Question 1

Is every game of Solitaire winnable?

Accepted Answer

No. Approximately 79% of Klondike Solitaire deals are winnable with perfect play. FreeCell has a near-perfect solvability rate of 99.999%, while Spider Solitaire 4-suit has a very low win rate of about 1-2%.

Question 2

How many cards are used in Solitaire?

Accepted Answer

Standard Klondike, FreeCell, and most variants use one 52-card deck. Spider Solitaire and Forty Thieves use two decks (104 cards).

Question 3

Where did Solitaire originate?

Accepted Answer

Solitaire originated in Northern Europe in the late 18th century, likely in Germany or Scandinavia. It was originally called 'Patience.' The Klondike variant became widely popular during the Gold Rush era in the late 1800s and reached mainstream audiences when Microsoft included it in Windows 3.0 in 1990.