Other solitaire games
Spider solitaire rules
Spider is one of the most played solitaire games after Klondike. It uses two decks and rewards careful planning.
Spider solitaire uses 104 cards and ten columns. You build down in descending order regardless of suit, but only a run of the same suit can be moved together. Dealing from the stock adds one card to every column, and you win by building eight complete same-suit runs from king down to ace, which are then removed.
The setup
Two decks make 104 cards. Deal ten columns: the first four get 6 cards, the other six get 5, with only the last card of each face up. That is 54 cards. The other 50 form the stock, dealt ten at a time.
How to play
- Place a card on a column whose last card is one rank higher. The suit does not matter.
- You can move a run only if all its cards are the same suit and in descending order.
- When you cannot move, deal from the stock: one card goes on each column. You cannot deal if any column is empty.
- When you build a complete run from king to ace in one suit, it is removed.
- You win when all eight runs are removed.
Difficulty: 1, 2 or 4 suits
Spider is often played with 1 suit (easiest), 2 suits or all 4 suits (hardest). With fewer suits it is far easier to build runs that can move.
Tips
- Try to build same-suit runs, even though other builds are legal.
- Empty a column early; it gives you room to rearrange.
- Uncover face-down cards first, as in any solitaire.
- Deal from the stock last, because it buries cards in every column.
Spider is a different game from Klondike. For the classic, see how to play solitaire, and for the other games see types of solitaire.
Frequently asked questions
How many cards are in Spider solitaire?
104, two decks.
How do you win Spider solitaire?
By building eight complete same-suit runs from king to ace.
Can I deal from the stock with an empty column?
No, in the usual rules every column must have at least one card.