Spider Solitaire Rules: 1, 2 and 4 Suits Explained
Updated
Spider solitaire is played with two decks, 104 cards, dealt into ten columns. You build down in rank, and when you complete a run from king to ace in a single suit, that run leaves the table; clear all eight runs and you win. When you are stuck, you deal one more card onto every column from the stock.
The setup
Every classic game of Spider starts from the same layout.
| Part | What it holds |
|---|---|
| Tableau | Ten columns, 54 cards: six in each of the first four columns, five in each of the other six |
| Face-up cards | Only the last card of each column; the other 44 start face down |
| Stock | The remaining 50 cards, enough for five deals of ten |
| Foundations | Eight spaces for the finished king-to-ace runs |
One-suit and two-suit games still use 104 cards. The deck simply has fewer suits: usually spades alone, or spades and hearts.
How to play spider solitaire, step by step
- Put any face-up card on a card one rank higher, whatever its suit: a 7 of hearts can go on an 8 of clubs.
- Move a group of cards together only when they run down in order and are all the same suit, such as the 9, 8 and 7 of spades.
- When you uncover a face-down card, turn it face up.
- Put any card, or any same-suit run, into an empty column. Unlike Klondike, it does not have to be a king.
- When a column holds a full run from king down to ace in one suit, the run is removed to a foundation.
- When you run out of useful moves, deal from the stock: one card face up onto each of the ten columns. In the classic rules you may not deal while any column is empty.
- You win when all eight runs have been removed. The game is lost when the stock is empty and no moves are left.
Nothing can be placed on an ace, and a king can only ever move into an empty column, because no card ranks above it.
One suit, two suits or four suits
Windows Spider Solitaire offered three levels: one, two or four suits. Many versions give you the same choice. The layout stays the same; only the mix of suits changes.
| Level | Suits in the 104 cards | What it means in play |
|---|---|---|
| One suit | Usually spades only, eight cards of each rank | Every descending run is in suit, so every run can move |
| Two suits | Usually spades and hearts | Runs break at each change of suit, and planning starts to matter |
| Four suits | The classic game: two full decks | Runs break often; with good play, about one game in three is won |
That last figure is the estimate quoted by Wikipedia's Spider article for the classic game. One suit wins far more often, which makes it the right place to learn.
The Spider Solitaire offers all three levels plus a daily challenge, and Solitaire The Collection includes Spider with one, two or four suits too.
Tips that win more games
- Turn over face-down cards first. A move that uncovers a card is worth more than one that only tidies a column.
- Build in suit whenever you have the choice. A 6 of spades on a 7 of spades can move again later as part of a run; on a 7 of hearts it can only move alone.
- Treat an empty column as your most valuable space. Use it to shift cards between columns and rebuild runs in suit, not as a parking spot for one low card.
- Before you deal from the stock, make every useful move. The deal drops a card on every column and can bury a run you were about to finish.
- Fill empty columns before dealing, since the classic rules require it. Put a high card or a long run there, so the new card lands on something useful.
- Think twice before moving a lone king into an empty column. It can only leave for another empty column, so that space is gone until the king's run is finished.
- Use undo where the game has it. Classic Spider Solitaire lists unlimited undo and scores you on finishing in as few moves as possible.
Common mistakes
- Dealing too early. Each deal adds ten cards and can block every column at once.
- Building in alternating colors out of Klondike habit. In Spider, color gains you nothing; only the suit counts.
- Leaving one column stacked with face-down cards for the whole game. Spread your effort so no column stays locked.
- Breaking a long run in suit to free a single card. Rebuilding it later can cost more moves than you save.
Play spider solitaire in your browser
The Spider Solitaire describes ten piles, three suit modes and daily challenges. Spider Solitaire Pro uses two decks and asks you to stack cards in descending order, clicking the stock for more cards when you run out of moves. Solitaire 8 Collection includes Spider alongside seven other solitaires, with free hints and unlimited undo.
More card games are in the puzzles category.
Spider variants
Several solitaires borrow the Spider idea with one deck or looser rules.
| Variant | What changes |
|---|---|
| Spiderette | One deck in a Klondike-style layout of seven columns |
| Simple Simon | One deck, dealt entirely face up into ten columns |
| Relaxed Spider | You may deal from the stock even with empty columns |
Spiderette and Simple Simon are both modes in Solitaire The Collection.
Spider solitaire FAQ
Can you deal in spider solitaire with an empty column?
Not in the classic rules: every column must hold at least one card before you deal. Relaxed versions allow it, so check your game's settings.
Can you put any card in an empty column?
Yes. Any card or any same-suit run can go there, which is a key difference from Klondike, where only a king fills a space.
Is every game of spider solitaire winnable?
No. Some deals cannot be won, and four-suit games are won far less often than one-suit games. Undo and hints help you find the way through the deals that can be solved.
What is the difference between Spider and Klondike?
Spider uses two decks and builds same-suit runs that leave the table when complete. Klondike uses one deck, builds in alternating colors and sends cards to the foundations one at a time. Types of solitaire compares both with FreeCell, Pyramid, TriPeaks and Golf, and how to play solitaire covers Klondike in full.
Start with one suit, keep your runs in suit, and save the stock for when you have truly run out of moves.
