Beginner difficulty
Whitehead
A Klondike variant dealt entirely face-up, where tableau sequences build by same color instead of alternating color.
- One-Deck Games
- Four-Suit Games
- Beginner Solitaire
- Klondike Games
- Mobile-Friendly Games
- Relaxing Games
- Tableau Builders
- Foundation-Building Games
- Open Games
| Decks | One deck |
|---|---|
| Suits | 4 |
| Typical length | 10 min |
| Difficulty | Beginner |
| How much skill matters | Medium |
| How much the shuffle matters | Medium |
| Family | Klondike family |
| Good for beginners | Yes |
There is no playable version of Whitehead on this site yet — this page covers its rules and strategy. The game suits a touchscreen well, so it is a good candidate once a build exists.
About Whitehead
Whitehead is Klondike turned into an open puzzle. All 52 cards are dealt face up, so there is nothing to discover — only to solve. Building runs down by colour rather than alternating it, and empty columns accept any card rather than waiting for a King.
The sting is in the group-move rule: a run only moves as a unit if it is all one suit, which means the loose same-colour building you have been doing all game produces runs you cannot pick up. Recognising that trap early is most of the skill, and it makes Whitehead considerably more thoughtful than its friendly open layout suggests.
How to play
Klondike's seven-column staircase, but every card is dealt face up, so nothing is hidden from the first move. Columns build down by colour rather than alternating it — red goes on red, black on black, and suit does not matter. Moving a group is stricter: a run only travels as a unit if it is in sequence and all one suit. An empty column will take any available card or build, not just a King, and the foundations climb each suit from Ace with no redeal available.
Strategy
Everything being face up turns this into a planning game, and the two rule changes pull in opposite directions. Same-colour building is looser than alternating colours for placing single cards, but the same-suit requirement for moving groups is much tighter — so a long red run that mixes hearts and diamonds is effectively cemented where it sits. Build within a single suit whenever you have the option, even when a same-colour placement looks more convenient. Any card fills an empty column, so clearing one is straightforwardly useful.
What works
- Every card face up — a genuine planning puzzle, no hidden information
- Any card may fill an empty column, unlike Klondike
- Same-colour building gives more placement options than alternating colours
What to know
- Groups only move if all one suit, so mixed runs get cemented in place
- No redeal at all
- The two rule changes work against each other in a way that catches people out
Frequently asked questions
- How many decks does Whitehead use?
- Whitehead is played with a single standard deck.
- Is Whitehead good for beginners?
- Yes — Whitehead has straightforward rules and is a reasonable game to learn early on.
- Is Whitehead based more on luck or strategy?
- Whitehead involves a mix of the initial deal and the decisions you make along the way.
Others in this family
- Double Klondike
Klondike scaled up to two decks and nine tableau columns for a longer, more complex game.
- Easthaven
A Westcliff variant that deals a fresh row across every column when you stall, and admits only Kings to a space.
- Harp
A nine-column two-deck Klondike with three redeals, but only one card at a time unless a King leads the group.
- Klondike
The best-known solitaire game: build tableau columns down in alternating colors and move cards up to four suit foundations.
- Klondike (Draw Three)
The stricter Klondike variant: the stock deals three cards at a time, and only the top card is playable.
- Thumb and Pouch
A more forgiving Klondike where cards build down onto any suit except their own, and any card can fill a space.
- Westcliff
Three rows of seven and one pass through the stock, but any card at all may take an empty column.