How to Play Spider Solitaire
Spider Solitaire is played with two decks in ten columns. Arrange the cards into runs from King down to Ace in one suit; each finished run leaves the table. Start with one suit for a relaxing game, or try two or four suits for a real challenge.
- Players
- Just you
- Cards
- Two decks (104 cards)
- Game length
- 10–20 min
- Difficulty
- Medium
The goal
Arrange all 104 cards into eight complete runs, each from King down to Ace in one suit. Every finished run leaves the table, and the game is won when the table is clear.
Choosing one, two or four suits
Spider uses two decks' worth of cards. With one suit every card is a spade, so any run can be moved: a relaxing game. Two suits mixes spades and hearts. Four suits is the full, very challenging game.
The layout
- Tableau: ten columns. The first four have six cards, the others five. Only the top card of each column is face up.
- Stock: the remaining 50 cards, enough for five new rows.
Moving cards
- Place any card on a card one rank higher, whatever its suit: any 7 on any 8.
- A group of cards can only be moved together when it is a run of the same suit in order.
- Any card or same-suit run may go into an empty column.
- When the last face-up card leaves a face-down card, that card turns over.
Dealing a new row
When you are stuck, tap the stock to deal one face-up card onto every column. You may only deal when no column is empty.
Playing on this site
- Tap a card to send it to the best place automatically, or drag it (with any cards on top of it) onto a highlighted pile.
- Aces and other cards that are safe to play go up to the foundations by themselves.
- Use Undo as often as you like, and Hint when you are stuck.
Strategy tips
- Build in the same suit whenever you can: mixed-suit stacks cannot be moved as a whole.
- An empty column is your most valuable tool. Use it to reorder runs before filling it for good.
- Before dealing a new row, make every move that turns up a face-down card.
Frequently asked questions
Which Spider Solitaire is easiest?
One suit is the easiest: every card is a spade, so any run can be moved. Two suits are harder, and four suits is a true expert game.
Why can I not deal new cards?
In Spider you may only deal a new row when every column has at least one card. Fill any empty column first.
Card games have many house rules. This page describes the most common way Spider Solitaire is played, and the version you play on Card Sunday. Does your family play differently, or have you spotted a mistake? Tell us and we will check it.
