Spider solitaire rules: how to play with 1, 2 or 4 suits
Spider solitaire rules in short
The spider solitaire rules fit in one paragraph. You play with two decks, 104 cards, in ten columns. You may place any card on a card one rank higher, in any suit, but you can only move a group of cards together if they are all the same suit and in order. When you build a complete run from King down to Ace in one suit, it leaves the table. Clear all eight runs to win. When you run out of moves, deal ten new cards from the stock, one onto each column, but only when no column is empty.
That is how to play spider solitaire. Below, each rule is explained with examples, followed by the differences between 1, 2 and 4 suits and the strategy that wins games. You can try every step in our free Spider Solitaire game.
The setup
Spider always uses 104 cards, the size of two standard decks. What changes with the number of suits is which cards those are:
| Version | Suits in play | Cards of each suit |
|---|---|---|
| 1 suit | Spades only | 104 spades (eight full sets) |
| 2 suits | Spades and hearts | 52 of each (four sets each) |
| 4 suits | All four suits | 26 of each (two full decks) |
The deal is always the same:
- Deal ten columns. The first four columns get 6 cards each, the other six get 5 cards each. That makes 54 cards.
- Turn the top card of each column face up. The rest stay face down.
- Put the remaining 50 cards aside as the stock. They will come out in five deals of ten cards.
- Leave room for eight finished runs. Completed runs are stacked here as you remove them.
How cards move
Placing single cards
Any face-up card can go on another face-up card exactly one rank higher. Suit and color do not matter: a 7 of hearts can go on an 8 of spades, and so can a 7 of spades. Ranks run from Ace (low) to King (high), and there is no wrapping round, so nothing goes on an Ace and a King cannot go on anything.
Moving runs
You can pick up several cards at once only if they form a same-suit run in descending order. For example, if a column ends 9♠ 8♥ 7♥ 6♥, you can move the 8-7-6 of hearts together, or just the 7-6, or just the 6. You cannot move the 9♠ with them, because the suit changes.
This is the rule that makes Spider a game of planning. Mixed-suit stacks are legal to build but hard to move later.
Turning hidden cards
When the last face-up card leaves a column, the face-down card underneath turns over and can be played.
Empty columns
When a column is empty, you can put any card or any movable run in it, not just a King. This is a key difference from Klondike, where only Kings fill empty columns.
Dealing from the stock
When you are stuck, or ready for more cards, tap the stock. One card is dealt face up onto every one of the ten columns, on top of whatever is there. You get five deals in a game.
The important rule: you cannot deal while any column is empty. Every column must hold at least one card first. If you have an empty column and no useful card to put in it, move any single card there before you deal.
There is no going back through the stock as in Klondike. Once all five deals are out, you have to finish with the cards on the table.
Removing completed runs
When a column ends with a full run from King down to Ace, all in one suit, those 13 cards are removed from the table and placed in the finished area. In our game this happens automatically. The card under the run, if any, then turns face up.
There are eight runs to complete (104 cards divided by 13). Remove all eight and you win. Finished runs never come back into play.
1 suit, 2 suits or 4 suits?
The rules are identical in every version. The number of suits only changes how often your runs are the same suit, and that changes everything.
- 1 suit: every card is a spade, so every descending stack is a movable run. It is the best way to learn, and most games can be won.
- 2 suits: spades and hearts. Mixed runs that cannot move as one block appear all the time, so you must plan where each card goes. This is the version many players consider the real game.
- 4 suits: all four suits. Same-suit cards meet each other much less often, most stacks end up mixed, and even strong players lose many games. Unlimited undo helps a lot.
If you are new, play a few games with one suit until dealing, building and removing runs feel natural, then move up.
How scoring works
Our game tracks your moves and your time, so you can race your own best result. Many computer versions use a points score instead: you start with 500 points, lose 1 for every move and gain 100 for every completed run. Either way, the score is a bonus. Clearing the table is the goal.
Spider solitaire strategy
Build in suit whenever you can
When a card can go on two different cards of the next rank up, choose the one of the same suit. A same-suit run can move later; a mixed run is stuck until you take it apart. With 1 suit this tip does not apply, but with 2 and 4 suits it is the most important habit in the game.
Turn over hidden cards early
Early in the game, a move that turns a face-down card over is worth more than almost anything else. Every card you see is a card you can plan around.
Empty a column, and keep it empty
An empty column is your most valuable space. It lets you move a mixed stack in pieces: park the bottom same-suit section in the empty column, move the next section, then rebuild. Aim for the column with the fewest face-down cards, since it is the cheapest one to clear.
The same idea shows up in other sorting puzzles. In our test of water sort puzzles, a single extra empty tube decided whether most boards could be solved at all.
Don’t waste empty columns on Kings
In Spider, a King can only move into an empty column. Putting one there uses up your best space to hold a card that can never move again unless the column empties. Only do it when the King brings a long same-suit run with it, or when it uncovers something important.
Deal only when you are ready
Each deal drops a card on every column and often buries the run you were building. Before you deal:
- Make every useful move first.
- Put your longest same-suit runs where a new card on top does the least harm.
- Fill any empty column (the rules require it), ideally with a single card you can easily move back.
Remove runs when you can
A completed run leaves the table and frees space. Keeping a finished run in place rarely helps, so let it go.
Use undo to test ideas
Spider rewards looking several moves ahead. With unlimited undo, you can try a line of play and step back if it closes doors. On 4 suits, this is part of how good players win.
Common mistakes
- Building off-suit for no reason. Every mixed run is a future problem. Only build off-suit when it uncovers a card or empties a column.
- Dealing too early. Each of the five deals buries ten cards. Squeeze every move out of the table first.
- Filling the empty column with a single card that does nothing. Keep the space free until you need it, unless you are about to deal.
New to card games? Our guide on how to play solitaire covers classic Klondike, where the rules for building columns are different.
FAQ
How many cards are dealt in spider solitaire?
Spider uses 104 cards. At the start, 54 are dealt into ten columns (6 cards in the first four, 5 in the other six), and the other 50 stay in the stock for five deals of ten.
Can you put any card in an empty column in spider solitaire?
Yes. Unlike Klondike, Spider lets you put any card, or any same-suit run, into an empty column. Kings have no special rule here.
Why can’t I deal new cards in spider solitaire?
You cannot deal while a column is empty. Move a card into every empty column first, then tap the stock.
Can you move mixed suits in spider solitaire?
You can place a card on any card one rank higher, whatever its suit. But a group of cards only moves together if it is one suit in descending order. A mixed stack has to be moved one same-suit section at a time.
Is spider solitaire with 4 suits winnable?
Yes, but it is very hard. Most deals can be cleared in principle, yet players win a much smaller share than with 1 or 2 suits. Building in suit, keeping empty columns and using undo give you the best chance. Want to test yourself? Start a game of Spider Solitaire 4 Suits.
