How to Play Spider Solitaire

Solitaires Team

Spider Solitaire is a beloved card game with global popularity. As with classic Solitaire, this engaging game demands strategic thinking and patience. Your aim is to organize cards into descending sequences from king to ace. This guide will navigate you through the process of playing Spider Solitaire. The goal is to assemble 13 cards of the same suit, in ascending sequence. The game is won if all suits are completed.

Spider Solitaire Variations

Typically, online Spider Solitaire has 3 levels of difficulty depending on the number of suits used in the game: 1 suit is the easiest level, 2 suits is medium, and the most difficult is Spider Solitaire 4 suits.

Spider Solitaire 1 Suit

Spider Solitaire 1 Suit is a simplified version of the classic Spider Solitaire game, designed for beginners or those seeking a less complex challenge. It is played with only one suit, making it easier to form the required sequences from the king to the ace. The goal is to clear the tableau by organizing the cards into descending order, but the single suit reduces the difficulty and improves the chances of winning.

Spider Solitaire 1 Suit

Spider Solitaire 2 Suits

Spider Solitaire 2 Suits is an intermediate version of Spider Solitaire in which the difficulty is increased by using two suits instead of one. This variant balances the simplicity of the 1-suit version with the complexity of the 4-suit one.

Spider Solitaire 2 Suits

Spider Solitaire 4 Suits

Spider Solitaire 4 Suits is the most challenging version of the game, played with all four suits. This variant demands a high level of strategy and skill. Players must navigate the increased complexity of managing four different suits while trying to form descending sequences from the king to the ace. 

Spider Solitaire 4 Suits

Setting Up the Game

Spider Solitaire is played with 104 cards, which includes all the cards from two decks, except for the jokers. The goal is to form eight foundation stacks, each comprising a full suit of cards arranged in descending order, from king down to ace. Here are the main areas of the game:

Spider Solitaire Rules: Setting Up the Game
  • Tableau: This area consists of 10 columns containing cards. Players must rearrange the cards in these columns, moving them to form descending sequences of the same suit, from king to ace. Sequences have to be created directly on the tableau. Only the fully completed sequence is sent to the foundation pile.
  • Stockpile: This is the area where the remaining cards are kept after setting up the tableau. Players can draw 10 cards from the stock, adding a new card to each column in the tableau. This can be done at any time in the game, but it's more strategic to do it when the current tableau arrangement allows for no further moves.
  • Foundation: This is the area in the upper right corner of the game board where 8 completed sequences (from the king down to the ace of the same suit) are moved from the tableau.

The Game Objective 

Your objective is to assemble 8 sequences, each containing thirteen cards arranged in descending order from the king to the ace of the same suit. When a sequence is fully formed, it is then cleared from the tableau.

Here's what one fully assembled sequence of cards should look like:

Spider Solitaire Rules: Sequence

Spider Solitaire Rules

Understanding the basic rules and winning strategic approaches makes every game of Spider Solitaire both challenging and rewarding. Here are the fundamentals that will help you understand how to play Spider Solitaire.

Move Cards Around the Tableau

You can move a single face-up card from one tableau column to another if it has a value one less than the card it is being placed on. The card being moved can be of a different suit but must be one step lower in value. For example, you can move the 5 of hearts onto the 6 of spades, or move the ten of clubs onto the jack of diamonds.

You can simultaneously move several cards if they form a descending sequence. However, unlike moving a single card, all the cards in the sequence and the card onto which it is moved must be of the same suit.

Spider Solitaire Rules: Move Cards Around the Tableau

Form Same-suit Card Sequences

Assemble descending sequences from king to ace, all within the same suit. In the single-suit version, this rule is straightforward since all cards are the same suit.

Spider Solitaire Rules: Form Same-suit Card Sequences

Fill an Empty Column

Once you clear one of the 10 columns of cards on the tableau, you can place any single card or same-suit sequence into that empty column. Try to use this space to place cards or sequences that block possible further moves on the tableau. It is also a good strategy to place a king, or a sequence starting with a king, into an empty column. The king is the highest-ranked card and can't be moved onto any other card, so it blocks any possible moves on the tableau.

Spider Solitaire Rules: Fill an Empty Column

Use the Stockpile

You can draw ten new cards from the stockpile, placing one on top of each tableau column. However, you can only draw stockpile cards if there is at least 1 card in each of the 10 tableau columns. You cannot draw from the stockpile if you have an empty column so you must first place a card in the empty column before choosing to draw from the stockpile. Try to use the stockpile only when you no longer see possible movements within the tableau.

Spider Solitaire Rules: Use the Stockpile

This is a basic overview, and playing a few rounds can help grasp the flow and strategy of the game better. Try one of the Spider Solitaire versions now!

Spider Solitaire 1 Suit

Spider Solitaire 2 Suits

Spider Solitaire 4 Suits

Tips and Tricks

Below are some tactics to enhance your chances of success in Spider Solitaire:

Create Empty Columns

Always try to create empty spaces in the tableau piles by moving cards to other tableau piles. This approach increases your possibilities for rearranging cards.

Don't Keep Too Many Cards in One Column

Aim to maintain a minimal number of cards in each tableau pile, facilitating easier card movement.

Use the Undo Button

Sometimes a move that seems good at the time can lead to a dead end. Employ the undo option to revert and explore an alternative strategy.

Mistakes to Avoid

When playing Spider Solitaire, especially as beginners, players will encounter some common errors. Here are a few to avoid:

  • Focusing too much on one tableau pile. It’s important to try to move cards around to different tableau piles to create more spaces and increase your chances of winning.
  • Not creating empty columns on the tableau. As mentioned earlier, creating empty spaces is important for giving you more options for moving cards around.
  • Not using the undo button. The undo button is a useful tool for correcting mistakes and trying different strategies.

Conclusion

With this array of game options on Solitaires.com you can keep your card-playing experience exciting and diverse. Each game presents its own set of challenges and entertainment, allowing you to enjoy Spider Solitaire in various ways. So, why not start playing now?

Spider Solitaire 1 Suit

Spider Solitaire 2 Suits

Spider Solitaire 4 Suits


Solitaires Team

Solitaires Team

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