Alaska

How to play Alaska

Alaska uses the Yukon deal: one face-up card in the first column, then each later column gets one more face-down card plus five face-up. Build four foundations Ace to King in suit. On the board, pick up any face-up card with its cargo and place it on a card one rank higher or lower in the same suit. Ace and King do not wrap. Only a King-led group fills an empty column.

Tap a card to send it to a foundation if it fits, or to the leftmost legal column. Auto-finish appears once every column is a face-up descending in-suit run that plays to the foundations. Undo is unlimited.

Strategy tips

• Use upward building to park a card temporarily and uncover a hidden card. Plan how you will free the lower card afterward.
• Prioritize moves that reveal face-down cards. Extra destinations are most useful when they open new choices.
• Avoid burying an Ace beneath an ascending stack unless you have a way to move those cards away again.
• Keep an empty column available for a King-led group when it helps uncover cards elsewhere.

Alaska vs. Russian

Both share Yukon's lift-anything deal. Russian builds only downward in suit. Alaska allows upward building too, giving you more ways to rearrange the tableau. Yukon is the alternating-color parent of both.

Frequently asked questions

How do you win Alaska Solitaire?

Build all four foundations from Ace to King in suit. The deal matches Yukon and Russian: all 52 cards on the board, any face-up clump may move. Alaska allows building up or down in the same suit: an 8 of hearts may sit on a 7 or a 9 of hearts.

How is Alaska different from Russian?

Russian builds down in suit. Alaska builds up or down in suit, giving each card more possible destinations. Neither game wraps between Ace and King.

Can an Ace and King wrap around?

No. Tableau ranks are adjacent without wrapping, and foundations always build from Ace to King in suit. Only Kings or groups led by a King can fill empty columns.

Should I learn Russian first?

If you already play Yukon, either is fine. Alaska offers more destinations because it permits building in both directions. Russian keeps building strictly downward.

Do I need an account to save my stats?

No. Games played, win rate, streaks and best times are stored in your browser on this device. Nothing is uploaded and there is nothing to sign up for.