Spider Solitaire Rules

Objective

Clear the entire tableau by building eight King-to-Ace sequences, one patient stack at a time. Spider Solitaire looks calm on the surface, but every move has real weight. You slowly unwind the puzzle, chase clean sequences, and try to stay one step ahead of your future self. When you finally clear that last stack… it feels incredible.

Material

You use two full decks (104 cards) ranked: K (high), Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, A (low)

Suits & Difficulty

| Difficulty | Suits Used | Challenge | |------------|------------|-----------| | One Suit | All Spades | Easy | | Two Suits | Spades + Hearts | Medium | | Four Suits | All suits | Hard (very hard!) |

Setup

Tableau Layout (10 columns)

| Column | Cards | Face-Up | Face-Down | |--------|--------|----------|------------| | 1–4 | 6 cards | 1 | 5 | | 5–10 | 5 cards | 1 | 4 |

Total in tableau: 54 cards Stock: 50 cards (dealt 10 at a time)

How to Play

Tableau Building

You may build downward regardless of suit:

8♦ → 7♠ → 6♥ → 5♣ ✔ Valid

But only same-suit descending sequences can move as a group:

9♠ → 8♠ → 7♠ → 6♠ ✔ Entire group moves

Mixed suits must move one card at a time.

Completing Sequences

A full same-suit chain:

K♠ Q♠ J♠ 10♠ 9♠ 8♠ 7♠ 6♠ 5♠ 4♠ 3♠ 2♠ A♠

…is removed automatically. You must remove 8 total to win.

Empty Columns

Empty columns are extremely valuable:

• Any single card can be placed there
• Any full sequence can move there

Use empties to reorganize huge stacks.

Dealing from Stock

Click the stock to deal 10 cards (one to each column).

Rules:

• All columns must contain at least one card
• Deals always add face-up cards
• Plan ahead — deals make the board much harder

Scoring

| Action | Points | |--------|--------| | Start | 500 | | Each move | -1 | | Complete sequence | +100 | | Undo | -2 |

Example final score: 500 – 150 moves + 300 bonuses – 10 undo = 640

Strategy Tips

1. Flip Face-Down Cards Early

Uncover hidden cards ASAP — they win games.

2. Prioritize Same-Suit Builds

Same-suit chains = mobility. Mixed chains = stuck pieces.

3. Create Empty Columns

The strongest tool in Spider. One empty space can open half the board.

4. Don’t Rush the Stock Deal

Before dealing:

• Make every move possible
• Avoid leaving empty columns
• Try to open at least one new column

5. Plan for Full Sequences

Work toward one suit at a time. Protect long same-suit chains from being broken.

Common Mistakes

• Building messy mixed-suit stacks
• Dealing stock with an empty column
• Wasting empty columns on random cards
• Ignoring long-term suit structure

Ending the Game

You win once all eight King-to-Ace sequences leave the tableau. You lose whenever the board freezes:

• No legal moves left
• The stock is empty
• You still have incomplete sequences

Spider Solitaire rewards patience, structure, and a sense of calm focus. Master your order of operations, avoid rushing, and the hardest layouts start to feel surprisingly manageable.

Variants

One Suit (Easy)

A gentle introduction. Everything matches, so you can move smoothly and focus on planning.

Two Suits (Medium)

A surprisingly big jump in difficulty. You now juggle colors, timing, and partial sequences.

Four Suits (Hard)

The legendary version. Complex, unforgiving, and deeply rewarding once you get the hang of it.

Spiderette

A compact one deck version with 7 columns and 4 sequences to complete. Faster but still tricky.

Relaxed Spider

Allows mixed suit blocks to move together. Much friendlier, perfect when you want the feel of Spider without the frustration.