How to Play Eighteens Solitaire: Rules, Strategy & Variations

Eighteens Solitaire (also called "Eighteen") is a Klondike variant using a standard 52-card deck. The twist: you can recycle the waste pile once.

Setup

1. Shuffle deck. Deal 7 tableau columns: 1 card face-up + 0 face-down on 1st, 1 face-up + 1 face-down on 2nd… up to 7 cards in column 7.
2. Remaining cards form the Stock (face-down).
3. Leave space for 4 Foundation piles (Ace to King by suit) and a Waste pile.

Gameplay

• Tableau Builds: Descending rank, alternating colors (Red on Black / Black on Red). Move sequences as a unit.
• Foundations: Build Ace→King by suit. Move from Tableau or Waste.
• Stock/Waste: Flip top Stock card to Waste. Play it if possible. If not, it stays on Waste.
• One Recycle: When Stock empties, flip Waste face-down to form a new Stock. Allowed only once.
• Empty Columns: Fill with any card (or King-only, per house rule).
• Kings: Can be placed in empty columns.

Winning

Move all 52 cards to the four Foundation piles.

Strategy Tips

• Prioritize uncovering face-down Tableau cards.
• Don't rush to play every Waste card; sometimes holding it enables better Tableau moves.
• Use the single recycle strategically – plan for it.
• Empty columns are powerful; create them deliberately.

Variations

• With Jokers: Jokers act as wild cards in Tableau only (not Foundations).
• Double Deck: 104 cards, larger layout, much harder.