Spider Solitaire is the most demanding of the mainstream solitaire variants. Played with two full decks (104 cards), it rewards patience, foresight, and disciplined sequence management rather than luck of the draw. Whether you play 1-suit (beginner), 2-suit (intermediate), or 4-suit (expert), this guide walks you through the setup, the complete rules, the scoring, and the strategy that separates a lucky win from a consistent one.
What Is Spider Solitaire?
Spider Solitaire is a single-player card game built on the idea of weaving cards into long, same-suit runs — the “spider” name is often said to refer to a spider's eight legs, matching the eight complete sequences you must build to win. It uses two standard 52-card decks combined into one 104-card pack, dealt into 10 tableau columns. The objective is to arrange cards into complete runs of 13 from King down to Ace in a single suit. Each time a full King-to-Ace run of one suit forms, it is automatically lifted off the tableau. Clear all eight runs and you win.
Spider shipped with Microsoft Windows ME in 2000 and later joined the Microsoft Solitaire Collection, where it became one of the most played variants alongside Klondike and FreeCell. Its two-deck format and suit-building requirement give it a deeper puzzle than most single-deck games.
Game Setup
At the start, 54 of the 104 cards are dealt across the 10 tableau columns. The deal is not even: the first four columns get an extra card so they hold six cards each, while the remaining six columns hold five.
| Columns | Cards per column | Face-down | Face-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–4 | 6 | 5 | 1 (top card) |
| 5–10 | 5 | 4 | 1 (top card) |
That accounts for 24 cards in the first four columns and 30 across the other six, for 54 cards on the table. Only the top card of each column starts face-up. The remaining 50 cards form the stock. There are no free cells and no visible foundation piles — completed sequences simply leave the board when they are finished.
The Objective
Your single goal is to build eight complete same-suit sequences, each running from King down to Ace (K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, A). Because two decks are in play, there are eight suit runs to complete in total — two of each suit in 4-suit games, or eight runs of the same suit in a 1-suit game. The moment a run is complete and correctly ordered in a single suit, it is removed automatically, freeing up the space beneath it. The game is won when all eight runs have been cleared and the tableau is empty.
Complete Rules
Building on the Tableau
- Cards are stacked in descending rank order (King, Queen, Jack, 10, and so on down to Ace).
- Any card can be placed on a card one rank higher, regardless of suit. A red 9 can go on any 10. This lets you keep the game moving even when suits do not match.
- However, only a run of same-suit cards in sequence can be picked up and moved as a single group. A mixed-suit run must be broken apart one card at a time.
- Any card or valid group can move into an empty column — unlike Klondike, where only Kings may fill a gap. This makes empty columns extremely valuable.
- When you move the cards covering a face-down card, that hidden card is automatically turned face-up.
Completing and Removing a Sequence
- A complete sequence is 13 cards of one suit, King through Ace, in order.
- As soon as it forms — whether you built it up gradually or slid a run onto a waiting King — it is removed automatically from the tableau.
- You need eight completed sequences to win, one for each “leg” of the spider.
Dealing from the Stock
- When you run out of useful moves, deal a fresh row from the stock: one card is added face-up to every column, 10 cards in total.
- You may not deal while any column is empty. Every one of the 10 columns must contain at least one card before a new deal is allowed — this is the single most important restriction to plan around.
- The stock's 50 cards allow exactly five deals (5 × 10). After the last deal the stock is exhausted and you must finish with the cards on the table.
Difficulty Levels
Spider's difficulty is set entirely by how many suits are in play. Fewer suits mean more interchangeable cards and far more legal group moves.
| Level | Suits used | Typical win rate | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-Suit | Spades only (both decks) | ~60% | Beginners, casual play |
| 2-Suit | Spades + Hearts | ~15% | Intermediate players |
| 4-Suit | All four suits | ~5% | Experts only |
In 1-suit, every card belongs to the same suit, so any card can join any run and whole sequences slide freely from column to column. In 4-suit, you must keep four separate suit threads alive at once, which is why the win rate collapses and why most players spend a long time mastering the easier levels first.
Strategy Guide
Spider is a game of information and space. The players who win consistently are the ones who expose hidden cards early and hoard flexibility for later. Here are the principles that matter most.
1. Build in suit whenever you have the choice
You are allowed to drop any card onto the next rank up, but only same-suit runs move as a group. A pile that alternates suits becomes dead weight you can only unpick one card at a time. When two placements are available, almost always choose the one that keeps a suit intact.
2. Empty columns are gold
An empty column is the most powerful resource in the game. It is a free workspace where you can park an out-of-place card, reverse the order of a short run, or split a mixed pile to sort it by suit. Because any card can fill an empty column, a single gap can unlock a chain of moves that was otherwise impossible. Guard your empty columns and only spend them when the payoff is clear.
3. Race to expose face-down cards
Like in Klondike, the hidden cards are the real obstacle. Every face-down card you flip adds information and options. Prioritize moves that uncover the columns holding the most face-down cards, and be wary of piling face-up cards onto a column you have not yet dug into.
4. Plan the whole board before you deal
Each deal forces 10 new cards onto the tableau, often burying half-built runs and closing off empty columns. Once dealt, it cannot be undone. Squeeze out every useful move first, and try to enter each deal with your columns as tidy as possible so the new cards land on helpful ranks rather than scattering your progress.
5. Don't rush a completion at the cost of order
Finishing a King-to-Ace run feels great, but chasing it too early can strip you of the cards and space you needed to keep sorting. Focus first on organizing the tableau into clean suit runs; the completions tend to fall into place on their own once the board is orderly.
6. Start with 1-suit — seriously
1-suit Spider is not just “easy mode.” It teaches the core mechanics — empty columns, group moves, deal timing — without the burden of tracking four suits at once. Get comfortable winning at 1-suit before you graduate to 2-suit, and 2-suit before 4-suit. For more general advice, see our solitaire strategy tips.
Scoring
Most digital versions, including the classic Microsoft implementation, use a simple scoring system designed to reward efficiency rather than raw speed.
- You start each game with a fixed score, commonly 500 points.
- Each move you make costs 1 point, so shorter, cleaner solutions score higher than sprawling ones with many corrections.
- Each completed King-to-Ace sequence earns a bonus, commonly 100 points, which more than offsets the moves it took to build.
- Using Undo is typically free of extra penalty beyond the move cost, so it is safe to experiment, though efficient players lean on it sparingly.
The practical takeaway: a high score means you completed sequences and made few wasted moves. Chasing a perfect score encourages exactly the disciplined, plan-ahead play that also wins games.
Spider vs Other Solitaire Variants
| Feature | Spider | Klondike | FreeCell |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decks | 2 (104 cards) | 1 (52 cards) | 1 (52 cards) |
| Tableau columns | 10 | 7 | 8 |
| Win condition | 8 complete K-to-A suit runs | 4 foundations A-to-K | 4 foundations A-to-K |
| Game length | 15–45 min | 5–15 min | 5–15 min |
| Difficulty (hardest mode) | Very Hard | Medium | Medium-Hard |
If you enjoy Spider's deeper puzzle, explore the whole family in our guide to solitaire variations, or find a new favorite among the best online solitaire games.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Spider Solitaire?
Spider Solitaire is a two-deck card game (104 cards) dealt into 10 tableau columns. The goal is to build eight complete sequences from King to Ace in the same suit; each finished run is automatically removed, and clearing all eight wins the game.
How many cards are dealt at the start?
54 cards are dealt to the tableau: six cards each in the first four columns and five cards each in the remaining six columns, with only the top card of every column face-up. The other 50 cards stay in the stock for five later deals of 10 cards each.
Why can't I deal new cards?
Spider forbids dealing from the stock while any column is empty. Fill every one of the 10 columns first — even a single card is enough — and the deal will be allowed again.
How many suits should I play with?
1-suit Spider uses only Spades and is the easiest, with a win rate near 60%. 2-suit adds Hearts (~15%), and 4-suit uses all four suits and is extremely hard (~5%). Start with 1-suit to learn the mechanics, then work your way up. You can play free solitaire at Solitaires.gg whenever you want to practice.