Spider Solitaire: Rules, Difficulty Levels, and How to Play

Updated

Spider Solitaire is a solitaire variant played with two full decks (104 cards) where you build descending sequences in the tableau and try to assemble eight complete runs from King down to Ace. It differs from Klondike mainly in scale and structure: there is no foundation to build up from Ace, no waste pile, and the goal is to clear the tableau by completing same-suit runs that are removed automatically. The game is available as part of large solitaire collections such as SolSuite Solitaire, which describes itself as a collection of more than 800 solitaire games including Spider.

What Makes Spider Different from Other Solitaire Games

Most people know Klondike (the classic "solitaire" on Windows), where you build four foundations up from Ace and sort through a waste pile. Spider works on a different principle:

  • Two decks, not one. Spider uses 104 cards, which is why the tableau is wider and the game takes longer.
  • No waste pile. Every card you deal from the stock goes directly onto the tableau.
  • No ascending foundations. You don't build Aces up. Instead, you build Kings down and remove completed runs.
  • Same-suit runs matter. A run only counts as complete when all 13 cards are the same suit in descending order.

The practical effect is that Spider rewards patience and planning more than Klondike, because a single careless move can block a column for many turns.

The Tableau Layout

At the start of a standard game:

  • 10 columns are dealt across the tableau.
  • The first 4 columns receive 6 cards each; the remaining 6 columns receive 5 cards each. That accounts for 54 cards.
  • The top card of each column is dealt face up; the rest are face down.
  • The remaining 50 cards form the stock, dealt 10 at a time (one card to each column) when you run out of moves.

How the Difficulty Levels Change the Game

Spider's difficulty is set by how many suits are in play. This is the single biggest factor in whether you win.

Level Suits used Cards per suit Difficulty Notes
1-suit 1 (usually Spades) 8 copies of each rank Easiest Best for learning; runs are easy to complete
2-suit 2 4 copies of each rank Moderate Requires more planning; mixed columns are common
4-suit 4 2 copies of each rank Hardest Standard "real" Spider; low win rate

In 1-suit Spider, every card is the same suit, so any descending sequence you build is automatically a valid run. In 4-suit Spider, you must keep suits separated, which means you often have to choose between making a useful move now and preserving a column for later.

Basic Rules for Moving Cards

The rules are consistent across all difficulty levels:

  1. You may move any face-up card onto a card one rank higher, regardless of suit. For example, a 7 can go onto an 8 of any suit.
  2. You may move a group of cards only if they form a descending same-suit sequence. A mixed-suit sequence can only be moved one card at a time.
  3. An empty column can accept any card or valid sequence. Empty columns are valuable — use them deliberately.
  4. When you have no useful moves, deal from the stock. This adds one card face up to each of the 10 columns.
  5. You cannot deal from the stock if any column is empty. Fill empty columns first.

How to Win

You win by completing eight runs of King down to Ace in the same suit. When a run is complete, it is removed from the tableau automatically. Clear all eight runs and the game is won.

Because there are two decks, each suit appears twice in a 4-suit game (except when suits are duplicated across the two decks), so you need to complete two runs per suit in the standard 4-suit configuration.

Common Mistakes and Beginner Strategy

  • Dealing too early. New players deal from the stock as soon as they get stuck, which buries face-down cards under new ones. Exhaust your tableau moves first.
  • Ignoring empty columns. An empty column is a free workspace. Don't fill it with a random card just because you can.
  • Breaking same-suit sequences. Once you have a clean same-suit run, moving part of it apart usually costs more than it gains.
  • Not tracking suits. In 2-suit and 4-suit games, keep a mental note of which suits are buried where. This is the main skill that separates winning from losing players.
  • Playing 4-suit too soon. If you're new to Spider, start with 1-suit until you consistently win, then move to 2-suit.

A simple rule of thumb: prioritize moves that reveal face-down cards and moves that consolidate same-suit sequences. Everything else is secondary.

Where to Play

Spider Solitaire is included in most solitaire collections and standalone apps. SolSuite Solitaire lists Spider among its game types alongside Klondike, FreeCell, and other classic variants, and is available as a download for Windows (including Windows 10 and Windows 11). If you want to try the different difficulty levels without installing anything, most browser-based solitaire sites offer 1-suit, 2-suit, and 4-suit options directly.