Play Westcliff Solitaire Online for Free
Westcliff is one of the most winnable single-deck patience games in the Napoleon family. Ten columns of three cards (the bottom two face-down, the top one face-up) give you a compact tableau that opens up quickly as you flip hidden cards and move built sequences freely. The American version implemented here wins roughly 9 times out of 10.
What is Westcliff Solitaire?
Westcliff Solitaire is a single-deck patience game first published by Mary Whitmore Jones in 1911 under the name Westcliff Patience. The version played here is the American variant popularised by Morehead and Mott-Smith in 1949: ten tableau columns of three cards each, with the bottom two rows face-down and the top card face-up. The remaining 22 cards form the stock. Eight foundations are built from Ace up to King in suit. Tableau columns build down in alternating colours and any correctly built alternating-colour sequence can be moved as a unit. Draw one card at a time from the stock; no redeals.
Westcliff Solitaire history
Whitmore Jones described the original game in 1911 as "a tantalising little game" with a seven-column tableau. American authors Morehead and Mott-Smith redesigned it in 1949 with ten columns, giving it the near-unbeatable odds that made it popular. The name Westcliff was also applied to what is now called Easthaven, a related variant with seven columns and the ability to deal additional rows when play stalls. Our implementation follows the ten-column American rules.
How to play Westcliff Solitaire
Westcliff Solitaire rules and objective
Move all 52 cards to the four foundation piles, each built up from Ace to King in a single suit. A card or sequence may be placed on a tableau column if the bottom card of the moving piece is one rank lower and opposite in colour to the column's current top card. Face-down cards flip automatically when the card above them is removed. Empty columns accept any card or sequence. Draw one card at a time from the stock to the waste; the top waste card is always available for play. No redeals.
Game setup
- Shuffle a standard 52-card deck.
- Deal three rows of ten. Rows one and two go face-down; row three goes face-up.
- Reserve space above the tableau for four foundation slots.
- Place the remaining 22 cards face-down as the stock.
Strategies to win Westcliff Solitaire
- Flip face-down cards immediately whenever possible. With only two hidden rows per column, the tableau opens up very quickly in Westcliff.
- Move sequences to reveal face-down cards rather than to tidy the tableau. Sequence movement is a tool for uncovering cards, not an end in itself.
- Build foundations steadily but watch suit balance. Rushing one suit ahead can leave you short of the opposite colour for tableau packing.
- Conserve stock cards. With only 22 in the stock and no redeal, each draw should create a productive move. Exhaust all tableau options first.
- Create empty columns when you can. A free column absorbs a blocking sequence while you reorganise another area of the tableau.
Westcliff vs similar single-deck Napoleon games
| Game | Columns | Face-down rows | Sequences move | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Westcliff (American) | 10 × 3 | 2 | Yes | ~90% |
| Martha | 12 × 4 | Alternating | No | ~65% |
| Canister | 8 cols | 0 | No | ~45% |
| Number Ten | 10 × 4 | 2 | Yes | ~40% |
Westcliff Solitaire FAQ
What is the win rate for Westcliff Solitaire?
The American version of Westcliff wins approximately 9 times out of 10 with reasonable play. The ten-column layout, short three-row depth, and free sequence movement combine to make it one of the most forgiving Napoleon family games. A lost deal is usually the result of an early stock card blocking a critical suit rather than poor strategy.
What is the difference between Westcliff and Easthaven?
Easthaven uses seven columns of three cards instead of ten. When no moves remain, Easthaven deals another row onto the existing columns from the remaining stock, and empty spaces can only be filled by Kings. Westcliff draws one card at a time from the stock to a waste pile, allows any card or sequence in empty columns, and never deals additional rows. The ten-column Westcliff is significantly easier to win.
Can you move any sequence in Westcliff?
Yes. Any alternating-colour sequence built correctly down in rank can be moved as a complete unit or in part to another column, provided the receiving column's top card is one rank higher and opposite in colour. This is the feature that most separates Westcliff from strict Napoleon variants like Forty Thieves and Streets Solitaire.
Is Westcliff related to Forty Thieves?
Yes. Westcliff belongs to the Napoleon at St Helena / Forty Thieves family of patience games. It shares the core structure of tableau columns with alternating-colour building and a stock-to-waste draw pile, but uses a single deck and sequence movement, making it considerably more winnable than the two-deck original.