What I learned from playing
- The primary way to win real money with Solitaire Smash is to deposit some of your own cash and then play in cash tournaments. Cash tournaments have prize pools that go to the top winners. The larger the prize pool, the higher the entry fee.
- You can cash out your earnings via PayPal. You'll forfeit bonus cash when you cash out, which is common for paid gaming apps.
- Solitaire Smash offers deposit bonuses to incentivize putting more money into your account balance. For example, I got an offer to receive $10.50 in bonus cash for depositing $10.
- Cash tournaments aren’t available in Arizona, Arkansas, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, South Carolina, South Dakota, or Vermont.
- Solitaire Smash is only available on iOS devices through the Apple App Store and Samsung devices through the Samsung Galaxy Store. It isn’t available on Google Play for other Android devices, but there's no shortage of games that pay real money available on Google Play.
Is Solitaire Smash legit?
With 4.8 out of 5 stars on over 98,000 ratings in the App Store and 4 out of 5 stars on over 50 ratings in the Galaxy Store, Solitaire Smash is a legitimate game that offers real cash rewards.
Solitaire Smash was released by Play Perfect, a game development company based in Tel Aviv, Israel.
What is Solitaire Smash?
Solitaire Smash is a game app that takes the classic Solitaire card game to a competitive mobile game experience. It’s free to download and play. In addition to the free games, you can join cash tournaments for real money.
While playing Solitaire Smash, I enjoyed the game’s beautiful graphics and easy gameplay. The game doesn’t require you to deposit money, so I was able to play for free. But the cash games come with the added opportunity to win real money. You might prefer the competition and earning potential with pay-to-play games, or this could be a downside for you if you're not willing to fork over funds for a chance to win more.
How much can you earn with Solitaire Smash?
To earn money with Solitaire Smash, you need to enter cash tournaments. You need to use real money or gems you earn from free games to pay the entry fee. The bigger the tournament, the higher the entry fee will be.
For example, I saw a cash tournament with a $120 prize pool and a $20 entry fee. If I won first place, I would get $60 for net earnings of $40 ($60 minus the $20 entry fee). However, if I lost, I wouldn’t have gotten the $20 entry fee back.
How to deposit cash
Technically, you could play free games until you earn enough gems to join a cash game. But the number of gems needed for this is so high that it renders this method unrealistic. That’s why the primary way to pay your entry fees is to deposit cash using one of these payment options.
- PayPal
- Apple Pay
- Credit and debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, or American Express)
States where cash tournaments aren’t available
Cash tournaments aren’t available in the following states:
|
|
How to withdraw cash
You can withdraw your cash balance and money you won using PayPal.
Solitaire Smash’s app shows additional withdrawal providers, such as Apple Pay, Visa, or Mastercard. However, when I asked the game’s support team about these methods, they asked me to provide a PayPal address to submit a withdrawal request.
Solitaire Smash doesn’t list a minimum withdrawal amount or withdrawal fee, but its terms and conditions state that it can change the withdrawal rules at any time.
My gameplay experience with Solitaire Smash
Solitaire Smash uses classic Solitaire elements to create a fun and engaging mobile app experience.
I’m familiar with the classic Solitaire game, so I found it pretty easy to pick up Solitaire Smash and figure out how to play it.
But even if you don’t know how to play Solitaire, the Solitaire Smash app guides you through the game’s mechanics. The app offers tutorials that walk you through how the game works, and then you’re set loose to play against other users.
Solitaire Smash’s basics
While playing, I focused on the main gameplay, which consists of:
- Building four foundation stacks of unique suits, starting with aces.
- Building tableau stacks of alternating colors, starting with kings in empty spaces.
- Drawing three cards at a time from the deck as needed.
- Clearing the deck (and taking a 20-point hit) if I’ve drawn all the available cards.
The point of each game is to clear the board as fast as possible by building four full foundation stacks. The faster I cleared the board, the more points I got. I also noticed that ending the game early gave me a time bonus, but clearing the board gave me more points.
Free vs. cash games
Everyone can participate in free games using gems, the in-game currency. You pay some gems as an entry fee, and then you earn some gems back if you do well enough in your game.
To participate in cash games, you must live in an eligible state and have enough cash in your balance to cover the cash entry fee. You can also use gems to enter cash tournaments, but the required gem number for these tournaments can take a while to earn.
Keep an eye out for bonus offers you may receive while adding cash to your balance. For example, I received an offer to get $10.50 for depositing $10 or $5 for depositing $5.
Tips for scoring points
Since this is a skill-based game, the better the player you are, the more likely you are to win. But to win big, you really need to risk your own money. Technically, you can enter cash tournaments without depositing money, but it takes a long time to earn enough gems to play in cash tournaments. You'll be investing hours of time just to get the opportunity to play one game.
You need to be okay with losing money because no matter how good you are at Solitaire, you will lose some tournaments. And the bigger the prize pool, the bigger the potential loss.
Challenges progress as your skills do. Ad-free with daily gifts and bonuses.
Pro tip
If you don't want to risk money to earn money, you might want to try something like Kashkick instead. With this type of platform, you can get paid to play games, and your time is the only investment you need to make.Solitaire Smash alternatives
Check out these other games if Solitaire Smash isn't sounding right for you.
Solitaire Smash | Solitaire Cash | Bingo Cash | Freecash | |
How to earn cash | Competitive Solitaire | Competitive Solitaire | Competitive bingo | Testing apps, surveys, etc. |
Has free games? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Has cash tournaments? | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
System compatibility | iOS | iOS, Android (Galaxy Store) | iOS, Android (Galaxy Store) | Android (Google Play), iOS (browser) |
Ratings | App Store: 4.8 out of 5 | App Store: 4.6 out of 5
Galaxy Store: 4.5 out of 5 |
App Store: 4.7 out of 5
Galaxy Store: 5 out of 5 |
App Store: N/A
Google Play: 4.3 out of 5 |
Download Solitaire Smash | Read Solitaire Cash review | Read Bingo Cash review | Read Freecash review |
Solitaire Cash
Solitaire Cash is a top-rated mobile game available for iOS and Samsung devices, like Solitaire Smash.
I played and reviewed Solitaire Cash and found it similar to Solitaire Smash. It was fun to play cash and gem tournaments, and I didn't have a strong preference when it came to the design of the game or the way it played. That said, I might recommend this one for people who are more comfortable playing more popular and established games, because it has over triple the amount of users as Solitaire Smash and has been around longer.
Download Solitaire Cash | Read our Solitaire Cash review
Bingo Cash
Bingo Cash is a competitive bingo game also available for iOS and Samsung. I'd suggest trying this one if you're not crazy about Solitaire but still want something fast-paced and skill-driven.
While testing Bingo Cash, I enjoyed its graphics enough that I ended up repeatedly picking up my phone and playing a quick game. Each game typically takes less than two minutes, and the Bingo Cash app offers opportunities to win real money by joining pay-to-play tournaments against other players.
Download Bingo Cash | Read our Bingo Cash review.
Freecash
For anyone who doesn't want to pay real money to enter cash tournaments with other players, I recommend Freecash. This is a lower-stakes way to earn rewards because you can get paid just to install and test out different apps, including games. You can even get paid to take surveys and sign up for different subscriptions, making this the best option for anyone looking for a more casual rewards app that doesn't require any skill.
Download Freecash | Read our Freecash review.
FAQ
Does Solitaire Smash pay real money?
You can earn real money by playing in cash tournaments and placing in the top three. Each cash tournament charges an entry fee that ranges from $1 to $20 with prize pools ranging from $5 to $120. You typically have to place first or second to earn back your entry fee and win money.
How do you score higher on Solitaire Smash?
Solitaire Smash gives you a higher score the faster you clear the board. You can quickly clear the board by prioritizing making piles with aces in the foundation stacks and then making piles with kings in the empty tableau slots below. Keep in mind that you’ll lose 20 points each time you clear your deck.
What is the catch to Solitaire Smash?
You can lose actual money if you play in cash tournaments. That’s why it’s smart to practice enough with free games before participating in cash tournaments. This can help you get better at the game before you put any real money on the line.
Bottom line
Solitaire Smash provides a fun and free mobile gaming experience with excellent graphics. In addition to playing free games, you also get the opportunity to win a cash prize by paying the entry fee to join a cash tournament. (But you need to live in a state that allows cash tournaments.)
Solitaire Smash can help you earn some extra money in your spare time. But after playing it, I found it difficult to consistently win enough cash to replace a full-time job. That’s why Solitaire Smash best suits someone who’s looking to have some fun while potentially winning money.
For more apps you can play for fun or as a potential side hustle, check out our list of legit game apps.