Canfield Solitaire
Canfield Solitaire, the game made famous in old American casinos, right in your browser: empty the 13-card reserve and build the foundations up from the base card.
How to play Canfield Solitaire
The goal is to move all 52 cards to the 4 foundations at the top, one per suit. The first card dealt to a foundation sets the base: the other three foundations start at that same rank. From there, each foundation builds up in suit and wraps around from King to Ace (with an 8 as the base, for example: 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K, A, 2… up to 7).
In the 4 columns, cards build down in alternating colors, also wrapping around: an Ace goes on a 2 and a King goes on an Ace. You can move the top card of a column or the whole column at once. The reserve, on the left, holds 13 cards and only the top one can be played. When a column empties, it’s refilled automatically from the reserve; once the reserve runs out, any card can go into an empty column.
Tap the stock to flip 3 cards at a time onto the waste pile; only the top one can be played. You can go through the stock as many times as you want. Drag cards or tap them to send them to the best spot, and use “Undo” to take back your last move.
Frequently asked questions
Why don’t the foundations start with an Ace?
In Canfield, the first foundation card is random each game and becomes the base: all four foundations start at that rank. The base rank is shown at the top of the game and in the empty foundation spots.
Where does the name Canfield come from?
The game is named after Richard A. Canfield, who ran a casino in Saratoga Springs, New York, in the late 1800s. Players bought a deck and were paid for every card they got to the foundations. In the UK, the same game is known as Demon.
Is Canfield Solitaire hard?
Much harder than classic Klondike Solitaire. The 13-card reserve tends to lock up the game, so focus on emptying it and save empty columns for reserve cards. Many deals can’t be won.