How to Play Spider Solitaire: Rules for 1, 2 & 4 Suits

Spider Solitaire at a Glance

Spider has no conventional foundation piles you build one card at a time. A finished same-suit King-to-Ace sequence is removed from the tableau instead.

1. Understand the Starting Layout

At the beginning, ten columns stretch across the playing area. The first four columns have six cards each, while the remaining six columns have five. Only the exposed top card in every column can initially be played; the other cards are face down.

The remaining 50 cards form the stock. When you deal from it, one new face-up card is placed on each of the ten columns. There are five stock deals in all.

Your early objective is usually to uncover hidden cards. Every face-down card you reveal creates new information and may make it easier to build useful sequences.

2. Build Cards in Descending Rank

You build downward, for example:

9 → 8 → 7 → 6

To place a card on another column, the destination card must be exactly one rank higher. An 8 can go onto a 9, but it cannot go onto a 10 or another 8.

In standard Spider, a single card may be placed on a card of the next higher rank even if the suits differ. That does not mean a mixed-suit stack behaves like a movable same-suit sequence.

For example:

• 9♠–8♠–7♠ is a descending, same-suit sequence you can move together, provided the destination is legal.
• 9♠–8♥–7♥ is descending, but the full mixed-suit group cannot be moved together under standard Spider rules.

The difference is central to good Spider play: you can build mixed-suit stacks temporarily, but uninterrupted same-suit runs give you far more flexibility.

3. Move Complete Same-Suit Sequences

A descending group of cards of the same suit can be moved as a unit. If you have 7♥–6♥–5♥, you can move all three onto an exposed 8 of a legal destination column. If a face-down card was underneath that group, moving it away exposes the hidden card.

A card or an eligible group can also be moved into an empty tableau column. Empty columns are useful workspaces for rearranging cards and separating mixed-suit stacks.

Beginner tip: Avoid filling an empty column permanently with a low card if you still need that space to reorganize longer sequences. A King-led stack often becomes easier to build once you have a spare column.

4. Reveal Face-Down Cards

When you move the last face-up card or sequence off a column and a face-down card is exposed, that card turns face up automatically.

This matters because hidden cards are your biggest source of uncertainty. Consider two possible moves:

• Move one card to create another visible descending stack.
• Move a short same-suit sequence to reveal a hidden card.

The second move often provides more useful information, even if it does not create the longest visible stack immediately. It can open a fresh move, free a high card, or help finish a suit sequence.

Not every reveal is automatically good; check whether the move would trap a crucial sequence or consume your only useful empty column.

5. Deal Another Row from the Stock

When you have run out of productive tableau moves, you can deal ten new cards: one onto each column. Dealing does not replace the existing cards; it adds a new exposed card to every stack.

Under the standard rule, you must have a card in every tableau column before dealing a new row. Some digital versions vary, so use the behavior displayed by the game you are playing.

Before dealing, ask:

1. Can I reveal another face-down card?
2. Can I combine two same-suit sections?
3. Can I use an empty column to reorganize a mixed-suit stack?
4. Can I complete a full King-to-Ace sequence first?

A stock deal can bury helpful exposed cards under ten new ones. It is usually better to organize the tableau first, rather than dealing simply because the stock is available.

6. Complete and Remove a King-to-Ace Run

A finished run contains all 13 ranks in descending order, in one suit:

K♣–Q♣–J♣–10♣–9♣–8♣–7♣–6♣–5♣–4♣–3♣–2♣–A♣

Once this complete run is assembled, it is removed from the tableau automatically in standard Spider. Clearing it frees space and can reveal cards underneath. Repeat this eight times to clear all 104 cards.

A mixed-suit King-to-Ace arrangement does not count as a completed run. All 13 cards must belong to the same suit.

7. Choose Between 1 Suit, 2 Suits, and 4 Suits

The core objective remains the same across the three popular modes, but the suits available to the game change the challenge.

One-suit Spider is generally easier because descending runs are not interrupted by different suits. Two-suit Spider introduces the need to sort suits while preserving useful moves. Four-suit Spider demands still more planning, as mixed-suit stacks accumulate easily.

The number of cards, tableau columns and stock deals does not change between these standard difficulty modes.

8. A Simple Opening Plan

Try this approach when you begin a new game:

1. Scan all ten columns. Identify legal moves that uncover face-down cards.
2. Prefer same-suit joins. A 6♠ moved onto 7♠ generally leaves a more flexible stack than 6♥ moved onto 7♠.
3. Expose hidden cards early. Seek progress on columns with few remaining face-down cards.
4. Protect empty columns. If you clear one, use it to rearrange other stacks deliberately.
5. Deal only after checking alternatives. New stock cards can block the sequences you just built.

You will not always be able to follow this order. Spider is a tactical game: sometimes a temporary mixed-suit move is exactly what unlocks the next useful card.

Common Beginner Mistakes

Building the longest stack regardless of suit

Long stacks can look impressive while becoming difficult to move. Two shorter same-suit groups may be more useful than one long mixed-suit column.

Dealing from the stock too soon

A new row introduces ten fresh obstacles. Make the most of available moves before adding new cards.

Filling an empty column without a plan

Empty space lets you separate cards and access hidden ones. Think of an empty column as a tool, not simply somewhere to park a card.

Ignoring face-down cards

You cannot plan the endgame effectively while much of the tableau remains hidden. When sensible, prioritize moves that expose more cards.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Spider Solitaire played with one deck or two?

Standard Spider Solitaire uses two 52-card decks, or 104 cards altogether.

Can you move cards between different suits?

Yes. In standard Spider, a single card can be moved onto a card exactly one rank higher even if the suits differ. However, a sequence moved as a group must be descending and all in the same suit.

Can any card go into an empty column?

A single card or a legally movable same-suit sequence may go into an empty column. Unlike Klondike, an empty Spider column is not reserved only for Kings.

Do you need to fill empty columns before dealing?

In standard Spider, yes. All ten columns must contain at least one card before the next stock row can be dealt. Individual implementations can differ.

What is the easiest Spider Solitaire mode?

One suit is usually the easiest because it removes most suit-matching complications. Two suits are a good next step; four suits are the hardest standard mode.

Is every Spider Solitaire deal winnable?

Do not assume every random deal has a solution. Whether a particular game can be won depends on its layout, and some software may use different dealing or solvability rules.