Legends have it that those who learned how to play Spider Solitaire as far back as 1998, thanks to its inclusion in Microsoft’s Windows computers, still play to this day.
Spider Solitaire ranks among the best solitaire variations due to its challenging and entertaining gameplay, which involves planning moves and building card sequences to win. It may sound complex, but it isn’t.
This American casino guide explains how to play Spider Solitaire, from the gameplay process to winning tips.
How To Play Spider Solitaire: Setup, Rules, and Tips
Spider Solitaire derives its name from the eight foundation piles (card sequences) players must complete, mirroring a spider’s eight legs. The gameplay goal is to build these piles in decreasing order of strength (from King to Ace) within the tableau columns. You can try your hand at the popular online casino table games to understand card ranking.
All cards in each full pile must be of the same suit (in multi-suit versions) to form a complete sequence (suit-specific building). Once you’ve completed a full suit sequence, it’s automatically removed directly from the tableau. The game ends when you’ve successfully built and cleared all eight sequences (8 suits) following the Spider Solitaire rules.
You can play Spider Solitaire in three suit versions:
- 1-Suit Version (Beginner Level): Involves only one suit (e.g., spades).
- Spider Solitaire 2 Suits (Intermediate Level): Uses two suits (e.g., spades and hearts).
- Spider Solitaire 4 Suits (Expert Level): All four suits (spades, hearts, clubs, and diamonds) are in play.
Setup and Gameplay
The way how to set up solitaire is simple. For Spider, the setup is:
The Tableau
Distribute 54 cards across 10 columns. Columns 1 to 4 hold 6 cards each, with only the top card face up and the rest face down. The remaining 6 columns (5 to 10) hold 5 cards each, again with the top card face up and the rest face down.
The Stockpile
Keep the remaining 50 cards face down for dealing to the Tableau later (1 card for each of the 10 columns) when no more moves are possible.
Space for the Foundation
An empty area should be excluded for eight foundation piles. Each full, identical suit sequence you complete will be moved to one of the eight piles.
Gameplay
While there is a 3 or 4-deck Spider Solitaire variation, the most common is the version played with two decks (104 shuffled cards with no Jokers). If you want to play with one deck, you should learn how to play pyramid solitaire. But for the Spider variant, below are the standard gameplay steps:
Scan the Tableau for Movable Cards
You can move:
- Any face-up card from one column to another within the tableau as long as it follows a perfect descending order and suit (e.g., place an 8 of hearts on a 9 of hearts).
- A sequence of cards that maintains the same perfect order and suit (e.g., 7-6-5 of spades).
Use Empty Columns
Moving cards or sequences to an empty column frees up space and creates room for more essential moves.
Draw
Draw a new row of 10 cards from the stockpile (one card for each tableau column) when no beneficial moves remain in the tableau.
Complete Sequences
Build same-suit sequences by arranging cards in descending order: King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, Ace.
Winning
You win when you clear all 104 cards in 8 complete same-suit sequences.
Spider Solitaire Winning Tips
Similar to the 10 most popular casino card games, success in Spider Solitaire gameplay demands a strategic approach. So it is advisable to:
- Play the long game by scanning the layout for where cards are, their suits, ranks, and which sequences you can build.
- Creating same-suit sequences early can help you clear the tableau faster.
- Free up space by just moving cards into empty columns, giving you room to reorganize sequences, reveal hidden cards, and avoid making blocking moves.
- Avoid dealing cards from the stockpile prematurely to prevent burying important cards and reducing your winning chances.
Go Solo!
Knowing how to play Spider Solitaire is more than just understanding the rules. You must also master smart decision-making in tricky situations. So, start thinking like a strategist to have complete control over your game.
FAQs
How to set up Spider Solitaire?
Deal 54 cards into 10 columns (first 4 columns with 6 cards, rest with 5) with the top cards face up and the rest face down. The remaining 50 cards from the stockpile.
What is Spider Solitaire?
Spider Solitaire is a single-player card game variant played using two decks. The goal is to build same-suit sequences in descending order from King to Ace.
How do you play Spider Solitaire with 2 suits?
Use two suits, such as hearts and spades, building descending sequences within the same suit.
What is the object of Spider Solitaire?
The objective is to build 8 same-suit sequences in descending order (King to Ace) within the tableau columns.