Solitaires Team
Solitaire Spider is perhaps one of the most popular types of Solitaire, and along with Klondike has millions of fans around the world. Like other Solitaire games, it is designed for one player. You can play Spider Solitaire online on Solitaires where the layout is done automatically. However, there is a special pleasure in playing this fascinating card game with physical cards. So, if you have two standard card decks at hand, why not shuffle the cards and challenge all your strategy and planning skills? In this guide, you will find out how to set up Spider Solitaire in a few simple steps.
Spider Solitaire is a complex and fascinating variant of the card game but its layout is very simple. Here's an overview of the layout components, including the tableau, stockpile, and foundation areas:
You will need two decks of cards (104 cards in total) to lay out the classic Spider Solitaire variant. Don't worry, however, if you don't have two decks; you can play an online version of Spider Solitaire right on our website. Those who have only one deck of cards at hand can also set up Spiderette, a one-deck version of Spider Solitaire. It has a layout similar to Klondike but the game applies the Spider Solitaire rules.
Using two decks you can play the most difficult version of the game, 4 Suits Spider Solitaire. If you want to start with a simpler version of one suit or two suits, you will need more decks. Although the number of suits will be less, the total number of cards in the game should still be 104.
To set up 1 Suit Spider Solitaire you will need eight sequences from the king to the ace of the same suit, for instance, spades. This means you will need eight decks of cards to get all eight sequences of the same suit. From these eight decks, you need to get 8 sequences of cards of the same suit, for instant spades:
For a 2 Suits version of Spider Solitaire, you will need four sequences from the king to the ace of one suit and four more sequences of another suit, for example, spades and hearts. Thus, you will need four decks of cards to set up Spider Solitaire 2 Suits.
Out of these four decks, you need to get 4 sequences of cards of the same suit, for example, spades. Also, from the same 4 decks of cards get 4 sequences of cards of some other suit, for example, hearts:
For the version with 4 suits you will simply need two standard decks of cards without jokers, which already include 2 sequences of each of the 4 suits.
Now let's move directly to how to set up Spider Solitaire.
Shuffle both decks together thoroughly to guarantee the cards are distributed randomly. Lay out ten cards face down on the playing surface to start forming the tableau.
Place one more card face down on top of each of the ten cards. Thus, you have ten columns with two cards face down in each column.
Again, add one card face down to each column, and then repeat these actions once more. You should have ten columns with four face-down cards in each column.
Place one card face down in each of the first four columns, and place one card face up in each of the remaining six columns.
Finally, place one card face up in each of the first four columns. This completes the layout of the tableau. Thus, you should have six cards in each of the first four columns and five cards in each of the other six columns. This uses up 54 cards, leaving 50 cards for the stockpile.
The remaining cards form the stockpile. Set this stack aside where it's easily accessible throughout the game. You'll draw from this stockpile as the game progresses.
Allocate a space near the tableau where your eight completed sequences will be stored after they are removed from the tableau.
Now you know how to set up Spider Solitaire and you can start playing and enjoy its addictive, though quite challenging gameplay with cards. Or try online on Solitaires!
It's worth noting that setting up Spider Solitaire will give you a random layout. With this randomization, the probability of winning 4 Suit Spider Solitaire is quite low, about 7%. Your chances of winning Spider Solitaire 2 Suits are already much higher at around 25%. The game of Solitaire Spider 1 Suit has the highest odds of winning, over 55%. That's the whole appeal of Spider Solitaire - the game has enough challenges for any level of skill.
Keep in mind that the aim of Spider Solitaire is to arrange all the cards in descending order from the king to the ace, all within the same suit. When you've formed a complete sequence, it should be taken out of the tableau. We already have the Spider Solitaire rules described in detail, so here we will just outline the general points.
Spider Solitaire with two decks offers a more challenging and engaging experience than the single-deck version. However, if you don't have two decks of cards available, no need to worry. Playing Spider Solitaire online is just as interesting and only requires internet access. Play Spider Solitaire online and improve your skills with Solitaires!
