits, which is where you’ll ultimately move cards to win the game.
Tableau Building Rules: The tableau in Alaska Solitaire permits a special kind of building sequence. You can place one card onto another if they are of the same suit and one rank apart. Uniquely, you may build both downward or upward in rank on the tableau by suit. For example, a 9♦ (Nine of Diamonds) can be moved onto an 8♦ or onto a 10♦, as long as the suit matches. This up-or-down flexibility is the hallmark of Alaska Solitaire’s rules (in most solitaire games like Klondike, you can only build down in alternating colors, and in Russian Solitaire, you can only build down in the same suit). Whenever you move a card in the tableau, any face-down card that becomes exposed is flipped face-up and can then be played.
Moving Groups of Cards: A powerful feature inherited from Yukon is the ability to move partial piles. You are allowed to pick up a group of cards and move them together, even if the group is not in perfect numerical order. The only requirement is that the top card of that group (the one you’re dragging) can legally be placed onto the destination pile by the suit-and-rank rule described above. In other words, you can move a stack of cards as one unit as long as the first card of that stack is one rank higher or lower (and the same suit) than the card you’re placing it on. All the cards in the group get moved together, and their internal order doesn’t matter for the move. For example, suppose one tableau column has (from top to bottom) a 4♣ on top of an 8♠ on top of a 6♥. You could pick up this entire group starting at the 4♣ and move it onto a 5♣ or a 3♣ in another column (since the 4♣ is the top of the group and can go on a 3♣ or 5♣). This rule enables complex multi-card moves to reposition cards and is key to solving the game.
Empty Columns: If you manage to clear a tableau column (i.e. move all its cards elsewhere), the space can only be filled by a King or a properly sequenced group of cards starting with a King. This is the same rule found in Yukon and many solitaire games – only a King is high enough to occupy an empty column. (There is a little-known variant rule, sometimes called “Whitehead”, where any card may fill an empty space, but the standard Alaska Solitaire rules restrict it to Kings only.) Using empty columns wisely is often crucial, because getting a King (and its attached sequence) out of the way can free up other cards.
Foundations: The four foundation piles are built up in the traditional manner: each foundation starts with an Ace of a suit and you add cards of the same suit in ascending order (A→2→3...→K) until that suit is complete. Anytime an Ace becomes available in the tableau, you should move it to a foundation to get it started. Ultimately, you win the game when all cards have been moved from the tableau to their respective foundations, leaving the tableau empty.
Summary of Moves: In Alaska Solitaire, any face-up card (and any cards on top of it in the same pile) is available to play. You can move single cards or groups around the tableau following the suit + one-rank-up-or-down rule. You can also move cards to the foundation whenever they fit (e.g. put a 2♣ on the Ace of Clubs foundation). If a move opens up a face-down card, flip it face-up immediately so it becomes active. Use empty columns by filling them with Kings (often freeing a buried card that was under that King). Continue rearranging the tableau and sending cards to the foundations whenever possible. The game is won when all four foundations show complete sequences from Ace through King in each suit.
Strategies and Tips for Winning at Alaska Solitaire
Given Alaska Solitaire’s difficulty, a bit of strategy goes a long way toward improving your chances. As noted, the win rate is very low in this game – only on the order of 1 in 20 deals is winnable on average – so don’t be discouraged by losses. Instead, focus on sharpening your play with these tips:
Reveal face-down cards early: Make it a priority to uncover hidden (face-down) cards as soon as you can. Because only face-up cards are in play, turning cards face-up gives you more options. Moves that expose a face-down card (for example, clearing a lower card blocking it) should often take precedence. The faster you can expose all cards, the better your chances of finding key moves.
Clear whole columns to open up space: If possible, try to empty out tableau piles completely. An empty column is powerful because it can be filled by a King (or a sequence starting with a King), effectively giving you a new space to maneuver cards. Clearing a column often involves moving cards around creatively or building out a sequence to the foundations. Each empty pile you create is an opportunity to relocate a King from a cramped spot, which in turn can free additional cards for play.
Use Aces and low cards immediately: As soon as an Ace becomes available, move it to a foundation pile without delay. Aces serve no purpose sitting in the tableau since nothing can be placed on them there. By starting a foundation with an Ace, you also make room in the tableau and might free a card that was beneath the Ace. Similarly, place 2s and other low cards to the foundations whenever the next card in sequence is ready – this helps clear the tableau and progresses you toward the win.
Move cards in groups (when beneficial): Don’t forget that you can move blocks of cards, not just single cards. This means you should constantly scan not only the top cards of each pile but also the cards beneath them. There might be a valuable card “buried” under others that you can relocate by moving the whole group. For instance, if you see a useful card in the middle of a column, try to move part of that column onto a suitable sequence in another column, which will free that buried card into play. Using group moves wisely is one of the advanced skills in Alaska Solitaire – it lets you rearrange the tableau in ways beginners might overlook.
Don’t save Kings for later: Kings are the highest rank and can only move to an empty column (since you can’t place them on any higher card). If you have a face-up King that isn’t yet in an empty spot, work towards clearing a space for it. Likewise, if a King is covering important cards, try to get it out to an empty column as soon as possible so that those under it become accessible. Remember, only a King can fill a blank column, so make use of every empty space by immediately occupying it with a King (preferably the one that frees the most useful hidden cards).
Plan ahead and be patient: Alaska Solitaire is often described as a highly analytical game. Impulsive moves can trap cards or prematurely fill a needed space. Take your time to consider the consequences of each move. Before moving a card, ask yourself how it helps uncover other cards or build foundations. It’s often wise to hold off on a move if you’re not sure it’s beneficial; sometimes a different sequence of moves might clear more cards. Patience and careful planning will significantly improve your odds of success. Because the game has such a low natural win rate, even perfect play won’t win every time – so treat each game as a puzzle to solve, and don’t be afraid to hit “undo” or restart and try a different approach.
Finally, remember that practice makes perfect. The more you play, the more familiar you’ll become with common patterns and pitfalls of Alaska Solitaire. Each lost game is an opportunity to learn a new trick or foresee a dead-end move next time. With these strategies in mind, you’ll gradually increase that 5% win rate and savor the satisfaction of completing this challenging solitaire.
Play Alaska Solitaire Online at solitaireX.io
One of the great things about Alaska Solitaire being born in the digital era is that it’s widely available to play online. In fact, you can jump right into a game without shuffling a single physical card. solitaireX.io offers a free online Alaska Solitaire game (no download needed) – you can play Alaska Solitaire online on solitaireX.io anytime in your web browser. The online version on SolitaireX comes with useful features like hints and undo options, plus a clean interface that makes it easy to practice the strategies discussed above. This means you can experiment with different moves, take back mistakes, and learn as you go, all while enjoying the game at your own pace.
Ready to test your skills? Give Alaska Solitaire a try on solitaireX.io and see if you can beat the odds. It’s a fantastic way to experience this unique Yukon-style solitaire variant firsthand. Whether you’re aiming to improve your strategic thinking or just unwind with a solitary card challenge, Alaska Solitaire online will provide hours of engaging gameplay. Good luck, and have fun!
Remember, every deal is winnable in theory – perhaps you’ll be the one to crack the next difficult shuffle. So head over to solitaireX.io, start a game of Alaska Solitaire, and put your newfound knowledge into action. Happy solitaire playing!