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Setting the table…

Play Spider Solitaire Online

Clear eight suited runs in 1-suit, 2-suit, or 4-suit mode.

Build descending sequences across ten columns, deal from stock only when every column is filled, and remove complete king-to-ace suited runs. Nearly every 1-suit deal can be won; 4-suit Spider humbles even veterans — undo, hints, and persistent stats travel with you up the ladder.

How to play Spider Solitaire

  1. 1Deal 54 cards into ten tableau columns.
  2. 2The first four columns get six cards and the other six get five cards.
  3. 3Only the top card of each column starts face up.
  4. 4Keep 50 cards in the stock.
  5. 5Move face-up descending same-suit sequences between tableau columns.
  6. 6Place a sequence on an empty column or on a card one rank higher.
  7. 7Deal from stock only when every tableau column contains at least one card.
  8. 8A stock deal places one face-up card on each tableau column.
  9. 9A complete suited king-to-ace run clears to a foundation.
  10. 10Win by clearing all eight complete runs.

Spider Solitaire — one game, three rungs of difficulty

Spider Solitaire is the rare card game that grows with you. The board never changes — ten columns, two decks, eight runs to clear — but the suit count turns the same layout into three different games. One suit is a relaxed warm-up where every sequence can become a run. Two suits is the classic challenge, where mixed stacks start to cost you. Four suits is expert territory, where one careless deal can lock the whole tableau.

This free Spider Solitaire game uses the traditional layout. The first four columns start with six cards, the other six start with five, and the 50-card stock deals one card onto every column. Your goal is to assemble eight complete suited runs from king down to ace; each finished run clears off the tableau to the foundations.

If you are new, start with the 1-suit game and learn the rhythm: dig out face-down cards, keep an empty column in reserve, and never deal the stock with a column wide open. When 1-suit wins come easily, move up to 2 suits, then take on the full 4-suit game. Unlimited undo and persistent stats are there for every rung of the ladder, and the rules and strategy pages cover the details.

The odds shift more between rungs than most players expect. Solver work suggests that the overwhelming majority of Spider deals — even 4-suit ones — are theoretically winnable, yet practical results tell a different story: 1-suit players routinely win more than half their games, 2-suit players fight to stay near one in three, and 4-suit win rates without undo sink into single digits. The reason is information. At the start of a hand, 44 tableau cards lie face down and 50 more wait in the stock, so 94 of the 104 cards are unknown when you make your first move. The odds page on this site breaks the numbers down rung by rung.

Spider also rewards a particular daily-play temperament. Because a full game runs longer than a hand of Klondike — five stock deals, eight runs, and often a hundred-plus moves — regulars tend to treat each deal as a small project: open a column before the first stock deal, keep suits clean in the midgame, and save undo experiments for the moments when one buried card decides everything. Your win counts persist in the browser, so climbing from a 1-suit warm-up habit to a 4-suit record is a progression you can actually watch happen.

Columns

10

Classic Spider layout with 54 cards in tableau — 44 of them face down at the deal.

Hidden at start

94 cards

Face-down tableau cards plus the 50-card stock — only 10 of 104 cards begin in view.

Goal

8 runs

Clear complete suited king-to-ace runs, 13 cards each.

Which Spider variant should you play?

Start with 1-suit Spider if you are learning. Move to 2-suit when you can plan empty columns. Use 4-suit when you want the classic hard mode.

  • 1-suit is best for speed and confidence.
  • 2-suit balances luck and strategy.
  • 4-suit punishes mixed stacks and careless stock deals.

Why empty columns matter

An empty column is the strongest resource in Spider Solitaire. It lets you rearrange sequences, expose face-down cards, and recover from mixed-suit stacks.

  • Do not deal stock into empty columns.
  • Use empty columns to sort by suit.
  • Preserve at least one empty column when possible.

Stock deal timing

Every stock deal adds one face-up card to all ten columns. Deal too early and you bury useful sequences. Deal too late and you may run out of productive moves.

What the numbers say

The gap between suit counts is measured in multiples, not percentage points. Moving from 1 suit to 4 can cut a typical win rate by a factor of ten, even though the layout and rules never change.

  • 1 suit: most attentive players win well over half their deals.
  • 2 suits: roughly one win in three is strong sustained play.
  • 4 suits: single-digit win rates without undo are normal, not failure.

Spider Solitaire rules hub

Need a rules-first reference before choosing a difficulty? Use the companion pages on cardgamerules.org for Spider rules, solitaire variants, and direct comparisons with Klondike.

Spider Solitaire FAQ

What is Spider Solitaire?
Spider deals two full decks — 104 cards — into ten tableau columns and asks you to assemble eight king-to-ace runs, each in a single suit. A finished run flies off to the foundations; clear all eight and the board is yours.
How do you play Spider Solitaire online?
Stack cards in descending rank, moving same-suit sequences as a single unit. When productive moves dry up, deal the stock — one card lands face up on every column — but the game only allows it once each column holds at least one card.
Can you play Spider Solitaire with one suit?
Yes, and it is the right on-ramp. One-suit Spider removes suit conflicts entirely, so any descending stack can eventually become a run while you learn stock timing and column management.
What is Spider Solitaire 2 suit?
Two-suit Spider mixes spades and hearts. Stacking off-suit is still legal for shuffling cards around, but only same-suit runs clear — so every red-on-black placement is a small debt you eventually have to unwind.
What is Spider Solitaire 4 suit?
Four-suit Spider is the full-strength game: all four suits across both decks. Win rates fall steeply compared with the 2-suit version, and a single careless stock deal can lock the whole tableau.
Can you deal stock into an empty column?
No. Standard Spider rules require you to fill every gap first, and this version enforces it. Experienced players turn the restriction into a rhythm: open a column, spend it wisely, then deal.