How to Play Lucky Thirteen Solitaire

A tough open-tableau game: you build down in rank regardless of suit, and once a tableau pile empties it stays empty, so every move matters. The goal: Move every card to the four foundations in suit from Ace to King

Setup

1. Four foundations are placed for each suit, starting with Aces
2. Thirteen tableau piles arranged in a row, each dealt four face-up cards
3. Only the top card of each pile is playable

How to play

• Build the foundations up in suit, from Ace to King
• In the tableau, build cards one rank lower in any suit (a 6 can go under any 7, etc.)
• Only the top card of a tableau pile can move
• Empty tableau piles cannot be filled; they remain empty for the rest of the game
• Cards automatically move to the foundations whenever no other card can be built on them; you can change this in Settings if preferred

How to win

Objective: Move every card to the four foundations in suit from Ace to King

You win when all 52 cards reach the foundations. The game ends when no more moves are possible.

Tips

• Empty piles are irreversible, so use them only when absolutely necessary
• Plan several moves ahead to avoid creating dead-end piles

Play Lucky Thirteen free on Windows

CardTray is a free solitaire app for Windows that includes Lucky Thirteen alongside 300+ other games. It saves every move as you play, so you can close the window and pick the game up later, replay any deal, and take on a new Daily Challenge deal every day. Browse every game in the Game Gallery.

Related games

More games from the Baker's Dozen family:

• Spanish — This Baker's Dozen relative deals 13 tableau columns instead of the usual one row, and lets you refill gaps in the main columns while the side columns stay closed once emptied.
• British Canister — A stricter Canister layout: cards move one at a time, tableau piles build in opposite colors, and only a King can claim an empty spot.
• Canister — A straightforward game where all cards are dealt face up at the start with no stock.