Spider Solitaire Rules & Strategy
Objective
The goal of Spider Solitaire is to remove all cards from the table by building complete sequences from King to Ace in the same suit.
Setup
Spider uses two standard 52-card decks (104 cards total). 54 cards are dealt into 10 tableau columns: the first 4 columns have 6 cards each, the remaining 6 columns have 5 cards each. Only the top card in each column is face-up.
How to Play
- Tableau: Build down regardless of suit
- Sequences: Complete sequences (King to Ace) in the same suit are removed
- Empty Columns: Can hold any card or sequence
- Stock: Remaining 50 cards form the stock
Movement Rules
- Any face-up card can be moved
- Sequences must be in descending order
- Only sequences in the same suit can be moved together
- Completed sequences are automatically removed
Winning Strategy
- Same Suit Priority: Focus on building sequences in the same suit
- Empty Columns: Create empty spaces for strategic moves
- Uncover Cards: Prioritize revealing face-down cards
- Plan Ahead: Think several moves in advance
- Stock Management: Don't deal new cards until necessary
Variations
Spider Solitaire can be played with 1, 2, or 4 suits. The more suits, the more challenging the game becomes. This version uses all 4 suits for maximum difficulty.