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What Is Yukon Solitaire?

Yukon solitaire is a challenging but enjoyable game requiring strategy and planning to win.

It is a variant of the older Klondike solitaire or “traditional” solitaire. The main difference between the two is in the setup.

In Yukon solitaire, all the cards are placed in the tableau from the very beginning of the game, so there is no stockpile. Also, compared to Klondike, you have more face-up cards, so this game is relatively easier. Finally, in Yukon solitaire, you can move a group of cards even if they do not meet the requirements of color and rank.

There is also a more challenging variation of Yukon solitaire called Russian Solitaire. It gives players fewer opportunities to move cards around and fewer options for building up the foundation piles. However, in this article, we’ll focus on the basic, traditional Yukon solitaire game.

Did You Know?

The history of Yukon solitaire is not well-understood, but it’s probably derived from Klondike Solitaire, which was first played in the late 19th century during the Gold Rush in Canada.

Over time, variations of Klondike Solitaire emerged, including Yukon solitaire, which has a few differences discussed above. Yukon solitaire is believed to have originated in the Yukon Territory of Canada, also a gold mining region.

Although Klondike is the most commonly known version of Solitaire, Yukon solitaire has also become a popular game worldwide and is enjoyed by Solitaire enthusiasts of all skill levels.

Solitaire Yukon Rules 

It doesn’t matter if you are a Yukon solitaire beginner or a professional. The rules are really simple to learn; anyone can do it! Here are the ground rules to help you get started.

Objective

Yukon solitaire is played with a standard 52-card deck. The game’s objective is to move all the cards from the tableau to the foundation piles, building them up in suits from aces to kings. 

The Yukon solitaire game is won when all cards have been moved to the foundation piles in the correct order. The game is lost if no more moves are possible and there are still cards in the tableau.

The Setup

When the game begins, you have seven tableau piles, each containing a number of face-up and face-down cards. The first tableau pile has 1 face-up card. The second column has six cards with five of them face-up. Then, the number of cards in each column increases, while the number of face-up cards remains the same. Thus, there are seven cards in the third column with five of them face-up, and the last column has eleven cards with five of them face-up.

Such a setup contains all 52 cards, so the stockpile is not needed in Yukon solitaire.

Moves to Make

The sequences in the tableau should be built down in alternating colors; for example, a black queen can be placed on a red king. However, players can also move the groups of cards that do not meet this requirement as long as the paired cards fulfill it. For example, if you have a red king, you can place a black queen on it even if the queen is accompanied by other cards not matching the rank and color rules.

The foundation piles should be built up in suits from aces to kings. Once you see an available card, you can move it directly to the foundations or leave it in the tableau for a while if you have a well-thought strategy.

How to Play Yukon Solitaire

1. After making the initial setup, examine the tableau piles and identify any cards that can be moved to the foundation piles or to other tableau piles.
2. Move any available cards to the foundation piles in suits.
3. Move any available cards to other tableau piles, building them in alternating colors. 
4. Keep moving cards to the foundations and tableau piles as they become available, and remember to reveal the new face-down cards to maximize your options.
5. Continue playing until all cards are moved to the foundation piles in the correct order, or until no more moves are possible with cards still in the tableau.

3 Best Winning Strategies

Here are some tips that can help you improve your chances of winning:

1. Build long runs whenever possible to free up space in the tableau, providing more options to start a new sequence starting from a king. Do so in descending order, with alternating colors.
2. Use longer piles to reveal more cards faster. Given the choice between taking a suitable card from the second or the seventh column, consider choosing the seventh to make new cards face-up and maximize your options.
3. Don’t move cards unnecessarily to just create long runs and free up space. Think of the consequences of every move for the game flow and use your strategic thinking.

How to Win Free Yukon solitaire Games

This is a game of both luck and strategy. Consider every step; the wrong move may come back to bite you! 

• Practice regularly to become more familiar with the game and comfortable in making decisions.
• Keep track of played cards. This can help you make informed decisions and avoid getting stuck.
• Plan several moves ahead to anticipate which cards will be available and make better decisions.

FAQ

Every beginner’s got a few questions! Here are the answers to some of our most frequently asked ones.