The rest of the page: everything that changes in Draw 3 — stock mechanic, scoring penalty, odds, and the 5 tactics that actually move the win rate.
- 6 min read
- Draw 3 specific
- Scored + Vegas
Updated April 2026
What is Draw 3?
In Draw 3 (also called Turn 3) you flip cards from the stock in groups of three. Only the top of the three is available for play. If you play that card, the one beneath it becomes available. If you do not play it, all three go to the waste as a packet and you flip the next three. This is the mode Microsoft shipped with Windows as "standard" scored Solitaire, and the one most competitive players mean when they say "Klondike".
How Draw 3 differs from Draw 1
The setup, the tableau rules, the foundation rules, and the win condition are identical. Only the stock behaviour changes. In Draw 1 you see every card in order and can always reach any stock card. In Draw 3 you see every third card by default, which means roughly two-thirds of the stock is hidden from you on any given pass. Planning which cards to take now versus which to leave for a later cycle is the entire skill gap.
| Draw 1 | Draw 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cards turned per draw | 1 | 3 (only top card playable) |
| Stock access per pass | Every card | Every third card |
| Human win rate | 40–45% | 10–20% |
| Recycle penalty (scored) | 0 points | −20 points per recycle |
| Vegas pass limit | Unlimited (3 in Vegas) | 3 passes max in Vegas |
| Difficulty | Relaxed | Hard |
Scoring and the recycle penalty
Standard (Windows-style) scoring awards +10 for moving a card to a foundation, +5 for moving a card from the waste to the tableau, and +5 for flipping a face-down card. In Draw 3, every full recycle of the stock costs 20 points. Vegas scoring traditionally allows only three passes through the deck in Draw 3 — after that, the deal is dead. The recycle penalty is the reason experienced Draw 3 players plan multi-step moves before touching the stock.
Odds of winning
Most Draw 3 deals are still theoretically solvable — solvability is a property of the deal, not the draw mode. What drops is the practical win rate, because the tighter stock access punishes suboptimal move order. Research estimates: roughly 75–80% of Draw 3 deals are solvable with perfect play, but realistic human win rates land between 10% and 20%. A dedicated player who slows down and plans recycles can push into the mid-20s.
Draw 3 strategy that actually moves the needle
Most "Draw 3 tips" lists repeat the generic Klondike advice. These five are specific to the Draw 3 stock mechanic — they are what separates a 10% win rate from a 20% one.
- Count your passes. Before every stock tap, ask: "how many more recycles can I afford before the scoring penalty eats my lead?" In Vegas, you get three. In scored Draw 3, two or three is the sweet spot.
- Note what you saw. When a useful card cycles past unreachable, remember its position in the three-card packet. On the next cycle, line up a tableau move so that card lands on top instead of buried.
- Chain moves before touching the stock. Every face-down card you can flip using existing tableau options is a move you did not have to buy with a recycle. Exhaust the tableau first, stock second.
- Do not open a tableau column unless you have a King queued. Empty columns are leverage in Draw 3 — they let you park sequences while you fetch buried cards — but only if you can fill them. An orphaned empty column is a wasted slot.
- Hold mid-rank cards on the tableau longer than you think. In Draw 1 you can always go back. In Draw 3 a 5 or 6 you sent to the foundation too early is a card that never returns to help a 4 or 7 land.
Draw 3 FAQ
Is Draw 3 the same as Turn 3?
Yes. "Draw 3", "Turn 3", and "Three-card Klondike" are three names for the same variant. The terminology shifts by platform: Microsoft used "Draw Three", some apps say "Turn 3", classic books say "Three-card".
Can you switch from Draw 3 to Draw 1 mid-game?
Not in classical rules. The deal is set at the start. On StillDeck you can change the draw mode in Settings, but that starts a new deal — you cannot convert a stuck Draw 3 mid-game into an easier Draw 1.
What is a good Draw 3 win rate?
For casual play, anything over 10% is fine. A focused player plateaus around 15–18%. Above 20% consistently means you are counting passes, tracking the waste, and resisting the urge to send cards up early.
Does undo count as cheating in Draw 3?
Not on StillDeck. Traditional scored rules penalise taking a card back off a foundation, but generous undo (up to 100 moves back) is how modern players learn Draw 3 faster. We do not deduct points for undo — we deduct for the stock recycle, which is the actual strategic choice.
How many passes through the stock do I get in Draw 3?
In standard (non-Vegas) Draw 3, recycles are unlimited — but each one costs 20 points in scored play. In Vegas Draw 3, the classical rule is three passes maximum; after that the deal ends. StillDeck defaults to the unlimited standard variant so you can keep playing; Vegas scoring is available as a toggle.
What is the best Draw 3 strategy?
Count your passes, note what cycles past unreachable, chain tableau moves before tapping the stock, never open a column without a King queued, and hold mid-rank cards (5-7) on the tableau longer than you would in Draw 1. Those five habits are what take a player from a 10% win rate to 20%.