The Core Principle: Maximize Card Exposure
The single most important concept in Aces Up is card exposure. Cards buried under other cards are invisible and cannot be discarded. Your goal is always to keep the highest-value cards exposed while clearing lower ones.
Tip 1 — Usually Discard Before Dealing
On this site, you may deal from the stock whenever cards remain. That is a legal move. However, from a strategy standpoint, it is often better to take strong discard moves and useful empty-column moves before dealing.
Why? Dealing adds more cards on top of existing columns, which can bury useful cards and reduce immediate discard opportunities. This is a strategic guideline, not a forced rule.
Tip 2 — Use Empty Columns Aggressively
An empty column is the most powerful resource in the game. Before you deal, ask yourself:
- Is there a card currently on top of a column that I want to expose the card beneath?
- Can I move that top card to an empty column, then discard the card beneath it?
This technique — temporarily "parking" a card in an empty column to access the card below — is the key tactical skill in Aces Up and the most direct route to more discards.
Tip 3 — Protect Your Aces
Aces cannot be discarded. An ace sitting on top of a column is essentially blocking that column from holding a potentially discardable card. Try to:
- Move aces to an empty column as soon as one is available.
- Avoid dealing new cards on top of aces unless necessary.
- Keep at least one column dedicated to your aces so they don't pile up.
Tip 4 — Think Two Moves Ahead Before Dealing
Before clicking the stock, run through the current state:
- Which column is most "stuck" (has a low card blocking a potentially useful card below)?
- Is there an empty column you could use to unblock it now vs. after dealing?
- What suit pairings are visible? Will dealing potentially open or close discard opportunities?
Tip 5 — Avoid Same-Suit Stacking
If two cards of the same suit end up stacked in the same column (one on top of the other), the lower one becomes permanently inaccessible until the higher one is cleared. This is a dead end. Try to distribute cards across columns so same-suit cards are in different columns where possible.
Tip 6 — High Cards Are Better Than Low Cards at the Top
A higher card showing on top of a column is more likely to "protect" the cards below it by threatening to discard lower-ranked same-suit cards in other columns. Prioritize keeping high cards visible.
Tip 7 — The Endgame — Minimize Dead Columns
Once the stock is exhausted, you can only discard and use empty columns. In the endgame:
- Count how many aces are still buried under non-ace cards — freeing them should be a priority.
- Try to chain discards: discard card A, which exposes card B, which you can then discard too.
- If all columns have only aces showing but score is below 48, the game is over. Focus on reaching 48 before that state.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Dealing too early — dealing before exploiting all possible discard moves.
- Wasting empty columns — moving a card to an empty column with no strategic reason.
- Burying aces — dealing new cards on top of aces without a plan to uncover them.
- Ignoring suit pairings — not tracking which suits are visible and which are buried.
A Note on Win Rate
Even with optimal play, Aces Up Solitaire has a very low win rate (estimated 1–2%). Most hands are unwinnable. Don't be discouraged — focus on maximizing your score (cards discarded) each game. A score of 40+ is excellent. A score of 48 is a win and exceptional.