Spider Solitaire

About Spider Solitaire

Spider Solitaire is a classic two-deck patience card game played entirely within the tableau, with no separate suit foundations. Ten columns hold 54 of the 104 cards face down except for each column's top card; the remaining 50 sit in the stock, dealt out ten at a time, one per column. The goal is to arrange cards into eight complete same-suit runs from King down to Ace; each finished run is automatically swept off the board. Cards move in descending rank, but only a group already sorted in matching-suit descending order can be dragged together as one unit. This browser version reproduces that standard ruleset with mouse or touch controls, usually letting players pick an easier one-suit shuffle or the traditional harder two- or four-suit deal. It rewards patient sequencing over the faster luck of Klondike, since every card is visible from the deal.

How to play Spider Solitaire

1. The tableau has 10 columns dealt from a shuffled 104-card, two-deck shoe: the first 4 columns get 6 cards each, the other 6 get 5 cards each, with only the top card of each column face up.
2. Build descending sequences within columns by moving any exposed card onto another card exactly one rank higher, regardless of suit (e.g., a red 9 can go on any 10).
3. Only a run already sorted in strict same-suit descending order (like spade 8-7-6) can be picked up and moved as one group; mixed-suit sequences must be moved one card at a time.
4. An empty column can hold any single card or any movable run, making it the most valuable space on the board.
5. When no more useful moves are available, click or tap the stock pile to deal one new face-up card onto every column at once (this can only be done when no column is empty).
6. Whenever a full King-to-Ace run of one suit is assembled in a column, it is automatically collected and removed from play; completing all eight such runs wins the game.

Controls

• Desktop: Click and hold a card (or a valid same-suit descending run), drag it onto a card one rank higher or onto an empty column, then release to drop it. Click the stock pile to deal a new card onto every column. Many builds also support double-click to auto-move a card to a legal spot.
• Mobile / tablet: Tap and hold a card or run, drag it with your finger to the target column, then lift to place it. Tap the stock pile icon to deal the next row across all columns. On-screen Undo, Hint, or New Game buttons typically replace keyboard shortcuts.

Spider Solitaire tips & strategy

• Prioritize uncovering face-down cards early, even if it means breaking up a same-suit run you were building.
• Keep at least one column empty as long as possible — it's your best tool for temporarily parking cards during a big reshuffle.
• Deal from the stock only after you've exhausted productive moves, since it drops a card on every column, including ones you may have just cleared.
• Build strictly same-suit sequences whenever you can, since only a matching-suit run can be moved as a group instead of one card at a time.
• Start with the one-suit (easiest) difficulty to learn the flow before moving to two-suit or the full four-suit shuffle.
• Watch which Kings are still buried — a King can only start a new sequence or fill an empty column, so freeing one early opens up options.

What makes Spider Solitaire fun

Standard 104-card, two-deck Spider tableau across 10 columns; selectable difficulty via 1-suit (easiest), 2-suit, or 4-suit (hardest) shuffles in most builds; drag-and-drop on desktop and tap-and-drag on touch screens; automatic collection of completed King-to-Ace runs; typical extras include move/score counters, unlimited or limited undo, hint highlighting, and instant new-game shuffling, all playable without downloads directly in the browser.