Yukon Solitaire
Klondike's stockless variant. Yukon deals every one of the 52 cards onto the tableau — no stock pile waits in the corner. The other twist: you can move any face-up card together with everything stacked on top of it, regardless of whether that "everything" is properly sorted. The result is a more strategic, less random solitaire.
How to Play Yukon
- Seven tableau columns, dealt like Klondike but with extra face-up cards filling columns 2 through 7.
- Build the four foundations from Ace to King by suit.
- In the tableau, build down in alternating colors (red on black, black on red).
- Pick up any face-up card with whatever is stacked above it. The group moves together; the bottom card must obey the alternating-color descent rule.
- Empty columns accept any card or group, not just Kings.
- There's no stock to flip. What's dealt is what you've got.
3 Quick Strategy Tips
- Expose face-down cards relentlessly. Yukon's win condition is sorting the entire deck; buried cards must come up.
- Empty a column ASAP. Any group can move to an empty column — it's your most flexible workspace.
- Group moves are how you win. Single-card moves are usually weaker than picking up a stack and relocating it.
Looking for the Deep Dive?
Our sister site yukongame.com is a dedicated Yukon deep site with the full strategy guide, multi-card move tutorial, and Yukon-only articles.
FAQ
What's the win rate?
Strong players win around 80% of Yukon hands — much higher than Klondike Turn 3's 11%.
Can groups really be any order?
Yes. The bottom card needs a legal home; everything above it comes along regardless of suit or rank order.
How is Yukon different from Russian Solitaire?
Russian Solitaire is Yukon with one extra constraint: the tableau builds down by the same suit instead of alternating colors. That makes Russian much harder.
Try Another Variant
- Klondike — the original with a stock pile.
- Scorpion — Spider's cousin, similar mechanic.
- Forty Thieves — two-deck strict variant.