Play American Canister Solitaire Online for Free (No Signup Required)

A single deck across eight piles, strict alternating colors instead of Canister's anything-goes suits, and a brutal 2% win rate for real fighters.

American Canister Solitaire toughens up plain Canister Solitaire by switching the tableau build from any suit to strict alternating colors, so far fewer cards have anywhere to go. It's dealt from a single deck across eight tableau piles (the first four get seven cards, the last four get six), with four foundations waiting empty.

The game is difficult, with a 2% chance of winning, and skill matters far more than luck.

If this one clicked for you, Canister Solitaire and British Canister Solitaire round out the rest of the family.

If you run into anything odd or have an idea that would make the game better, please contact me.

Enjoy yourself!

How to play American Canister Solitaire

Layout:

4 foundation piles: Build up from Ace to King in suit.

8 tableau piles: Build down by alternating color. Groups of cards in sequence can be moved together. Any card or legal run of cards can fill an empty space. At the start of the game, the first four piles get seven cards each, and the last four get six cards each.

Foundation:

There are four foundation piles.

Any ace may be placed on an empty foundation pile.

A card can be added to a foundation pile only if it's one rank higher and the same suit as the pile's current top card, so the only card that fits on a J of clubs is a Q of clubs.

The top card of each foundation can be moved back into play if another pile will accept it.

Tableau:

There are eight tableau piles, the first four with seven cards each and the last four with six, all dealt face-up.

A card can be added to a tableau pile only if it's one rank lower and the opposite color of the pile's current top card, so the only cards that fit on the ten of clubs are the nine of hearts or the nine of diamonds.

Cards on the tableau that aren't covered by another card are free to be played onto the foundation or any other tableau pile.

Any card can fill an empty slot in the tableau.

When cards run in alternating red-and-black order from high to low, you can move the whole group from one tableau pile to another in a single drag.