Scoring guide
Solitaire Scoring
Solitaire can be played for time, for points, or simply for the satisfaction of finishing. The scoring system you choose changes how you value each move.
Standard scoring
Standard scoring rewards progress: moving cards to the foundations, revealing face-down cards and moving cards from the stock to the waste. Moving a card back from a foundation to the tableau usually costs points.
| Action | Points |
|---|---|
| Waste to tableau | +5 |
| Waste to foundation | +10 |
| Tableau to foundation | +10 |
| Reveal a face-down tableau card | +5 |
| Foundation to tableau | -15 |
| Recycle the stock in Turn 1 | -100 |
| Recycle the stock in Turn 3 | -20 |
The final score is often adjusted by a time or move bonus. A fast, clean game will score better than a long game that repeatedly undoes the same decisions.
Vegas scoring
Vegas scoring starts with a negative score and lets you earn it back by moving cards to the foundations. It creates more pressure than a relaxed game and encourages careful planning before every draw.
HiSolitaire's first scoring implementation uses the standard table above. Vegas-style scoring is described here for players who want a different way to measure a game, but it is not a separate mode in the first release.
Relaxed play
Relaxed play does not track points. The goal is simply to complete the game. This is a good choice when you want to learn the rules, try different strategies, or play without worrying about a score.
Moves and time are still useful even in a relaxed game. They help you compare two attempts at the same deal and notice whether a change in strategy actually improved your play.
Why Turn 1 and Turn 3 score differently
Turn 3 is harder because only the top of three drawn cards is playable. The smaller recycle penalty for Turn 3 reflects how often the stock needs to be cycled to reach a useful card. Turn 1 gives you more usable information, so a full recycle is penalised more heavily.
The exact values are part of the game rules, not a ranking signal. If you change the scoring table, update the guide and the tests together.
How score and moves interact
Score is not the win condition. You win when all four foundations are complete. Moves and time are separate measures of efficiency, and a high score does not necessarily mean a fast game. A player who reveals many cards and builds foundations efficiently can score well even with a slower clock.
The move counter records successful actions: drawing, recycling and moving cards. Undo restores the previous state, including the move count and score, so experimenting with a different line does not permanently inflate the final statistics.
A worked scoring example
Suppose you start with an Ace on the waste pile. Moving it to its foundation adds 10 points. If the same move reveals a face-down card in the tableau, the reveal is not part of that move; the reveal bonus is applied when a tableau move exposes a face-down card.
Moving a waste card to the tableau adds 5 points. Moving a tableau card to a foundation adds 10 points. If you later move that foundation card back to the tableau, the score changes by -15, so the sequence is not free. Recycling the stock is the largest penalty: -100 in Turn 1 and -20 in Turn 3.
Standard, Vegas and relaxed systems
Standard scoring rewards progress and is the default table on HiSolitaire. Vegas scoring starts from a negative balance and focuses on the foundations. Relaxed play ignores points entirely and simply asks whether you finished the deal.
None of these systems changes which moves are legal. They change what you pay attention to. If you want to learn the game, relaxed play is the least distracting. If you want to compare attempts, standard scoring gives you a useful signal alongside moves and time.
Why the recycle penalty exists
Recycling the waste is a normal part of Klondike, not a mistake. The penalty makes the two draw modes feel different: Turn 1 usually gives you more usable information per pass, while Turn 3 often requires more passes to reach a useful card. The smaller Turn 3 penalty keeps the challenge in the draw rather than turning it into a score trap.
A short scoring example
Suppose you draw a card, move a waste card to the tableau (+5), send a tableau Ace to a foundation (+10), reveal a face-down card (+5), and later recycle the waste in Turn 1 (-100). Your net change for those actions is -80. If you then complete a foundation run and move a card back down to the tableau, the foundation move adds another +10 and the return costs -15.
This example shows why the score is not a simple measure of how many cards you moved. The recycle penalty can dominate a short game, while foundation and reveal bonuses reward progress. Use the score as a summary, not as a substitute for checking moves and time.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many points is an Ace worth in Solitaire?
In the standard HiSolitaire scoring table, moving an Ace to a foundation is worth 10 points. Every later foundation card is also worth 10 points.
Do you lose points for moving a card off the foundation?
Yes. Standard scoring takes 15 points for moving a card from a foundation back to the tableau, because it reverses progress.
Is there a penalty for recycling the stock?
In the standard scoring table, recycling the waste costs 100 points in Turn 1 and 20 points in Turn 3. Relaxed play does not track points.
Does Solitaire scoring affect whether I win?
No. Winning means completing all four foundations. Score, moves and time are separate measures of how efficiently you finished.
Can I play Solitaire without scoring?
Yes. Relaxed play ignores points and focuses on completing the deal. Moves and time are still recorded so you can compare attempts.
Is a higher Solitaire score always better?
Not necessarily. Score rewards progress, but a clean, fast game with fewer moves can be a better performance even if another game has a slightly higher point total.
Keep learning
Read the Solitaire rules guide for the full setup and move rules, or try the two draw modes: Solitaire Turn 1 and Solitaire Turn 3.