Spider solitaire: rules and practical tactics

Spider puts two full decks on the table, so working space disappears quickly. To win, build eight same-suit runs from King down to Ace. Each completed run leaves the table and finally frees a column.

The layout

There are ten tableau columns. The first four receive six cards each and the other six receive five. The top card of every column is face up. The remaining 50 cards form five new rows in the stock.

Moving cards

• A card may be placed on any card one rank higher, regardless of suit.
• A group can move together only when every card is in descending order and the same suit.
• Any card or valid group may move to an empty column.
• You cannot deal a new row while a column is empty.

Avoiding a blocked table

A mixed-suit sequence can uncover a card, but it cannot move as one group later. When two moves are otherwise equal, prefer the one that joins cards of the same suit.

An empty column gives you room to reorganise several runs. Do not fill it with the first available card. Check whether it can help uncover another face-down card first.

Each deal covers every column and can break up work you have already done. Before clicking the stock, use the useful moves on the table and leave the columns in a manageable state.

Choosing a difficulty

One-suit Spider is mostly about move order and empty columns. Two suits makes movable runs more important. Four suits offers fewer convenient matches and is best once the basic rules feel familiar.

Controls

Drag cards with a mouse or finger. Click the face-down stock to deal a new row. New game and undo controls are available on the game panel.

Start with one-suit Spider, then try two suits or classic four-suit Spider.