Spider Solitaire
Two decks, ten columns. Build runs from King to Ace.
How to play Spider Solitaire
Spider Solitaire is played with two decks, 104 cards in all. At the start, 54 cards are dealt into ten columns. The first four columns get six cards and the others get five. Only the top card of each column is face up. The other 50 cards stay in the stock, ready for five more deals.
Goal
Build eight full runs from King down to Ace, each in one suit. When a run is complete it leaves the table by itself. Clear all eight runs to win.
Choose the suits
With 1 suit every card is a spade, which is great for learning. 2 suits uses spades and hearts. 4 suits is the full game and is much harder.
Turn by turn
- Put a card on any card that is one rank higher. The suit does not matter for this: a 6 of hearts can go on a 7 of spades.
- You can move a group of cards together only if they are in order and all of the same suit.
- When the top card of a column is moved away, the card below turns face up.
- Any card or same-suit group can go into an empty column.
- When you are stuck, tap the stock to deal one new card onto every column. You can only deal when no column is empty.
Playing on this site
Drag a card or group, or tap it and then tap the column where it should go. Double-tap to move it to the best place. Hint shows a useful move, and Undo has no limit.
Scoring and the end of the game
You start with 500 points. Each move or deal costs 1 point, and each finished run gives 100 points. The game is won when all eight runs are cleared. If the stock is empty and no moves are left, use Undo or start a new game.
Strategy tips
- Turn over hidden cards. Moves that show a new card are almost always the best ones. Work on the columns with the most face-down cards.
- Build in suit when you can. A run of mixed suits can't be moved as a group. If you have a choice, put a card on one of its own suit.
- Get an empty column. An empty column lets you sort cards and move long runs around. Use it, then try to empty it again.
- Make every move before you deal. A new deal covers every column. Tidy up and free as many cards as you can first.
- Kings are hard to place. A King can only move to an empty column, so avoid burying good cards under one.
Spider Solitaire FAQ
How many suits should I play with?
Start with 1 suit to learn the rules. When you win most games, try 2 suits. 4 suits is a real challenge, even for experienced players.
Why can't I deal new cards?
The rules say every column must have at least one card before you deal. Move a card into each empty column, then tap the stock.
Do I have to move finished runs myself?
No. As soon as a full run from King to Ace of one suit is complete, it goes off the table by itself and you score 100 points.
Can every Spider game be won?
Most games with 1 suit can be won, and Undo helps a lot. With 4 suits many deals are very hard, and some cannot be won at all.
