How to Play Spider Solitaire
Spider Solitaire is a challenging patience game played with two full decks (104 cards). The goal is to build eight complete King-to-Ace sequences of the same suit. It is one of the most popular solitaire variants, with three difficulty levels based on the number of suits used. Spider first appeared in a 1949 book of card games and became widely popular when Microsoft included it in Windows ME in 2000.
About Spider Solitaire
Spider Solitaire is the most popular two-deck solitaire game in the world and one of the most rewarding card games ever created. Named after the eight legs of a spider — representing the eight foundation sequences you must build — Spider uses 104 cards spread across ten tableau columns. Your goal is to arrange complete King-to-Ace sequences of the same suit, which are automatically removed from the table.
What makes Spider unique is the distinction between same-suit and mixed-suit stacks. While you can place any card of descending rank on another, only fully same-suit sequences can be moved as a group. This creates a deep strategic layer: you must balance building mixed sequences for short-term flexibility with creating pure same-suit runs for long-term progress. The stock pile deals ten cards at once — one to each column — adding pressure and new opportunities simultaneously.
Spider offers three difficulty levels to match your skill: One Suit uses only Spades for a relaxing experience with around 60% win rate. Two Suit adds Hearts for a moderate challenge. Four Suit uses the complete deck, dropping the win rate to roughly 10% and creating one of the most demanding card games you'll ever play.
Objective
Your goal is to clear the board by building eight complete King-to-Ace sequences in the same suit. Each finished sequence is automatically removed from the tableau. Win the game when all eight sequences are gone and the tableau is empty.
Video Tutorial
How to Play Spider Solitaire (wikiHow)
Game Setup
- The tableau: Ten columns containing 54 dealt cards. Columns 1-4 hold 6 cards each; columns 5-10 hold 5 each. Only the top card of every column starts face-up.
- The stock pile: The remaining 50 face-down cards in the lower-right. Each tap deals one new card to every tableau column at once — five deals total.
- Completed sequences: A row of slots above the tableau showing how many King-to-Ace same-suit sequences have been auto-removed. Reach eight to win.
Rules
- Build tableau columns in descending order (regardless of suit for placing, but only same-suit sequences can be moved as a group).
- You can place any card on top of a card that is one rank higher.
- Only a same-suit descending sequence can be moved as a group (e.g., 8-7-6-5 of Spades).
- A complete same-suit sequence from King down to Ace is automatically removed from the board.
- Any card or valid sequence can be placed on an empty column.
- Deal 10 new cards from the stock (one per column) when no more moves are desired — but all columns must have at least one card before dealing.
- Win by removing all eight King-to-Ace same-suit sequences.
- In one-suit mode, all cards are Spades, making every sequence same-suit by default.
- In two-suit mode, cards are Hearts and Spades, adding moderate complexity.
- In four-suit mode, all four suits are used, making same-suit sequences much harder to build.
- Scoring starts at 500 points, with -1 per move and +100 for each completed sequence.
- The game ends when all eight sequences are completed or no valid moves remain.
Strategy Tips
- Focus on building same-suit sequences whenever possible. Mixed-suit columns become dead weight.
- Try to empty a column to create workspace — empty columns are extremely valuable in Spider.
- Do not deal new cards from the stock until you have exhausted all useful moves on the tableau.
- Prioritize uncovering face-down cards, especially in columns with many hidden cards.
- In four-suit Spider, plan several moves ahead. Every move matters.
- Build long same-suit runs even if it means temporarily covering useful cards.
- Use empty columns as temporary storage to rearrange cards and create same-suit sequences.
- Before dealing from the stock, try to have at least one empty column — it makes the deal much easier to manage.
- In two-suit mode, try to keep red and black cards separated into different columns when possible.
- Start by identifying which columns have the fewest face-down cards and work on those first.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many cards are in Spider Solitaire?
Spider Solitaire uses two full decks (104 cards). 54 are dealt to the tableau, and 50 are in the stock pile.
Which Spider Solitaire difficulty should I start with?
Start with one-suit (all Spades). It is the easiest difficulty with the highest win rate. Once comfortable, move to two-suit and eventually four-suit for the ultimate challenge.
What is the win rate for Spider Solitaire?
One-suit Spider is winnable about 99% of the time with good play. Two-suit drops to around 20-30%, and four-suit is extremely difficult with a win rate often below 10%.
Why can I only move some groups of cards?
In Spider, only same-suit descending sequences can be moved as a group. If your sequence mixes suits (e.g., 8 of Spades on 9 of Hearts), you can only move the top card individually.
Why can't I deal from the stock?
Spider requires all ten tableau columns to have at least one card before you can deal from the stock. Fill any empty columns first, then deal.
What happens when I complete a King-to-Ace sequence?
A complete same-suit sequence from King to Ace is automatically removed from the board. You need to complete all eight sequences to win.
Is Spider Solitaire harder than Klondike?
Four-suit Spider is significantly harder than Klondike. One-suit Spider is actually easier. The difficulty scales dramatically with the number of suits.
How is Spider Solitaire scored?
You start with 500 points and lose 1 point per move. Each completed King-to-Ace same-suit sequence adds 100 points. The goal is to finish with the highest score possible.