Canfield Solitaire - Play Online Free
Canfield is a classic and famously tricky solitaire, originally devised as a casino game in Saratoga Springs, New York. It is built around three distinctive features: a thirteen-card reserve pile that you must work down, a foundation start rank chosen at random each deal rather than always being the Ace, and wrap-around building that lets a King be followed by an Ace. Together they create a tight, distinctive puzzle — sometimes called Demon Patience for its low win rate. This free online Canfield plays instantly in your browser — no download and no sign-up.
What Is Canfield Solitaire?
Canfield is a single-player card game played with one standard 52-card deck. It uses four foundations, four tableau columns, a stock that you draw from three cards at a time, and a signature thirteen-card reserve pile. The very first card placed on a foundation sets the starting rank for all four foundations — so in one game you might build up from 7s, and in another from Queens. The goal is to move all 52 cards onto the foundations, each built up by suit and wrapping past King back to Ace as needed.
What makes the canfield solitaire game so memorable is the reserve. Thirteen cards sit in a stack with only the top one available, constantly pressing you to find places for them while you also juggle a cramped four-column tableau. The random foundation start rank means no two games begin the same way, and wrap-around building adds a twist absent from Klondike. Searched as "canfield solitaire free" and "demon patience," it rewards players who like a genuine challenge and unlimited redeals that keep hope alive even from tough positions.
How to Play Canfield — Complete Rules
Setup and Deal
Deal thirteen cards face-down into a reserve pile and flip the top card face-up. Deal one card face-up to each of the four tableau columns. Then place one more card onto the first foundation — its rank becomes the starting rank for all four foundations this game. The remaining cards form the stock, which you turn three at a time with unlimited redeals.
Objective
Move all 52 cards to the four foundations. Each foundation is built upward by suit starting from the randomly chosen rank, wrapping from King around to Ace and continuing until the suit is complete. The game is won when every card has reached a foundation and the reserve, tableau, and stock are empty.
Player Actions
- Build foundations up by suit — Starting from the chosen rank, play cards upward in suit, wrapping King to Ace, until each of the four suits is complete.
- Build the tableau down — Place cards in descending order with alternating colors, and this build also wraps, so an Ace may go on a King of the opposite color.
- Play the reserve — The top card of the thirteen-card reserve is always available to play to a foundation or the tableau; clearing the reserve is a central goal.
- Draw from the stock — Turn three cards at a time to the waste pile; the top waste card is playable. Unlimited redeals let you cycle the stock as often as you like.
- Fill empty columns — An empty tableau column is normally refilled from the reserve first, but any available card can occupy one to keep the board flexible.
- Win the game — Complete all four foundations to clear every card and win.
Canfield Strategy Guide
1. Attack the Reserve Relentlessly
The thirteen-card reserve is the heart of Canfield and the biggest obstacle to winning. Every card you peel off the reserve reveals a new one and opens fresh possibilities, so prioritize plays that advance the reserve above almost everything else. A game where the reserve sits untouched is a game already slipping away; keeping it moving is the surest path to a win.
2. Mind the Foundation Start Rank
Because foundations begin at a random rank and wrap around, the cards you need next are not the usual Aces and Twos. Take a moment at the start to register the rank and mentally reorder which cards are "low" for this deal. Players who keep playing as if Aces come first will miss easy foundation plays and stall in otherwise winnable positions.
3. Use Wrap-Around Deliberately
Wrap-around building — King to Ace and back — is a powerful tool unique to Canfield. It lets foundations and tableau runs continue past what feels like a natural stopping point, so always check whether a wrap move unlocks a card you need. Forgetting that sequences loop is one of the most common ways players overlook a winning line.
4. Respect the Cramped Tableau
With only four columns, space is at a premium. Empty columns are valuable but are typically refilled from the reserve, so think about whether emptying a column actually helps your reserve plan or just creates churn. Keeping the four columns flexible — neither hopelessly clogged nor needlessly emptied — is a constant balancing act in Canfield.
5. Cycle the Stock Often
Unlimited redeals are your safety net. Because you draw three at a time, the same cards become available in a repeating pattern, so cycling the stock repeatedly lets you fish out a needed card once the board shifts. Do not give up on a position just because the immediate plays dry up — another pass through the stock frequently reveals the move you were missing.
6. Think Before You Commit Foundation Cards
It is tempting to rush every eligible card onto a foundation, but in Canfield a tableau card sometimes serves you better as a building block for the reserve. Before sending a card up, check whether keeping it in the tableau would let you unload a reserve or waste card. Balancing foundation progress against tableau utility is the subtle skill that separates winning Canfield play from losing it.
Canfield Odds and Win Rate
Canfield is one of the harder single-deck solitaires, which is exactly why its casino origins made sense. Here is how it compares with related games:
| Game | Reserve | Tableau Build | Approx. Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canfield | 13 cards | Alternating color | ~15–20% |
| Rainbow | 13 cards | Any suit | ~35–45% |
| Klondike (Turn 3) | None | Alternating color | ~30% |
| Klondike (Turn 1) | None | Alternating color | ~45% |
With strong play, only about 15–20% of Canfield deals can be cleared completely — though the unlimited redeals mean you can often place a respectable number of cards even in a losing game, echoing its origins as a casino game scored card by card. The combination of a stubborn reserve, a shifting start rank, and just four columns is what keeps the win rate low and the challenge high.
Canfield Variants
Several variations soften Canfield's difficulty. Rainbow allows any-suit tableau building instead of alternating colors and often draws one card at a time, dramatically raising the win rate while keeping the reserve and wrap-around. Selective Canfield lets you choose the foundation start rank from several dealt cards, adding a layer of decision-making. Storehouse fixes the foundations to start at Twos for a more predictable game. Each keeps the signature thirteen-card reserve that defines the canfield solitaire game, while easing one rule to suit players who find the original too punishing.
Canfield vs. Klondike
Canfield and Klondike are often compared because both draw from a stock and build foundations up by suit, but they feel very different in play. Klondike has seven columns and no reserve, so the game spreads out and gives you room to maneuver. Canfield squeezes you into four columns and saddles you with a thirteen-card reserve that demands constant attention, making it tighter and less forgiving.
The random foundation start rank and wrap-around building are pure Canfield touches that Klondike lacks, and they keep every Canfield deal fresh and slightly disorienting. Klondike's win rate sits comfortably above Canfield's, which is why Klondike is the friendlier everyday game and Canfield is the one players reach for when they want a stiffer, more distinctive test. If you have mastered Klondike, Canfield offers a satisfying step up in difficulty and character.
Advanced Canfield Techniques
The advanced Canfield player treats the reserve and the stock as two clocks that must be kept in sync. Every reserve card you expose should ideally have a destination, and every stock cycle should be timed so that the cards you need surface when the board can accept them. Because you draw three at a time, the positions in the stock are effectively fixed in groups of three; expert players learn to track which useful cards will become available on the next pass and arrange the tableau in advance so those cards have somewhere to land the moment they appear.
A second refinement is restraint with the foundations. Canfield tempts you to ship every eligible card upward, but a tableau card — especially one of the right color for alternating-color building — is often more valuable as a bridge that lets you unload the reserve or waste. Before committing a card to a foundation, ask whether holding it one more turn would free a reserve card instead. Mastering this judgment, together with relentless reserve pressure and patient stock cycling, is what turns the canfield solitaire game from a frustrating loss into an elusive, hard-won victory.
History of Canfield
Canfield is named after Richard A. Canfield, who ran a gambling house in Saratoga Springs, New York, in the late nineteenth century. In his casino, players paid for a deck and were paid back for each card they managed to place on the foundations — a clever arrangement that gave the house a reliable edge thanks to the game's low win rate. The game spread under the name Canfield in America and as Demon Patience in Britain, and its memorable reserve-and-wrap mechanics carried it into countless patience books and, eventually, into digital solitaire collections, where unlimited redeals let players chase its elusive wins for free.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Ignoring the reserve pile and letting it stagnate while you fiddle with the tableau.
- Playing as if foundations start at Ace and missing the actual random start rank.
- Forgetting that both foundations and tableau wrap from King to Ace.
- Emptying a tableau column without a plan, given that columns refill from the reserve.
- Giving up after one pass through the stock instead of using your unlimited redeals.
- Rushing every card to the foundations when it was more useful in the tableau.
Tips for Beginners
New to Canfield? Make the reserve your first priority — every reserve card you play opens new options, so always look there first. Note the foundation start rank at the beginning of each deal and remember that sequences wrap around, which often hides easy plays. With only four columns, treat space carefully and lean on your unlimited redeals; cycle the stock again whenever you get stuck. Canfield is genuinely hard, so do not be discouraged by losses — placing a good number of cards is an achievement in itself, and your wins will come as you learn to keep the reserve moving.
Play Canfield Solitaire Free Online — No Download
You can play Canfield 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 storied casino patience is always within reach. With its thirteen-card reserve, random start rank, and wrap-around building, Canfield offers a distinctive, demanding challenge that rewards careful reserve management and patient stock cycling. Every deal is a fresh puzzle — and thanks to unlimited redeals, every game is worth playing to the end.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you play Canfield Solitaire?
Deal thirteen cards to a reserve, one card to each of four tableau columns, and one card to set the foundation start rank. Build foundations up by suit from that rank with wrap-around, build the tableau down in alternating colors, work the reserve down, and draw three at a time from the stock with unlimited redeals. Clear all 52 cards to win.
What makes Canfield unique among solitaire games?
Three features: a thirteen-card reserve pile you must work down, a foundation start rank chosen at random each game rather than always being the Ace, and wrap-around building where sequences continue from King back to Ace.
What is the win rate for Canfield?
About 15–20% of deals can be cleared completely with strong play. The stubborn reserve, random start rank, and cramped four-column tableau keep the win rate low, which is why it is sometimes called Demon Patience.
Is Canfield the same as the casino game?
Yes. Canfield originated in Richard Canfield's Saratoga Springs casino, where players paid for a deck and were paid for each card reaching a foundation. The low win rate gave the house its edge, and the game took the owner's name.
Why is Canfield also called Demon Patience?
Demon Patience is the traditional British name for the same game, reflecting its devilish difficulty. In America it became known as Canfield after the casino owner who popularized it.
How is Canfield different from Klondike?
Canfield has only four tableau columns plus a thirteen-card reserve, a random foundation start rank, and wrap-around building. Klondike has seven columns, no reserve, always starts foundations at Ace, and does not wrap. Canfield is tighter and harder.
Is Canfield Solitaire free to play?
Yes. This Canfield is completely free — no download, no sign-up, and no fees. Just open the page and play in your browser on any device.
How long does a game of Canfield take?
A typical game runs about 8–15 minutes, though cycling the stock through its unlimited redeals can extend a determined attempt. The reserve management makes each game engaging from start to finish.
What does the reserve pile do in Canfield?
The reserve is a stack of thirteen cards with only the top one available to play. Working it down is central to winning, because each reserve card you remove reveals a new one and opens fresh options. A neglected reserve is the most common reason Canfield games stall.
Does Canfield always start the foundations at Ace?
No. The first card placed on a foundation sets the starting rank for all four foundations, and it is chosen at random each game. You might build up from 7s in one deal and Queens in another, with sequences wrapping from King back to Ace.