Play Midshipman Solitaire Online for Free (No Signup Required)

Build down by any suit but the one you're covering, not strict alternating colors, across two decks with a coin-flip 50% win rate.

Midshipman Solitaire is the friendlier sibling of Maria Solitaire: you build down by any suit other than the one you're covering, instead of strictly alternating colors, and each pile deals two cards face-down under two face-up. It's medium difficulty, with a 50% win rate, played across two full decks.

Forty Thieves Solitaire belongs to the same family if you want another two-deck game to try.

For a change of pace, the classic Solitaire covers the basics.

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

Enjoy the game!

How to play Midshipman Solitaire

Layout:

8 foundation piles: Build up from Ace to King in the same suit.

9 tableau piles: Build down by any suit other than the one you're covering. Only single cards move, never sequences. Any card can fill an empty pile. Each pile starts with four cards: the bottom two face-down, the top two face-up.

Stock: Click to turn over one card at a time to the waste pile. There are no redeals.

Waste: The top card can be played on the foundations or tableau.

Foundation:

There are eight foundation piles.

An ace on the foundation can move back to any empty tableau 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 spades is the Q of spades. A pile holds at most 13 cards.

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

Tableau:

Nine tableau piles of four cards each: the bottom two cards in each pile are dealt face-down, and the top two are dealt face-up.

A card can be added to a tableau pile only if it's one rank lower and a different suit than the pile's current top card, so the cards that fit on the 5 of diamonds are the 4 of spades, 4 of hearts, or 4 of clubs.

Any uncovered tableau card is free to move to the foundation or another tableau pile.

Any card can fill an empty tableau pile.

Stock and waste:

There's one waste pile; everything left over makes up the stock.

Click the stock to deal one card to the waste. You only get one pass through the stock.

The top card of the waste can be played to the tableau or foundation.