Alaska Solitaire - Play Online Free
Alaska Solitaire is the most forgiving member of the Yukon family, pairing Yukon's powerful move-any-card freedom with the loosest possible building rule: any suit can go on any other in descending order. With so few restrictions on where cards can land, Alaska offers maximum flexibility and one of the highest win rates of any open-tableau game. This free online Alaska Solitaire plays instantly in your browser — no download and no sign-up.
What Is Alaska Solitaire?
Alaska is a single-player card game played with one standard 52-card deck. All 52 cards are dealt into seven tableau columns in the Yukon staircase pattern, with no stock pile, and the goal is to build four foundations up from Ace to King by suit. As in Yukon, much of the deck is face-up and you may move any face-up card together with the whole stack on top of it, regardless of order.
What makes the alaska game so approachable is its building rule. Instead of Yukon's alternating colors or Russian Solitaire's strict same-suit, Alaska lets you place any card on any other of the next rank up — a 9 of any suit can go on any 10. Combined with the freedom to relocate disordered stacks, this gives you an enormous number of legal moves on every turn. The payoff is a high win rate (over 90% of deals are solvable) and a relaxed, satisfying experience that still rewards a bit of planning.
How to Play Alaska
Setup and Deal
Deal all 52 cards into seven columns in the Yukon pattern: one card in the first column, then increasing stacks up to eleven in the seventh, with the top five cards of each column (except the first) face-up. There is no stock pile, and four foundations wait to be built from Ace to King by suit.
Objective
Move all 52 cards to the four foundations, building each suit upward from Ace to King. You reach this by reorganizing the tableau into descending runs of any suit, using the move-any-card rule to free buried cards, and seating Kings in empty columns. Clear the whole board to win.
Rules
- Build tableau columns in descending rank with any suit.
- Move any face-up card — and all cards on top of it — regardless of sequence.
- Only Kings (or groups headed by a King) can fill empty columns.
- No stock pile — all cards are dealt at the start.
- Build foundation piles from Ace to King by suit.
Alaska Strategy Tips
- With any-suit building you have maximum flexibility for placing cards — use it wisely rather than carelessly.
- Focus on uncovering face-down cards, since each reveal creates new opportunities.
- Despite the relaxed rules, still aim to build same-suit sequences for cleaner foundation runs.
- Empty columns are important — fill them with Kings that unlock the most progress.
- The free-movement rule lets you reorganize extensively, so plan several moves ahead.
- Avoid burying low cards under large stacks, since you still need Aces and Twos to start the foundations.
Alaska vs. Yukon and Russian Solitaire
The Yukon family is defined by its building rule, and Alaska sits at the easy end. Yukon builds by alternating colors (about 85% solvable), Russian Solitaire builds strict same-suit (only 25–30% solvable), and Alaska builds by any suit, which is the most permissive of all and pushes the win rate above 90%. All three share the move-any-card freedom and the fully dealt, stock-less board, so they feel similar to play — Alaska is simply the most forgiving, making it a great entry point to the family and a relaxing choice when you want to win more often.
Tips for Beginners
New to Alaska? It is one of the friendliest Yukon games, so use it to get comfortable with the move-any-card rule. Prioritize flipping face-down cards, and even though any suit can stack, try to gather same-suit runs because they convert cleanly to the foundations. Keep your Aces and Twos reachable, and save empty columns for Kings. With unlimited undo and a high win rate, Alaska is a forgiving place to practice planning a few moves ahead.
Play Alaska Solitaire Free Online — No Download
You can play Alaska Solitaire free online right here, with no download and no sign-up. The game runs in your browser on desktop, tablet, and phone, so this easygoing Yukon variant is always within reach. With its any-suit building and move-any-card freedom, Alaska delivers a flexible, high-win-rate experience that is both relaxing and satisfying. Every deal is a fresh puzzle that you can usually solve with a little thought.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is Alaska different from Yukon?
Alaska uses any-suit building instead of Yukon's alternating-color rule. This makes it significantly easier to find valid placements, resulting in a higher win rate.
Is Alaska the easiest Yukon variant?
Yes, Alaska is the easiest in the Yukon family. The combination of any-suit building and free movement gives you maximum flexibility. Over 90% of deals are solvable.
How does Alaska compare to Russian Solitaire?
They are opposites. Russian Solitaire uses the strictest building rule (same-suit), while Alaska uses the most relaxed (any-suit). Russian is much harder, with about 25-30% win rate compared to Alaska's 90%+.
What can fill an empty column in Alaska?
Only a King, or a group of cards headed by a King, can be placed in an empty tableau column. Even in this forgiving variant, planning your Kings around empty columns helps you make the most of the space.
Does Alaska have a stock pile?
No. All 52 cards are dealt to the tableau at the start, so there is no stock to draw from. You work entirely with the cards on the board, most of which are face-up from the beginning.
Why does Alaska have such a high win rate?
Two reasons combine: any-suit building means almost any card can be placed somewhere, and the move-any-card rule lets you relocate disordered stacks freely. Together they give you a large number of legal moves on every turn, so over 90% of deals can be solved.
What is the best strategy for Alaska?
Prioritize uncovering face-down cards, and even though any suit can stack, gather same-suit runs because they convert cleanly to the foundations. Keep your Aces and Twos reachable and reserve empty columns for Kings to make the most of the generous building rule.
Is Alaska Solitaire free to play?
Yes. This Alaska Solitaire is completely free — no download, no sign-up, and no fees. Just open the page and play in your browser on any device.