Play Carpet Solitaire Free Online

Carpet Solitaire

Carpet Solitaire deals 20 cards face-up in a 4x5 grid (the "carpet"), with four foundation piles building from Ace to King. Play any carpet card directly to a foundation if it fits. When a carpet space empties, it's automatically refilled from the stock pile. The game continues until the stock is exhausted and no more plays are available. Simple rules and automatic refilling create a fast, luck-influenced game.

How to Play Carpet Solitaire

Layout

20 cards are dealt face-up in a 4×5 grid (the "carpet"). Four foundation piles sit to the side. The remaining 28 cards form the stock pile.

Objective

Build all four foundations from Ace to King by suit.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Move any Ace from the carpet to start a foundation pile.
2. Build foundations up by suit: Ace, 2, 3, 4 … Queen, King.
3. Any card from the carpet can be played to a foundation if it fits.
4. When a carpet space is empty, the next card from the stock pile automatically fills it.
5. If no carpet cards can be played to foundations, draw from the stock to fill empty spaces and try again.
6. Continue until the stock is exhausted and no more plays are possible.
7. Win when all four foundations are built from Ace to King.

Guides & Strategy

Read our in-depth guides to master the rules and improve your win rate.

Other Carpet Variations

Why Play Carpet Solitaire Online?

Carpet Solitaire deals 20 cards in a 4×5 grid as the "carpet," with foundations built from Ace to King. Empty carpet spaces are filled from the stock. Its straightforward rules and moderate difficulty make it an excellent introduction to solitaire for new players.

Game Features

• Auto-Refilling Grid — Empty carpet spaces instantly fill from stock
• Simple Rules — Build foundations Ace to King, any carpet card playable
• Fast Games — Most rounds complete in 3-5 minutes
• Unlimited Undo — Reverse plays to try different foundation sequences
• Smart Hints — Highlights carpet cards that fit on foundations
• Mobile Optimized — Clean grid layout ideal for touch play

Carpet Tips and Strategies

Play cards to foundations in the order that reveals the most useful stock cards. Since refills are random, there's limited long-term planning — focus on maximizing immediate foundation plays. Build foundations evenly; getting one suit far ahead rarely helps since you need all four completed.

Carpet Solitaire Rules

Scoring System

Carpet Solitaire scores 10 points for each card placed on a foundation. Empty carpet spaces are automatically filled from the stock, so timing your foundation plays to expose useful stock cards is the key to a high score.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

In Carpet, the common mistake is playing foundation cards without checking what the stock will deal next. Since empty carpet spaces fill automatically from the stock, timing matters. Build foundations evenly rather than focusing on one suit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about Carpet Solitaire.

History of Carpet Solitaire

Carpet Solitaire gets its name from the 4x5 grid of cards laid out like a carpet or rug. The game has been part of patience collections since the Victorian era, valued for its accessibility and moderate difficulty. Its automatic refilling of empty spaces from the stock creates a steady flow of new cards, giving players a sense of progression even in difficult deals. Carpet remains popular as an introductory solitaire variant for new players.

Cognitive Benefits of Carpet

Carpet exercises rapid decision-making under moderate uncertainty. Choosing which carpet card to play affects which stock card appears next, building quick cost-benefit evaluation skills. Its moderate pace makes it an accessible cognitive exercise for all ages.