Tips & Guides
Plain-English guides to the games on this site — how to win a few more of them, where they came from, and how to make them comfortable to play on any screen.
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How to Win More Games of Klondike SolitaireTwelve practical tips for winning more Klondike solitaire games: which cards to free first, when to fill an empty column and how to play Draw 3.Read the guide →Yukon Solitaire Strategy: Plan Ahead and Win More GamesHow to win more Yukon solitaire games: dig into the tallest piles first, move groups to free buried cards, plan a few moves ahead and don't rush cards up.Read the guide →Scorpion Solitaire Strategy: What Wins, CountedWin more Scorpion solitaire games: keep the reserve until you're stuck, turn over face-down cards first, look ahead, and don't hurry Kings into empty columns.Read the guide →Forty Thieves Strategy: What Wins, CountedWin more Forty Thieves solitaire: use empty columns, look a few moves ahead, play everything before turning the stock, and send cards up when they can go.Read the guide →Canfield Strategy: What Wins, CountedWin more Canfield solitaire: keep the waste moving, look ahead, clear columns whole for the reserve, don't rush cards up, and start with Draw 1.Read the guide →Spider Solitaire Strategy: How to Win More OftenPractical tips for Spider solitaire with one, two or four suits: build in suit, use empty columns to sort runs, and tidy up before you deal.Read the guide →FreeCell Strategy: How to Solve Almost Every DealNearly every FreeCell deal can be won. Learn how to plan ahead, keep your free cells open and move long runs of cards the easy way.Read the guide →Pyramid Solitaire Strategy: How to Clear the PyramidHow to win more Pyramid solitaire games: learn the pairs, spot cards buried under their partners and use the stock with a plan.Read the guide →TriPeaks Strategy: Longer Runs and All Three Peaks ClearedHow to win more TriPeaks solitaire games: look for the longest run, keep it alive when two cards fit, work on all three peaks and save the stock.Read the guide →Golf Solitaire Strategy: Clear the Table and Lower Your ScoreHow to win more Golf solitaire games: plan each chain, clear the tall columns first, handle Kings and Aces, and save stock cards for a better score.Read the guide →Hearts Strategy: Dodge the Queen and Win More GamesHow to win more games of Hearts: what to pass, how to dodge the Queen of spades, which card to play when you can't win, and when to shoot the moon.Read the guide →Spades Strategy: Bid Right and Make Your ContractHow to win more games of Spades: count your sure winners, bid as a team, don't beat your partner, keep bags down and know when to bid nil.Read the guide →Euchre Strategy: When to Call Trumps and How to Win More HandsHow to win more at Euchre: count your trumps before calling, think about who gets the turned card, call next, use your discard and know when to go alone.Read the guide →Canasta Strategy: Take the Pile, Finish Canastas, Go Out FirstHow to win more at Canasta: take the pile at every chance, finish canastas with wild cards, go out with your first one and keep your pairs, all measured.Read the guide →Cribbage Strategy: Keep, Peg and Count Like a ProHow to win more games of cribbage: which cards to keep and throw, safe leads and danger counts in pegging, counting a hand in order, and playing to the board.Read the guide →Gin Rummy Strategy: Knock Sooner and Win More HandsHow to win more at gin rummy: shed high cards early, keep flexible cards, read your opponent's discards, and know when to knock or wait for gin.Read the guide →Rummy 500 Strategy: Keep Your High Cards and Dig Into the PileHow to win more at Rummy 500: dig into the discard pile, lay off on every meld, keep high cards and throw low ones, and the usual rummy advice that backfires.Read the guide →Crazy Eights Strategy: What Really Wins, MeasuredHow to win more at Crazy Eights: name your longest suit with an 8, save your 8s, shed picture cards early, and why watching your opponent's draws barely helps.Read the guide →Chess Tips for Beginners: What Wins Games, MeasuredChess tips for beginners, measured: know what the pieces are worth, check what's attacked, think about the reply, control the center, and castle early.Read the guide →Checkers Strategy: Take the Center, Crown a King and Win More GamesHow to win more games of checkers: take the center, move in pairs, guard your back row, set up double jumps and finish with two kings against one.Read the guide →Backgammon Strategy: Openings, Safe Play and Winning the RaceHow to win more at backgammon: the best opening moves, making points, the odds of being hit, when to race, bearing off safely and avoiding a gammon.Read the guide →Dominoes Strategy: The Habits That Win, MeasuredHow to win more at dominoes: watch what your opponent draws, play doubles early, keep a tile that can follow on, count the numbers, and when weight matters.Read the guide →Reversi Strategy: Corners, Mobility and the Danger SquaresHow to win at Reversi: stay off the squares next to empty corners, keep your options open, take corners, value edges, and why fewer discs early can help.Read the guide →Mancala Strategy: Free Turns, Captures and Counting, MeasuredHow to win at Mancala: take every free turn, nearest the store first, grab captures, count the stones to the end, and why guarding matters less than you think.Read the guide →Mahjong Solitaire Tips: How to Clear the Whole BoardHow to choose the right pair in Mahjong solitaire: free the long rows first, open up the top of the pile and know when to hold a match back.Read the guide →Mahjong Connect Tips: Clear More Boards, MeasuredHow to clear more Mahjong Connect boards: work from the middle out, take pairs that free others, leave the edges for later, and when to Shuffle.Read the guide →Sudoku Techniques, Step by Step: From Easy to ExpertEvery technique you need to solve Sudoku without guessing, with pictures: singles, pencil marks, pointing pairs, naked and hidden pairs, and the X-Wing.Read the guide →Minesweeper Strategy: Patterns That Clear the Board Without GuessingHow to clear a Minesweeper board by logic alone: reading the numbers, flags, the 1-2, 1-2-1 and 1-2-2-1 patterns, and counting mines at the end.Read the guide →Crossword Tips: What Helps Most, CountedCrossword tips for beginners: start with the answers you're sure of, let the letter count and the theme do the work, try common letters, use the word bank.Read the guide →Cryptogram Tips: How to Crack the Code, CountedHow to solve cryptograms: start with one-letter words and THE, read the apostrophes, count the code letters, spot repeated words and patterns, and say it aloud.Read the guide →Word Search Tips: How to Find Every Word FasterHow to find words faster in any word search: start with the rarest letter, look for letter pairs, find long words first and scan one direction at a time.Read the guide →Word Scramble Tips: How to Unscramble Words FasterHow to unscramble words faster: think of the theme, start with a consonant, find common pairs and endings, try repeated letters together, and shuffle.Read the guide →
Good to know
Which Solitaire Game Should You Play? A Guide to Seven ClassicsA friendly guide to seven kinds of solitaire: Klondike, Yukon, FreeCell, Spider, Pyramid, TriPeaks and Golf. How each plays, how hard it is, and where to start.Read the guide →Card Games for Two: Classic Games to Play TogetherThe best card games for two players, from Cribbage and Gin Rummy to Crazy Eights and Casino, with tips for playing together and a way to learn first.Read the guide →Holiday Activities for Seniors: Easy Puzzles and Games from Thanksgiving to New YearLow-prep holiday activities for seniors: large-print Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas and New Year word searches, Sudoku, card games and ideas for groups.Read the guide →Can Every Game of Solitaire Be Won? The Real OddsHow many Klondike, FreeCell, Pyramid, TriPeaks, Golf, Scorpion and Mahjong deals can really be won — and why losing a game of solitaire often isn't your fault.Read the guide →Where Our Favorite Games Came FromThe stories behind five classic games: patience in old Europe, solitaire on Windows, Mahjong on a 1980s computer, and Sudoku and word search in America.Read the guide →Make Cards and Letters Easier to See on an iPad, Tablet or ComputerSimple settings that make cards, tiles and letters bigger and clearer on a tablet, phone or computer, plus how to put a game on your home screen.Read the guide →Large-Print Puzzles for Groups: A Guide for Activity Directors and CaregiversHow to run a relaxed puzzle session with large-print word searches: choosing the right size, printing and copying, reusable sheets and ways to make it social.Read the guide →