Comparison
Klondike vs Thumb and Pouch
| Klondike | Thumb and Pouch | |
|---|---|---|
| Decks | One deck | One deck |
| Suits | 4 | 4 |
| Typical length | 10 min | 11 min |
| Difficulty | Beginner | Easy |
| How much skill matters | Medium | Medium |
| How much the shuffle matters | Medium | Medium |
| Family | Klondike family | Klondike family |
| Good for beginners | Yes | Yes |
We have not written a verdict for this pairing. The comparison above is drawn from each game's own recorded facts — follow either link for its full rules and strategy.
Klondike
The best-known solitaire game: build tableau columns down in alternating colors and move cards up to four suit foundations.
Deal seven columns, the first holding one card and the seventh holding seven, with only the top card of each face up. Build the columns downward in alternating colours — a red six onto a black seven — and move cards up to four foundation piles that each build a suit from Ace to King.
Thumb and Pouch
A more forgiving Klondike where cards build down onto any suit except their own, and any card can fill a space.
The layout is Klondike's — seven columns of ascending length, one card face up on each, four foundations building up by suit from Ace. One rule changes, and it changes everything: instead of building down in alternating colours, you build down onto any suit except the card's own.
Frequently asked questions
- Which is harder, Klondike or Thumb and Pouch?
- Klondike is generally rated beginner difficulty, while Thumb and Pouch is rated easy — so most players find one noticeably harder than the other.