How to play Spider Solitaire
Spider uses 104 cards – two full decks. Fifty-four are dealt into ten columns: six cards in each of the first four columns and five in the other six, with only the top card face up. The other 50 wait in the stock at the top right, enough for five new rows of ten.
- Moving cards: put any card on a card exactly one rank higher, whatever the suit – a 7 of hearts on an 8 of spades.
- Moving runs: a group of cards moves together only when it is a run of one suit, each card one rank lower than the one beneath it.
- Completing a suit: when a column ends in a full run from King down to Ace of one suit, the run leaves the table by itself.
- New row: tap the stock to deal one card onto every column. It only works when no column is empty.
- Winning: clear all eight runs.
The three levels
| Level | Suits in play | Copies of each suit |
|---|---|---|
| One suit | Spades | 8 |
| Two suits | Spades and hearts | 4 of each |
| Four suits | All four | 2 of each |
Strategy that works
- Build in suit whenever you have the choice. A mixed pile is stuck: you can only lift it one card at a time.
- Turn over hidden cards early. The fewer face-down cards left when the last row is dealt, the better your chances.
- Treat an empty column as treasure. It lets you split and rebuild piles; fill it only when you must, or when it gets a King with a long run.
- Deal only when you are out of useful moves. A new row covers every column, including the cards you were about to free.
- Before a deal, tidy up. Put the most important cards where a new card on top will hurt least.
Undo and hints
You can undo two moves per deal and ask for one hint every 20 seconds. The hint prefers a move that joins cards of the same suit or turns over a hidden card; when nothing helps, it points to the stock.
Frequently asked questions
Which Spider Solitaire level should I start with?
One suit. All 104 cards are spades, so every card fits on any card one rank higher and runs are easy to complete. Move to two suits when you win most one-suit games.
Why can’t I deal a new row?
A new row puts one card on every column, so all ten columns must have at least one card. Fill any empty column first – with a single card if you have nothing better.
Do I have to build in suit?
No: any card can go on a card one rank higher. But only runs of a single suit move together and only a full suit from King to Ace leaves the table, so building in suit is what wins the game.
How is the score counted?
You start with 500 points. Every move or deal costs 1 point, and every complete run from King to Ace earns 100.
Does Spider Solitaire work offline?
Yes. After the first visit with internet the whole game works offline, including your saved game and statistics.